People compare nooses with the N word as symbols of racial hate. So why blacks use the N word so much?

Question

I am asking it cause I find it a double standard. I agree nooses and burning crosses are a symbol of hatred (and as such blacks dont go around burning crosses). But how can you say the N word is a hate symbol and then use it all the time among them??

Answer 1

I'm black , I do not use the word, I despise the word and any black person that uses it is either ignorant, an idiot, or both. The word shouldn't be tolerated by ANYONE!! I believe that anyone who feels the word belongs to blacks is wrong!! The word has been used as a symbol of disrespect. Black men and women have died trying to fight NOT to be called that word and the younger black generation dont care or have a clue as to what that means. The word belongs to HATRED and as a proud black woman. I will NEVER claim that word as anything but that!!

Answer 2

actually, anymore you cannot say the word... car or tree without a small percentage of people making it racial. this is sad and they need to stop associating everything with race just to get attention. they just want their 5 minutes of fame. it is obvious. cheeta says she is Godly on her profile, but look at her rediculous excuse for blacks calling themselves that degrading word. she makes her "people" look bad.

Answer 3

Because the hip-hop and culture and media, along with professional black athletes creates the image that the "gangsta" and prison culture is cool, that getting an education is uncool and "white", that cooperating with the police is bad, that hard working two parent households with a father that actually sticks around is bad, and degrading women, and violence is good.

Listen to Bill Cosby and not Al Sharpton. Cosby makes some valid points. Al Sharpton does little to bring his own people out of the poverty or "gangsta" lifestyle. Do you see Sharpton or Jesse Jackson organizing rallies in front of the record company offices or radio stations demanding that violent or dertogatory music be stopped. Do you see them doing anything to stop the single-parent situation so prevalent in the culture. Do you see them doing anything to stop the "thug" image that professional football or basketball players create. No they'll go after some white idiot talk show host who said three stupid words (and made a fortune off it in lawsuits afterwards) and will soon be back on the air. So why doesn't "Greek Homo" Sharpton and "Hymie Town" Jackson follow Cosby's footsteps and actually do something concrete to help their people including organizing rallies to stop the "N-word" from being used by their own people.

Answer 4

someone at work just said...

"ever notice that people can run around in this country proclaiming how proud they are to be black (or other non-white ethnic group), but just as soon as you say "i'm proud to be white", the racist label flies"...

when i worked at burger king back in school for a summer (1990), i was the only white person working there. when business was slow towards the end of the shift, the other folks working would say "hey, send that white boy home, we don't need him here!". even then, i knew that if the shoe were on the other foot, jesse jackson would be in there defending the one black person who was being told "send the black home, we don't need him here". apparently, only white folks can do things that are racially motivated, the remaining races do things in "defense" of their race.

Answer 5

You have to remember that the majority of Black people don't use the "N" word. Those whom are fighting for equality and justice may not be the same ones you're listening to in the rap songs or out on the street. Those Blacks who use the "N" word and think that it's okay are brain washed and are ignorant to the struggles that Blacks had to overcome throughout the years in order to be called by our actual names rather than that terrible word.

And just because Blacks can say it doesn't mean it's right. Besides, what reason would others who aren't Black have to say the word? If I heard people of different races calling each other racist names (which I have), I have the common sense NOT to say it. And you better believe that I'm not sitting around crying about the fact the I can't say some racist word just for the hell of it. Common sense people!

Hypothetically speaking, if you were to say something bad about your family, it's definitely wrong. But if strangers were to say the same thing about your family, it triggers something inside of you doesn't it? It's the same with racially charged words. There is a double standard, so the solution is not to say it (Black or White) and mind your own business.

I'm sorry those who gave me a thumbs down disagrees, but too bad!

Answer 6

No one should say it. And anyone who says it out of one side of their mouth while using the other side of their mouth to tell others not to say it is a damned hypocrite.


The color of a persons skin does NOT determine the meaning of a word or the intentions of the speaker. People who actually believe such crap set us back.

And black people who say the n word are NOT ALWAYS saying it in a positive way. Haven't you ever heard "shut up, ni66a," "I'ma kick yo azz, ni66a," "You a stupid azz ni66a," and so on? Oh, but that's so much worse (edit- oops, I meant better) than some well-meaning white person who sings along with a song that includes the n word or says "Wassup ni66a" to a friend.

Thumbs down me all you want, but this crap sets us back. We claim we don't want our race to be considered, but yet we're laying claim to certain words in the English vocabulary due to some illogical belief that we're fighting racist whites by "taking the n word" SHEESH! GET REAL, PEOPLE! We're not doing ANYTHING for our cause. We're actually giving racists power over us by getting so worked over something so damned trivial.


wrtrchk, I wasn't one of the people who gave you a thumbs down. (I don't bother giving thumbs down.) But I do disagree with you. Calling a loved one or family member names isn't comparable to this issue. This issue is regarding the color of someone's skin. There is a huge difference between that and defending those you love and have bonds with. I'm sure a lot of people would argue that black people are a family because we love each other and have a bond. Well I don't see why we can't feel that way about white people and everyone else. After all, we want THEM to love and respect US as equals. Don't we? Yes. And that's the important difference......... Our family members and loved ones are not equal to everyone else with regards to how we treat them. We care more about our families and loved ones than everyone else and we show it by treating them in a special way. And that's appropriate because they are our family members and loved ones. But isn't that what we DON'T want to do regarding race? YES!

Answer 7

Its a power issue. Blacks do it "because they can" and if you, a whitey does it, all hell be damned, Foo!

I personally view it as a racist slap in the face when a black person says it to another black, in front of a white. Its just plain IGNORANT.

racism is racism is racism.

Answer 8

It's a touchy subject and you won't understand it if you're not black. It's different when you are black because to us, the "N" word is a word that we use to talk among ourselves. And if said outside of the race it's considered racist because white people don't use it the way we use it. White people use it to be funny and to put us down like the slave masters used to do. So we took the word and turned it into something positive and white people are still trying to use it against us. And to make it even worse they don't get it and try to make it into a big issue. It's really simple if you're not black don't say the "N" word and that's all to it. You don't see black people trying to go to clan rallies do you? Well then don't say the "N" word.

Answer 9

It's used as ***** not ****** and when some "white" people say it, they're not saying it in a nice way. When black people say it, it's Yo this *****'s is crazy..I'm not justifying that black people should get mad when white people use it, but it's all in the way it comes out of your mouth. I have friends of all different races and everyone of them say it and no one gets mad. A ****** is an ignorant person not just a black person and maybe one day this will sink in to the people who think that they can use it to hurt someone....You can call me it all day every day it wouldn't bother me one bit b/c I'm not ignorant to the definition.

Answer 10

other groups of people use derogatory terms for themselves too

i don't care if you find it a double standard

YOU (if you are not black) should not have any desire to call someone out of their name who IS black

i know whites who call themselves ugly things like "hillbilly" but i would NEVER use that term

the use of the word by MY people is a complex thing and something that I cannot explain (all the issues and reasons) in this tiny space

but you should have been taught that just because someone says something about themselves doesn't mean you say it about them too

and you and everyone else ought to be questioning WHY you would even want to say something ugly about someone else

the need or desire to put someone down is very telling