1.

Inacountrybuiltuponthefoundationsofslaveryanditsresidualsystematicracism,it'sno
surprisethatournationhasbeeninfectedbythedesensitizeduseoflanguagethatdoesnot
takeintoaccounttheassociatedmeaningsofracism.
Theuseofthetermniggerisaclear
exampleofthis.Beginningwith
thelatinrootofniger,thewordoriginallymeantthecolorblack.
ItdevelopedintotheSpanishwordnegro,thentothenegreinFrench,andfinallytothewords
negroandniggerinEnglish.Thewordwasinitiallyintendedtodefineacolorandevolvedinto
acommontermusedtolabel,identifyandstereotypeablackperson.

2.Thefirstrecordeduseofthewordwasin1574bywhitesorothernonblacksasarelatively
neutralterm,withnospecificallyhostileintent.Afterthat,Englishcolonist,JohnRolfe,useditin
1619withthearrivalofthefirstAfricansinJamestown,VA,itthenbecamepejorativeinthe
1800s.Duringwestwardexpansion,themigrationofsettlerstowardstheWestCoastinthe
mid1800s,thewordwasusedlooselytodescribeanyonewhowasnotofAnglo(white)
descent.
Theevolutionofthetermmaybedirectlyattributedtotheslavetradewhentheterm
"nigger"wasappliedtoidentifyslavesaspossessionsandcommodities.Itwasadehumanizing
attackandameansofverbalaggression.
Bytheendofthenineteenthcentury,
nigger
had
alreadybecomeafamiliarandinfluentialinsult.
Duringthattimeperiod,
adultsreprimanded
childrenforbeing"worsethanniggers,"forbeing"
ignorantasniggers,
"forhaving"
nomore
creditthanniggers
"theydisciplinedthembytellingthemthatunlesstheybehavedtheywould
becarriedoffby"
theoldnigger"
ormadetositwith"
niggers
"orconsignedtothe"
niggerseat,
"
whichwas,ofcourse,aplaceofshame.
ThewordNiggerhasoccupiednearlyeveryaspectof
Americanculture,fromsongstoliteratureandevenpoliticaldebates.Currently,
nigger
ormore
commonlyspelled
nigguh
or
nigga,
hasbecomeanacceptedandwidelyusedtermamongthe
AfricanAmericancommunity,particularlyinpopculture.Usedincommonspeechandinpopular
rapasagreetingorareplacefordudeorbrother,thewordhastakenonanentirenewidentity,
onethatpeopleofotherracesdontknowwhattodowith.

3.Asawhitefemale,thistermconfusesme.IsitsomethingIamallowedtosay?Istheterm
exclusivetotheAfricanAmericancommunity?Theinclusiveandbrotherlymeaningthatthis
wordhasdevelopedisfascinating.Nolongerisitusedasaninsult,butasatitletobeproudof
intheAfricanAmericancommunity.Although,thewordisusedinthisway,thehistoryand
negativeconnotationsoftheworddonotdisappear.Thisraisesthequestionaboutwhythe
termisstillusedtoday.Afterallofthenegativityandhatredthatbuiltthisword,itshouldno
longerbeapartofanyonesvocabulary,nomatterwhatraceorbackground.