Anyhow I have to fast forward due to quitting time getting further away from me. Although I respect NWA for sharing sentiments of black urban youth and opening up the door for others to speak out on the injustices served in their own locales, I wonder about the effectiveness to date that referring to myself as a nicca has done for me and those around me.
I wondered recently about people's views that using [the N-word] to refer to oneself is actually a form of self-hatred. I sometimes feel that perhaps these individuals have a form of self-hatred themselves. I am not saying that I am referring to them by that name, but they and me should be the same ey? Chris Rock, who is one of my favorite comedians/actors said on a HBO standup special, "I love black people, but I can't stand niggaz!" I have a friend out here that likes to make an equally interesting observation: "I tell you, Niggaz!" I tend to use this statement myself because it's somewhat fitting (and humorous in my own slanted thinking).
As I was saying, I was wondering whether or not black people who are so against the use of the N-word hold some form of self-hatred. I know initial reactions come in the form of, "No, I LOVE MYself!!!" I am not saying that you don't love yourself, but you don't love the rest of us niggaz (who deem ourselves that, nahmean?). Interesting self-revelation: I speak so much (to myself) on separation of people that I don't realize that we self-professed niggaz tend to escalate the separation.
Hmmm, guess I have some thinking to do tonight. Haven't quite touched the house much...and I picked up a new toy.
For modern day Black History news, in a morbid theme however, the founder of the Boys Choir of Harlem died March 23. His name is Walter Turnbull and hailed from Greenville, MS. Now admittedly, I had no clue of the Boys Choir of Harlem, but I will start to look into some of the history and will definitely mark that location (and temporary location if still there...folks read the article) to visit when I get to New York this summer.
Here is another example of using what you have. This is a young black man coming out of Greenville, MS (guess that would have been around the late 50's to the 60's), pursuing Opera of all things and starting this choir in a church basement in Harlem. I suggest you guys put in some research of your own and please leave comments with reference spots. I would appreciate it. This goes to show you that God does a LOT with a little. Also noted in the article is a history of scandalous activity goinz on up in there, but sometimes evil infiltrates very good initiatives.
3 comments:
I don't hate myself for not liking the word nor do I hate people who characterize themselves as niggaz, niggahs, etc. Far be it from me to kick anybody in the nuts if that's who they think they are. However, I do take exception to the use of it to describe a race as a whole, or to breathe new life into a word used to denigrate a race of people and justifying its use under a new synonym. More often than not it is a negative characterization that broad brushes a group of people who don't feel they fall within the descriptions characterized by that word. In the politically lethargic or those who are in search of an identity and don't mind having one bestowed on them, the word means nothing. However, for others the n'word and its hybrids strike anger, fear, and a sorrow many of us younger people may never understand. The n'word reminds many people of the days when it was complemented with the occasional shower of a fire engine hose, police dog attacks, tear gas, billy clubs and bullets. Maybe the word doesn't sting so much to younger people because the brunt of the blow was borne by the men and women who endured the emotional and physical pain caused by people who adopted and fine-tuned the use of the word in their arsenal of psychological slavery. The word strips the dignity from the sacrifice that people made on our behalf. It's true that these men and women whose shoulders we now stand on sacrificed themselves to give us the right to say whatever we damn well please, but I think we owe them a little more than that. Our generation is post civil-rights and we live the posh life when it comes to some of the most basic and simplest of freedoms they were denied and fought for. And, if we were still called niggers, niggaz, nigguhs in the street accompanied by the occasional ass kickings, lynchings and threats of lynchings not only by crazed mobs, but by organized law enforcement and the justice system like the strong men and women during the civil rights era were, I suspect we'd feel a little differently about using the word so gratuitously. Changing a few letters in such an incendiary word didn't change much, it only passed the baton from the people who traditionally used the word to assault to the people who were on the receiving end of it. Now, we’re doing their job for them.
I actually posted my thoughts on this very subject at http://venusexposed.blogspot.com/2007/04/nword-please.html and would like to carry on the conversation.
Thanks so much for the comments. I will visit the address and comment/converse accordingly.
Blessings
Your last question seems easiest to answer: no, it definitely retains the sting when used by someone outside my culture. In the beginning and up to this point, I have held the feeling that the word (and "hybrids" as you pointed out in your comment--thanks) was intended for use towards black folk. In my opinion a problem is that people were given the false impression that the word would be taken out of the English vocabulary in totality. There were many people who did not share in efforts to do this and continued referring to themselves and others with this word. Further still, we inherited and maintained the hatred associated with the word so much so that we are ready to harm an individual outside our race that uses it.
It is very ignorant and probably dishonorable to say this, but I believe that more power was given to the n'word when people pushed for its demise. Saying, "Don't call us niggers" to a riotous racist lot should do what exactly? The same thing it does to unruly (and probably/possibly less-concerned) individuals. Make em use the word more. Please do not read it as a justification, just a slight read on history. Some of us (myself included) process the n'word with no concern just as society processed "crackheads" in the 90's, yet we know that the crack epidimic and its victims are far from a light matter.
I made one observation for myself that I KNOW my mom and others up would disagree with. That is this: I AM a product of my ancestors. Painful truth for me is that a part of my ancestors were slaves and a percentage of them were referred to as niggers. I hold fast to my African-American heritage. Though it is not to be used as a badge of pride, recognizing myself under that title joins me with all others sharing my black skin from the highest to the low.
We tend to target those who do things that directly harm other people, but that is not where the term began. That is only a means to separate people amongst themselves.
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