The truth of the matter is that the N-word never had anything but a negative connotation.
The word "N*" is a key term in American culture. It is a profoundly hurtful racial slur meant to stigmatize African Americans; on occasion, it also has been used against members of other racial or ethnic groups, including Chinese, other Asians, East Indians, Arabs and darker-skinned people. It has been an important feature of many of the worst episodes of bigotry in American history. It has accompanied innumerable lynchings, beatings, acts of arson, and other racially motivated attacks upon blacks.
The average Black person knows that the term "N*" was created by racist whites who enslaved Blacks. And that it was a term that was used to describe Black people as being dumb and inferior, whites used the term "N*" as part of their psychological process of stripping enslaved Blacks of all knowledge of their culture, language religion, country and self. Yet many of us who know this are still guilty of using this pejorative term. Why?!! Some of us do so out of ignorance because we were never taught by our parents the true meaning of this term and grew up in an environment where use of the term was tolerated and in many cases encouraged. In fact, many Black children grow up being called "N*" by their own parents and relatives. So they grow up believing that it is alright to call and be called a "N*" by another Black person.
Oppression dehumanizes-and Blacks were/ or in some areas are an oppressed people. People who are oppressed and held in low esteem often internalize their own oppression and resort to doing things that reflect and perpetuate their own degradation and de humanization. Calling ourselves "N*" is just one glaring example of how oppression has caused us to degrade and dehumanize ourselves. It is probably one of the most apparent and pervasive signs of slavery's affect upon upon us.
Our foolish use of the term "N*" is compounded by our ridiculous defense of it. Some of us are foolish enough to actually try to justify using this term, claiming that we do not use it offensively toward each other. This may be true. But it does not take the sting out of the term "N*" nor does it justify our using it as loosely as we do. We cannot give the term "N*" a near meaning because to racist whites it will always have one meaning only, and that is it's original racist meaning. The point I am making here is that no matter what the term "N*" may mean to us when we use it, we will be mocked and looked upon as tools by those outside of our race for calling ourselves "N*"
There is nothing "slick" or "hip" about calling ourselves "N*" It only shows our ignorance and stupidity because WE are the only people stupid enough to take a racial epithet and hurl it at ourselves. Do we ever hear whites calling themselves honkies? No! Nor do we ever hear Italians calling themselves "wops" or Puerto Ricans calling themselves "spicks" or Jews calling themselves "hymies". So why must we disgrace ourselves by calling each other "N*".? It makes no sense at all. We use this term so much that we are conscious of it's full meaning and impact or even care. If we want to send a real message to whites that using the term "N*" is wrong, then we should stop using it ourselves.
We need to teach our children to despise the term "N*" and not use it outside of general context. We also need to stop using this term in our chlidren's presence and admonish them when we hear them using it in ours. Our enslaved ancestors despised the term "N*" and taught their children to despise it as well. Our ancestors would turn over in their graves if they knew how many of us have been duped into calling ourselves "N*".
The bottom line is that we are NOT N******. Some of us have just been brainwashed into believing they are. We are strong and intelligent people who come from a proud heritage. Rulers of great cilvilizations. A land of Kings and Queens. But we will never be respected as a people until we cease calling ourselves "N*" and portraying other negative images ourselves. This insane practice of calling ourselves "N*" has to end and end now! Let us take it, our primary responsibility to discourage friends and relatives from using this term.
The notion that it is acceptable for African Americans to refer to each other as "Negroes" or "N*", yet considers it racist for others to do so, unquestionably sets up a double standard. The notion that one ethnic group has property rights to a term is a reductio ad absurdum argument since language is a public enterprise. No one — black or white — escapes the stranglehold of racist language and images, whether reclaimed or left alone. As African-Caribbean poet Audre Lorde cautioned us all, we cannot use the master’s tool to dismantle his house. Although the liberation of a people is also rooted in the liberation of language, reclaiming a racist word like "N*" does not eradicate its historical baggage, and its existing racial relations among us.
Instead it dislodges the word from its historical context and makes us insensitive and arrogant to the historical injustices done to a specific group of Americans. It allows all Americans to become unconscious and numb in the use and abuse of the power of language because of the currency this racial epithet still has. And lastly, it thwarts the daily struggle in which many Americans engage in trying to ameliorate race relations.
So the next time you call yourself a "N*" think real hard about it. Think about how you are degrading yourself. Think about how you are dehumanizing yourself. And most of all think about the present and future generation of our youth who because of your foolish perpetuation of this term will continue to be lost in the "N*" syndrome.