NAACP Plans Funeral for 'N-Word'

[Wilson Gray]

On 7/9/07, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at YAHOO.COM>
> Subject:      Re: NAACP Plans Funeral for 'N-Word'
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> A guy on CNN this morning explained that first, white people insulted and humiliated black people with this word of hate because white people are racists.
>
>   Second, because black people can turn afflictions inside out, they overhauled the word and made it an "endearment" and a word of love.
>
>   [Third], whites saw what had happened and decided to forbid blacks to use the word as a word of love.  Because that's how racists behave. Misguided blacks have bought into this.
>
>   [Fourth] Whites "have lost the right to use this word and black people have earned the right to use it."
>
>   He was asked, "Suppose a white person has a black friend.  Could he ever be >allowed to say to that friend, 'What's up, my nigger?' as an endearment?"
>
>   [Fifth] "Never! No more than he could say to his mama, 'What's up, bitch?'"
>
>   JL


The fifth one makes sense to me. I remember a case in the '60's in
which a friend's white boyfriend caused a problem because he thought
that sleeping black gave him the privilege of talking black. It did
make him an honorary bruthuh, but it didn't give him the right to use
the Magic Word. If you're going to go up to a black guy, put your arm
around his shoulders, smile, and say, "You my nigger, if you *don't*
get no bigger!", it helps to be black yourself. Even when used between
two black men, the phrase, "You my nigger," can be problematic.
"Nigger" isn't necessarily a term of endearment, regardless of who
uses it. [Another anecdote follows.]

Apparently, not all black people react as Americans do. My buddies and
I were in the process of being hustled by a Dutch West Indian in
Amsterdam. He was talking *very* loudly about the racial glories of
Holland, as we were walking along De Zeedijk, for those who know
Amsterdam. Things went something like this:

Surinamer: You no have to worry, if anybody call you "nigger" here,
mon. If somebody call you "nigger" here, you jos' tall de policemon.
You see de policemon dere? You jos' tall heem, if somebody call you
"nigger."

Americans (cringing): Hey, man! Shhh! Lighten up! Don't be sayin' that
word out loud like that!

Surinamer: What word, mon? You mean "NIG-GER! NIG-GER! NIG-GER! ..."

If this hadn't been our first night in a foreign country, plus the
fact that there was one of those saber-carrying cops right across the
street, we'd have kicked his ass.

-Wilson

>
>
>
> Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>   ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Wilson Gray
> Subject: Re: NAACP Plans Funeral for 'N-Word'
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Aaarrrggghhh!!!
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 7/9/07, Bapopik at aol.com wrote:
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> > Sender: American Dialect Society
> > Poster: Bapopik at AOL.COM
> > Subject: NAACP Plans Funeral for 'N-Word'
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > _http://news.aol.com/story/_a/naacp-plans-funeral-for-n-word/20070709093409990
> > 001?ncid=NWS00010000000001_
> > (http://news.aol.com/story/_a/naacp-plans-funeral-for-n-word/20070709093409990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001)
> > ...
> >
> >
> > NAACP Plans Funeral for 'N-Word'
> >
> > AP
> > Posted: 2007-07-09 10:03:26
> > ...
> >
> > DETROIT (July 9) - There will be a symbolic funeral at today's session of
> > the NAACP convention in Detroit.
> > ...
> >
> > Leaders of the civil rights group admit they don't know what impact burying
> > the "n-word" is going to have. But National Chairman Julian Bond says the
> > organization's youth are taking the lead in fighting the use of racist and
> > sexist slurs.
> > ...
> >
> >
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> > The issue gained new prominence after talk show host Don Imus' derogatory
> > on-air comments in April about members of the Rutgers University women's
> > basketball team.
> > ...
> >
> > Bond opened the group's 98th convention yesterday, saying it's needed now
> > more than ever because the Bush administration has done little to support
> > blacks.
> > [Has President Bush or anyone in his administration ever used the n-word, or
> > any other racist or sexist slur? I don't follow--B.P.]
> > ...
> >
> > Most of the Democratic presidential candidates will take part in a Thursday
> > forum at the convention.
> >
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> >
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> >
> > ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
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> >
>
>
> --
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> -----
> -Sam'l Clemens
>
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--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
                                              -Sam'l Clemens

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