What's in a word?

NIGGER (or nigga or niggah or whatever).

There is a direct and strong link between the word nigger and anti-black caricatures. Although nigger has been used to refer to any person of known African ancestry, it is usually directed against blacks who supposedly have certain negative characteristics.

The Coon caricature, for example, portrays black men as lazy, ignorant, and obsessively self-indulgent; these are also traits historically represented by the word nigger.

The Brute caricature depicts black men as angry, physically strong,
animalistic, and prone to wanton violence. This depiction is also implied in the word nigger.

The Tom and Mammy caricatures are often portrayed as kind, loving
"friends" of whites. They are also presented as intellectually childlike,
physically unattractive, and neglectful of their biological families. These later traits have been associated with blacks, generally, and are implied in the word nigger.

The word nigger was a shorthand way of saying that blacks possessed the moral, intellectual, social, and physical characteristics of the Coon, Brute, Tom, Mammy, and other racial caricatures.

Nick's etiquette class came into his home and with his permission, called him "nigger".

Repeatedly.

And the poor child didn't know what to do about it. So he kept telling them it was ok. And they kept saying it. Boy, were they having a ball!

The local barber was called upon to consult Nick about the incident and what we heard from him was "Why would you want to hang around some kids like that?" Fair enough question, still not sure Nick (or the teens from etiquette class) have any idea why that's such a hurtful word.

Enter the Sparks adults armed (?) and ready to put these little rich kids in check. And lo and behold, out of the mouths of college educated black adults, "You shouldn't use that word because you might get beat up. It doesn't mean anything to your generation, but it means something to mine. It's for your own protection."

Well I guess he really told them, huh?

Yeah, apparently the Sparks adults are unaware of the history of the word or surely they would have made better use of their opportunity to "school" these youngsters (their son included). I sure hope they can educate themselves before someone calls them another big word that they don't understand.

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