Can you answer my question?

Question

Why do us black people call each other the "N" word? Why do we do that? Please answer.

Answer 1

well, I'm not black but my guess would be some goofy logic like by black people using it thmeselves it takes away the power of the word. Frankly I don't think it does any such thing but only makes the users seem uneducated - furthering the stereo-type.

Answer 2

Its not just blacks. Ive heard asians use it. And when I was in NYC over the past summer I talked with a guy on the street (a black guy) who after a half-hour decided that I was a "white *****". Im not really sure what the hell he meant by that, but whatever. Its just a word.

Some people argue that its about appropriation of a term that was once an insult, and black people taking it and making it their own word. Less negative. I dont mind at all. If they feel its part of their culture or whatever, let them say whatever they want.

Answer 3

I guess majority rules. I know a lot of black people that don't use the word and don't like it when others use it but most black people use it. I think they don't understand how bad it is. I'm from NYC and I see it used as a greeting from Asian to White, White to Black, Black to White, Asian to Black, etc. I know that they mean no harm but it makes people wonder. Sad but true.

Answer 4

Dick Gregory, a famous black comedian, wrote a book titled '******'. He dedicated it to his mother, and wrote, "...whenever you hear the word ******, remember that they're advertising my book."

He was trying to take the negative away from a word that had made it onto the American jargon stage. Black people today are trying to do the same thing. Using an offensive word in a non-offensive way is an attempt to demonstrate that the word doesn't mean anything.

Answer 5

There's no "we" in black people. There are those who do and those who don't.

Those who do think that they're negating the effect of the word by changing its meaning, but what they're really doing is making themselves look like absolute fools.

If you're gonna use that word, you'd better not get mad when someone else uses it. Either everyone can use it or no one can use it.

Answer 6

I don't know, but as a White guy, I can tell you that when I hear a guy say that to another guy, I start thinking that they are furthering the stereotypes that other races put on black people.

Answer 7

There is a movie called "The N Word". It will explain it all to you.
I think white people should call each other honkies.

Answer 8

After many generations the N word has been passed down and we hear and learn from our relatives. We use it loosely towards our own people, but when someone else uese that word, we tend to get offended. I say this, everyone has the right to use it and everyone has a right not to use it, so dont get mad when someone says the N word towards you or other people.

Answer 9

Its sad really.

I am white. If I were to refer to a black person as a "N", I would likely get beaten or shot.

Same as if I referred to other races in their derogatory slangs.

You don't see us white people going around calling each other "cracker" or "honky", same with other races doing the same thing.

I believe it is those segments of the African-American population whom are uneducated as to the meaning of the word and its origins.

N***** is a term that was coined during the 1600s to make it easy for white slave-owners to refer to their slaves as something other than "Slave". Owning a "Slave" in that time, while acceptable, was still controversial throughout much of the world and its current society. However, when a slave was referred to as their "N", it translated to other societies as a person that was indebted to them, and in their service, because they were too stupid to take care of themselves.

In essence, those slaveowners coined a term that told people that they took care of people whom were far too dumb to take care of themselves. I honestly don't know whats worse. Being a slave, or being told you are to stupid to be anything but a slave.

Answer 10

I've wondered that myself so I asked a black aquaintance of mine. He said he really didn't know but that he thought it was because they were so used to being oppressed that they just did it to themselves (sounds Jesse Jacksonesque to me). I don't know but it bothers me as much as if I hear a non-African American saying that word.