the news last night ( the N word)?

Question

how come when african americans say the N word, it is normal, but when white people say it they are concidered racist, and sometimes even get beat up?

Answer 1

It's just a double standard white people have to deal with. It is completely wrong, but that's the way it is right now. They can have scholarships just for their color and get hired over someone else because of their color. It would be hell on earth if we were to start a United White College Fund but it's ok for them to do it. Don't sweat it. Let them call each other that if they want to. It's funny to me. They are becoming the modern day slave owners of themselves!

Answer 2

The word coming out of a white persons mouth is just wrong. It was used in a derogatory and demeaning way for centuries and caused great harm to the black people in America. Blacks have said it to each other for decades in a way of defiance to the white man but in recent years it has become a word they have claimed ownership over. Because of the hate behind that word and the divide it causes on both sides I think it should not be used by anyone in our time as we try to move forward.

Answer 3

It's an unacceptable double standard that is being discussed as a result of the Don Imus fiasco. There is some movement within the entertainment industry to do away with derogatory remarks in song lyrics. This is going to take a very long time to become a non-issue.

Answer 4

Not all Afro Americans condone members of their race saying the N word either.

Answer 5

Lol that's what you get, i comprehend your variety. continuously ragging on black women, calling them gruesome thinking white and latina women are all that, on a similar time as they only see you as a stupid n*gger. And if now no longer them, then their kin contributors or the human beings on the perimeter of them will.

Answer 6

I live in NYC and everyone uses it. Asian to Asian, Black to Black, White to White, Latino to Latino, Asian to White, Black to White, White to Black Latino to Black and every other combination possible. Not in the "negative" way like "I'm gonna kill all ******,"but "What's up my ******." Of course if someone that isn't Black (or Black) goes up to some random person that is Black and says it he/she might get hurt. I know lots of Black people that don't use the word and hate it. I have no idea why people would want to say it and why people still do. It's so offensive.

I think that the media focuses on why Black people use it instead of why people in general use it. Two of my friends actually got into a fight because one of them used it towards the other, and they were both Black.

Answer 7

OK, this is a difficult concept to understand: double standard, it's OK for one group to do but not another.

Kind of like some white folks that use trailer trash--as being proud of it-- but when called that, it brings a huge indignancy. (That means get offended)

Answer 8

I'm not sure, I'm black and I think no one should use the word, but what I don't get is the place that I'm from has alot of immagrints from somalia, and if someone dares say ****** infront of them they'll beat them up. Then they go around calling each other *******... THE WORD DOESN"T APPLY TO YOU, THE WORD WAS USED TO PUT DOWN YOUR PEOPLE. Honestly, thanks for letting me rant:).

Answer 9

I'm posting a response that I gave to another "n word" question.....



I don't see any problem with you asking this question, but I do agree with the person that said you should have said "SOME black people" rather than lumping all black people together. Not all black people feel the same about this issue. For that very reason, you're likely to get several different responses.

However, you're not the only one lumping an entire group of people together. Someone mentioned that most people who aren't black (who use the "n word") don't use it as a term of endearment. How could that person possibly know how many do or do not use the word in such a manner? Did this person forget about the several non-blacks who identify with hip hop culture and use the word in the same manner as many blacks do?

To answer the question posted...
Many people use the "n word" in an offensive manner, which was the first reason for the use of the word. But many black people have chosen to combat its original intended meaning, so to speak, by using the word for other purposes. It's often used as meaning friend, brother, confidant, companion, supporter, chum, etc...
I've also heard some black people use the term to refer to other black men, but in a non-offensive manner. In other words, "That n♥gga..." is often said rather than specifying "That black man...". And I've heard some use the term to refer to men regardless of race. I've also heard it used by some black people as a way of indicating that they believe a particular black person (or people) to be obnoxious. For example, a black person might say, "Why do n♥ggas have to ruin all the good clubs?" or "N♥ggas make us all look bad."
You can usually tell how it's being used if you familiarize yourself with African American culture. But, as I said, not all black people feel the same about this issue... There are several who do not condone the use of the word at all regardless of intension. And, please, don't take offense to my saying "African American culture". I am NOT saying that the "n word" is accepted as being a part of African American culture as a whole. (As I said, there are black people who do not condone the use of the "n word" at all.) But rather I am saying that the use of the "n word" is embraced by some people and subcultures within the African American community.

I'm just taking a "stab in the dark" here, but is the following question the one that you really wanted to ask?...."Why do some black people who use the "n word" complain when a non-black uses it in the SAME MANNER as they do?"
If this was your intended question, I think it's understandable that you would ask as such. If it's clear that a person isn't using the "n word" in a negative manner, no one who uses the word should be offended regardless of the color of the speaker's skin. If you do use the word and you are offended by someone else's non-negative use of it, you're just as guilty of making color/race an issue as anyone else who makes it an issue.

Anyone watch the show called "Girlfriends"? If you do, you might remember the episode in which Lynn's sister offended the ''girlfriends'' during a visit. (And, of course, if you watch the show, you know that Lynn is mulatto/bi-racial (black & white), the other "girlfriends" are black, and Lynn's sister is white.) Well, during her visit, she said "n♥ggas" while rapping along with a rap song that was playing on the radio. The "girlfriends" were angry at her about this, and they also didn't appreciate the fact that she was a "w♥gger". And yes, the word "w♥gger" was used to discribe her. In case anyone doesn't know, "w♥gger" is a term indicating that someone is a "white n♥gger". I have three questions: Why would anyone, regardless of race, be offended at the use of the "n word" while not being offended at the use of the word "w♥gger"? (After all, "igger" is "igger" regardless of the letter that preceds it.) Why would anyone, regardless of race, be offended at the use of the "n word" by someone who is rapping along with a rap that includes the "n word" while not being offended at the rapper's use of it? And why would anyone be offended simply because a person has embraced another culture or parts of another culture? I know that "Girlfriends" is just a television show. But situations, such as what occured during the episode I've discribed in this post, do occur in "real life". And it's such a shame. No person (or group of people) own (owns) any particular culture or any aspect of a particular culture (such as foods, vocabulary, fashion, etc...). Individuality would be nonexistent if such were the case.

Personally I don't like the "n word" regardless of what variation of the word is being used and regardless of the speaker's intended meaning. But, honestly, I can't claim that I never say it. During my childhood and "teen" years, most of my friends, neighbors, and boyfriends were black. Naturally I was influenced by my environment and the people I came in contact with on a daily basis, so my vocabulary became a mirror of what I heard. I heard variations of the "n word" used all the time, so I employed these variations in my speech. What may come as a shock to those of you who stereotype people is the fact that I can't remember one single instance in which a black person expressed to me that I offended him/her by using that word. I did experience prejudice regarding other matters, but not concerning the "n word".

Anyway, due to having used the "n word" for so long, I often let it "slip out" (never with a negative intension). When I do this, I'm usually using it to "replace" another word (such as "man", "friend", "silly person", etc...). But, as I said, I don't like the "n word". However, while I don't like it, I am not offended at others' use of it. I realize that everyone has the right to say whatever they want to say, so it doesn't bother me.

Answer 10

Grow up