The Battle of N's Pt I

I have been kind of busy the last few days and haven’t been able to write as much as I would like. I really don’t have much time today, but there are a couple of issues I would like to write about. The first two issues are relatively brief, and will be expounded upon future blogs. Issue number one: there was another noose found in NYC. The third noose was found at the post office near ground zero. (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nynoos1013,0,779650.story, http://www.wnbc.com/news/14326081/detail.html?rss=ny&psp=news ) This is the THIRD noose incident in the NYC area in the last month. NYC is becoming more racially charged by the day as the Sean Bell murder trail gets closer, the racial tension is increasing. I think the concentration of noose incidents reflect the consciousness of many white people in NYC. The consciousness of many white people in NYC, times the disenfranchisement of the Black and Latino community is going to equal a peculiar situation for New Yorkers in the very near future. On a side note if you look at this clip http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-columbia-noose,1,1351457 at the very end the media guy tries to imply that the noose at Columbia University may have been put there by one of the "non- white" faculty members at the teachers college. This sounds eerily similar to the fourth person story the media tried to float around after the murder of Sean Bell. There was also a noose incident in the Chicago area (http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5701065 ) the madness is spreading!!!
Second: Mychal Bell has been sent back to prison (http://www.dogonvillage.com/blogs/african_american/archives/33-Mychal-Bell-of-the-Jena-6,-sent-back-to-jail-for-prior-charge.html ) The POWER that initially caused his released needs to be sustained in order to properly allow justice to transpire. The white power system down in Jenna and all around the world is in full gear, we also have to be in full gear in order to combat the insanity involved in this situation and others.

Now for today’s topic…

The word “nigger” evokes emotion in the hearts and minds of Black people. The word historically, in the Americas and beyond, has been used to express hate for a race that has been deemed, in many circles, inferior. The institution of racism has contributed greatly to the impact this word carries and creates fervor among people when it is used. Before we get into the dialog I want to make a couple of references:

A. When I write “nigger” I am writing about the racial slur
B. When I write “nigga” I am writing about the slang word
C. When I write the “N” word, I’m referring to both “nigger” and “nigga” simultaneously

As I was reading a popular Hip Hop website today I ran across an article that said Nas AKA The “N” (not N word, just “N” for the first letter in his name) is going to name his forthcoming album Nigga. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_odC1tYHmw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnahright%2Ecom%2Fnews%2F ) For those of you that are not familiar with Nas, he is arguably the most socially conscious and influential rapper within the last ten years. Although recent media outlets have slammed him for his title, they clearly are not familiar with his music, because if they were they would understand that Nas wouldn’t name his album Nigga, out of ignorance. The media assault on Nas further deepens my understanding that “they” just don’t get. But I digress.
After reading the article I thought it would be a good idea to explore the use of the word nigger v. nigga. I think to move forward as a community we need to examine whether nigger and nigga are the same word, do the words carry the same meaning, should the either word be used at all, and how we as a community can more forward as a whole around this issue.
The NAACP recently held a mock burial for the “N” word at their national conference. No disrespect to the NAACP, but they haven’t connected with my generation at all. In fact they often represent views contrary to what I believe to be the proper stance on certain issues, I’m sure my sentiment can be echoed by many. This disconnect is demonstrated clearly by Jessie Jackson and the NAACP’s response to Nas’ album title. Jackson said “The title using the 'N' word is morally offensive and socially distasteful," Jackson said via a statement. "Nas has the right to degrade and denigrate in the name of free speech, but there is no honor in it. Radio and television stations have no obligation to play it and self-respecting people have no obligation to buy it. I wish he would use his talents to lift up and inspire, not degrade, making mockery of racism," he added. "We will not support and we will not continually be assailed by other individuals who want to use that type of term in our presence," stressed national NAACP spokesman Richard McIntire. "This has gone on long enough".
How can you be familiar with Nas’ music and claim that you represent the masses of Black people and think that Nas would do anything but up lift and inspire Black people? Is the use of the “N” word in any capacity wrong? Nas may very well be trying to make a prolific point, but he has not only been immediately attacked by the media, but by some Black folks as well, namely the NAACP.
No disrespect to Dick Gregory, but he wrote an excellent book titled Nigger. Dick Gregory was a comedian, and has served our community as a social activist for years. Does the same connotation around Dick Gregory’s autobiography, exist as it relates to Nas’ album title? NO! The question I raise then is why not? Nas’ is a musician and a social activist as well. The only difference between the two, is that Nas is a part of the “Bastard of the Party/Hip Hop generation”. This explains why, before Nas has the opportunity to explain his position on his album title, he is being attacked. The disconnect between groups like the NAACP and sectors of the Black community is clear. The white power structure will use this division to further, manipulate and control our community. Jackson and others should be ashamed, that they are contributing to this reality!!
A very good friend of mine completely disagrees with the use of the word nigger, nigga or any other variation of the “N” word. She stands whole heartily against its use. She stands on the grounds that the word is degrading to Black people and, most importantly, our use of the “N” word opens the door for its use to white people. She doesn’t buy the most recent separation of nigger v. nigga and believes that using either variation of the word is a sign of hatred, whether it is self inflicted or external. She believes it is a contradiction to say that “we” can use the word, but white people can’t. She also argues that the use of the word by Black people today shows a complete disregard for the struggle that many of out forefathers had to bear in our interest.
My good friend is not alone in her distaste for the word. There are whole organizations dedicated to the abolishment of the “N” word in all forms (http://www.abolishthenword.com/ ). I believe that all the individuals who take this position have a righteous point of view and should be encouraged to complete their goals and objectives. My only concern is the motivation behind, why certain organization and groups take such a hard line position. The same shackles that are said to be on the minds of people, who use the “N” word, may have the same grip on individuals working to abolish the “N” word, depending on their motivation.
I grew up in a world influenced heavily by Hip Hop. Hip Hop is the voice of a generation post the Civil Rights Movement, and post the Black Power Movement. There is a very interesting documentary on HBO about this generation of Black youth called the Bastards of the Party, the documentary highlights the experience of the youth that live in the aftermath of both historical time periods. (http://youtube.com/watch?v=JOPp-Y0AupE ) The Hip Hop generation took words like bad, fresh, and cool and changed it to meet the culture. Nigga as opposed to nigger doesn’t fall into the category, completely, of words just mentioned, but it has definitely been embraced by the “Bastards of the Party”. (see earlier blog The Church is as much to Blame as Hip Hop for a more detailed explanation of the Hip Hop generation)
Many born in the Hip Hop generation have taken the position that it is acceptable for Black people to say nigga, but if a white person says it, in any capacity, the line for a fight has been crossed. This point is clearly demonstrated in white rappers who would never use “nigga” in their lyrics for fear of backlash from their fans. The Hip Hop generation claims that they have taken a word that was NOT created with the intent to degrade Black people, and made it into their own. Some argue the word nigger comes from the Spanish word negro, which means black, not necessarily Black people but simply the color black. The word Negro became a term used to describe Black people, similar to Caucasian for white people. White Southern’s couldn’t pronounce the word Negro properly, and eventually settle through accent on nigger to describe the African slaves. Through the white peoples usage of the word negro, negative stereotypes have developed over time around the word nigger, resulting in the feelings around the “N” word today. Because of the recent history (Trans Atlantic Slave Trade forward) of the word nigger, many have come to the conclusion that white people simply cannot use this word. This conclusion also applies to the new usage and spelling of the “N” word, nigga.
I don’t think it is completely ridiculous for today’s generation to come to this conclusion. The “Bastards of the Party” understand quite well that white people can do anything they want on this earth. The same youth also understands that most people of color cannot do what they want on this planet, due to the influence of the white power structure. The sentiment of the youth is also reflected in the broader sectors of the Black community. Ask any one on my block what would happen if a Black man or women was elected president. 9 out of 10 people would say that he/she would be assassinated. I’m sure this is not only the truth on my block; I’m sure this same understanding is true in most neighborhoods around this country.
Based in this reality I believe some Black people have come to the conclusion, both consciously and sub consciously, that the use of the word nigga is one thing we can do, that white folks cannot. I believe this to be a POWER move made by the “Bastards of the Party”, independent of them realizing this or not. That same resistance can be found in the ass whooping those young men in Jena put on that white boy. I’m sure those young men didn’t know they were fighting for POWER, but they were.
Many white and Black people cannot understand the concept of seizing POWER. They say things like “There is something that white people can’t do? Why not, we’re all equal aren’t we? Why can you say it and not them/us? What’s going on, I’m confused!! You guys are saying that white folks can’t say nigga, but you can? How can this be?”
These reactions show me that many people cannot remove themselves from the white wash that has transformed their mind. The NAACP and Jessie Jackson are victims of this phenomenon, based by their reaction to the title of Nas’ album. I am not saying I agree or disagree with using the word nigga in any capacity, or that I agree or disagree with Nas’ naming his album Nigga. I’m simply stating that if we shouldn’t use the word nigga, a better argument needs to be made than, because we say it, white folks will be more inclined to say “nigga” also. This argument states in short, if Black folks want white folks not to use the “N” word, we shouldn’t use it either. I think that this conclusion is ridiculous, and has the potential to create deeper misnomers of disunity in our community. If you listen to this interview about Nas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_odC1tYHmw&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnahright%2Ecom%2Fnews%2F) the commentator clearly says, “I thought their was a memo stating that ‘we’ wont be using this word anymore.” Where does this we come from? What we have decided is that you can’t say the word, and we will continue to have dialog in our community around whether or not we will continue to use the “N” word. My not using the “N” word is not a prerequisite for white folks not using the word.
In NYC there is a neighborhood in Queens, named Howard Beach. Howard Beach is infamous for its treatment toward Blacks, and their upfront racism of their neighborhood, as it is related to anyone who is not white, and specifically Italian. Outside of the racist undertones that exist in the neighborhood they openly use the terms “ginny” and “guido” in reference to each other. Both terms were created as an ethnic diss to the immigrant Italian community. No other group of people would dare go into Howard Beach and call an Italian ginny or guido, without expecting a fight. The broader sectors of the Italian community may not use ginny or guido, but they understand the strength of their community won’t allow anyone else to use the terms. I’m not trying to compare the historical framework of ginny and nigger, it is quite clear that nigger has a longer, deeper, and more inhumane history than ginny. I make mention to this situation in order to bring forward the argument of community reaction. Our reaction to the “N” word is splintered, not because a sizable percentage of us use the word, but because we feel we have to justify our usage of the word, to “them” the white community at large. This is a backward logic, in my opinion.
Many will rebuttal my argument by saying that the history of the word as it relates to Black people is so deep that using the word in any capacity revisits that era. My answer to that would be I agree. I would go on to say Black people’s greatness reach far beyond the length of time that white folks have been referring to us as niggers. Making the above mentioned comments about the history of the “N” word, in my opinion, belittle the strong history of the African presence and spirit. Does that mean that white folks should be allowed to use the “N” word in any capacity, whether it is friendly or antagonistic? Absolutely not! I believe that it speaks volumes if the African community stood firm in the position that regardless of whether we choose to use the word or not as individuals, you cannot use the word any longer. And in the event that you do use the word, friendly or antagonistic, you should be prepared for the repercussions.
I wrote in “Tell Them Why You Mad Son, Tell Them why you Mad!”, an earlier article on the blog, that one thing that pisses me off is the fact that white power structure tries to find any way to blame their hatred for Black people on Black people’s behavior. I want to extend that to say that it pisses me off that some NEGROS defend the white power structures, hatred of us, on Black people behavior. They almost make it seem like, “You see, you guys use the word”, this is why they hate us so much. You are degrading yourself by saying nigga, because that’s what white people used it for. Like it is impossible for us to use nigga the way we want too. To reiterate I’m not saying that we should say nigga, lets find a better reason why we shouldn’t. Power is what the white power structure is all about; you start taking the power away from them, even if its something as simple as a word, you will see them get up in arms. The sad part about every time we try to take some power away from the white power structure we got NEGROS who defend it!! Hopefully, one day, both ends of the conversation will understand that we have a bigger problem out here than beefing with Nas.

Marvo