NIGGER, NIGRA TO NIGGAZ!

The word “nigger” has changed its meaning so much throughout history that even the top linguistic scholars get tangled in its historical web, and in some cases even its original meaning gets lost in translation.  To this day the stereotype of the lazy African still exists from slavery days, but this does not fit the description/attributes of a slave.  Slaves work hard, and America’s economy was largely successful due to the free slave labor force also called “niggers”.  These same “niggers” are the reason why America’s “White House” stands erect on its foundation today, and much of the money made from free “niggers” labor still runs through the blood of corporate America to this very day!!!!

 

The word “nigger” has been around for centuries, and has taken on many meanings throughout.  The word was once used by Europeans to describe the skin color of Africans, and then turned into a way for the slave master to describe his discontent towards these enslaved humans.  Since then the word has been less associated with the Spanish/Latin adjective for the color “black”, and more with unfounded negative stereotypes of a people whose past is more complicated than the slur being used to describe them.

 

The slang term “nigger” was one of the European ways of attempting to break and/or remove the spirit of Africans in an attempt to keep them under control by berating them, and was a part of a larger system of controlling Africans through physical and mental terror.  It was important for whites then to keep Africans under control, because slaves were the cash cow of that day.  This was their perverted way of maintaining their investments, and keeping it all under a terroristic form of control. 

 

The “N-word” was used so often that it crept its way into the slave vernacular, and was used by fellow slaves to create further division.  This aided in the slave masters in their ”divide and conquer” approach to controlling slaves, and it has been in uses amongst African American ever since.  In fact African Americans still seem to be affected by this, because much of the things found in the slave environment still exist within the African-American family (not just the use of the “N-word”).

 

During the 60’s-70’s the word took new shape amongst Africans in America looking to make America live up to its Constitutional promises after fighting many wars for this country they called home.  They tried to place a positive spin on the word as a few in the past have tried, because the word had come to mean so much more for Africans by this time.

 

In some strange way it made a quantum jump from a term meant to mentally subdue to then represent those who were brothers and sisters in the same struggle, and it was at this time it became a term of endearment, a badge of brother and sisterhood, and a way to identify with those who were like minded.  Nigger suddenly became synonymous with the word brother, sister, cousin, and family, while still maintaining its edge to be used a weapon depending on how it was used by fellow Africans.

 

The word became something that only African-Americans could use and identify with, and was looked down upon if anyone esle used it because you could never be sure of that persons intent.  Later the “N-word” morphed into a double edged sword, because some people then felt that if its such a bad word why are African-American’s still using it.  In short what started off as a way to berate an entire race of people suddenly transformed into a way to identify some people of the same struggle as family,  and now it seems that the MTV generation (and maybe even corporate America) wants in on this part of Black culture as well.  They have already tried to exploit much of so-called Black culture already (e.g. Rock N Roll, Hip-Hop, R&B, Sports Stars, and the list goes on), so ”nigger” suddenly became just another cool slang word that even young European-Americans want to call themselves “niggers”.  They have even tried putting a spin on the word, so now some Euro-American’s call themselves “Wiggers” (inotherwords White Niggers).

 

While it was fine for African Americans to apply the word (with its new meaning) to themselves it was still seen in its original light if European-Americans used it, because with them came the reminder of its original intent.  Thus we have these drawn-out debates over a word that we give so much power to because of the affect it has had on America as a whole.

 

It now has a different meaning depending on who was using the word, and this causes some discomfort for other races because African-Americans are some of the most emulated people across the globe.  We now have people from around the world rapping, singing, dancing and just all out enjoying so-called Black culture, so many claim that this is confusing because they hear the “N-word” in music, movies and the likes.  But they fail to acknowledge the legacy of the “N-word”, and will continue to willingly have issue with something complicated but obviously not of their own.  While the African experience has always been a part of America, the Black experience has now (again) become part of America’s capitalist assembly line. 

 

We now sell every household item you could think of using R&B, Hip-Hop, Reggae, Dance Hall, etc., and we are again making them money though our culture.  But due to our culture now becoming watered down MTV-type culture more people want in, and more people want the “N-word” as just another “Black slang” word they can use to be cool while ignoring its past.