I care less about us saying the “N” word than I do about us being the “N” word.
Neely Fuller defines a “Ni99er/Nigga/Negro” are anyone who’s subject to the powers and policies of White Supremacist, anyone who is a subject of the Western Imperial system, or victim of Western Colonization; and I can’t disagree with him.
Dr. John Henrik Clarke describes the system of Niggerization as the process of moving people from being free and independent to being subject and forcibly dependent on their enemies, oppressors, and foreigners.
So, the ugly reality is that we are all Niggas (aka Oppressed Africans, Colonized Africans, A people who lack Agency) until we fully dismantle the Systems and Institutions of White Domination, re-secure our land and resources, and end the exploration of our labor and talents by Whites, Asians, and Arabs. (If you wanna be philosophical about the issue and the word.)
Some Blacks people argue that if we didn’t use the word, as a term of endearment, or an ID-er for Black people, or as a blanket term for an ignorant person, or for any other reason that it would improve the overall conditions of Black people, that sounds good, but I haven’t seen any evidence of that.
I don’t use the “N” word in that context, not since I was a youth, but I don’t get bent out of shape when other Black people do. Also, I’ve often requested that Blacks not use that word to refer to me or in my presence and they’ve always been apologetic and respected my wishes; that’s been my experience.
I don’t think Blacks using the “N” world is the source of our oppression or feeds our ongoing oppression, but I do think it degrades us to hold to the world, or to use it in most context.
Aside from all that I’ve just articulated; when we look at Racial Slurs in general, across national, cultural, and Racial lines; you’ll see that most, if not all groups use slurs internally in the same capacity as we use the “N” word, it’s just human nature I guess.
I grew up in Missouri, and I would venture out into the backwoods, I encounter Whites that called each other Peckerwoods, Rednecks, White Trash, etc.
I dated a Mexican in High School and when I went to the West Side to visit her and her family they’d call each other Beaners and Wetbacks all the time, I never said or desired to say those words to refer to Mexicans; but it was common.
When I moved to NYC I attended a predominately Jewish school and they often called each other by Jewish slurs, there was even a magazine titled Heeb that was very popular among Jewish students.
There was an old Racist saying; “you don’t stand a China Man’s chance,” and a Chinese American author just wort a book with this title sharing how this slur was used in their community often, and still is.
There isn’t one Racial or Ethnic group that I’ve had long-term contact with that didn’t engage in this behavior.
Also, when you look at other disparaged, oppressed, and out groups; you find the same behaviors; Gays calling each other Queer (which used to be a anti-gay slur) and even the “F” word. Woman call each other the “B” and “C” word, even people with various disabilities would use “Retard” and other slurs internally.
This action may help reduce the sting of the world when it comes from the outside, it may empower them because they are using words that others can’t use without consequences, or it may be perpetuating negative stereotypes, or do all of that shit. But one thing we know is this behavior is universal.
Black people are taught to think the world of ourselves in this Racist System and our elites like to blame us for our own oppression, so we think we are the only people who enraged in certain “less than honorable” behaviors, and that other Races don’t; that’s why the “N” word issue is so big here but we don’t hear much about the identical behaviors of other Races that do the same damn thing.
Sorry I didn’t have a shorter answer for your question; but I guess I could have answered: “A lot;” and left it at that. LoL.
