Why can black people call each other N-word while whites can't? It's pointless... 🤔

Question

aliyakrushnic · Answer

that’s... how slurs work?? it’s the phenomenon of slur reclamation. the n word was (is) an extremely violent and derogatory term, but over time black people came to use it within their communities in a more familiar, less hateful sense. it is a very good example of a natural reclamation of a word, where the term became a popular one within the community but it was still used in a hostile manner toward them by members outside of the community. and so members of the black community began to speak out against non black people using it and it became less tolerated that white people call them that, though it remains used among black people with the idea that they have reclaimed a word used against them. this has happened with many slurs. what’s really pointless is making up words to put down and hate an entire group of people, not the process of a community reclaiming these words as a form of empowerment or healing

palexk · Answer

When people get upset that another group is using a slur amongst themselves, that's a ridiculous thing to be confused about, and it just sounds like you wish you could openly use slurs.

I can call my fellow Jewish friends all kinds of slurs that were used against us, but God help the non-Jewish person who calls us any of those things.

palexk · Answer

@Cassie_meow I apologize. It can be difficult to explain to people from countries with a completely different mix of ethnic groups. Basically, it's a bad word, and if you're not black, you shouldn't ever say it.

palexk · Answer

@duckman If "younger black people" don't share the same experience, I'm sure you'd have no problem walking up to a random black person, and using the word, and then explaining that it's a term of affection.
You've never heard it being used as an insult? That's probably because you're not black, and they weren't saying it to you. I'm not black either, but I live in an urban area, and no, white people don't use it to mean "buddy" here.

palexk · Answer

@duckman Words (especially slurs) are not about how they're used, NOR what they mean. They're about how they're perceived by the people who have been hurt by it the most.
There's no expiration date on the meaning of a slur, unless it's decided on by the vast majority of that group.l, and that group alone. To my knowledge, no black leadership group on either side of the spectrum has given me permission to use it. White comedians are generally not given a pass. I'm not including lines from a written show or movie.

If your black friend is cool with you using that word in a friendly way, then yeah, that's fine. But you can't use his permission to say it to others that you don't know.
Jerry Seinfeld might be able to call one of his closest friends, Chris Rock, that word. But Seinfeld can't get on stage and say it. Obviously. And that's the proof that it's still a slur in the majority of non-black usage.

palexk · Answer

@duckman That, we can agree on. A lot to be learned here.

nuggs · Answer

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nuggs · Answer

@Cassie_meow ah! sorry! it’s a slang term, technically. it basically means to excel, or do really good at something all of a sudden. that, or to kind of explode and do a lot. (look it up on urban dictionary they might give a better understanding)

Deleted user · Answer

It's become a symbolic issue where people are offended by the idea instead of the intended meaning.

White people only say "the n-word" when singing a rap song, or as an affectionate term towards another white friend.

I've never once in my life heard someone use it as an insult towards anyone's race. However, I've heard it used affectionately thousands of times. It usually means "close friend."

The people who complain about this word the most are also white. They're people who've never said the word out loud, only the euphemism "the n-word." They believe invoking this common word, even only to give its definition, has the power of summoning Voldemort from the Harry Potter books.

Most black people don't have a "the n-word;" they just say the word. Some white people are upset that they're assumed to be racist for acknowledging a word they hear regularly on the radio, on television, or in real-life.

Sone black people over the age of 70 remember it being used as a slur. This was over half a century ago, in the 1950s, before it became a "term of endearment." Some younger black people learned from them that they should be upset about the word. However, the younger black people don't share the same experience of it being primarily a slur.

Deleted user · Answer

@palexkrupnik I haven't disclosed my race, but I understand that most Americans who use HiNative are white, so the answers people get here often have a white bias.

The issue with words is more in how they're used than what they mean literally. For example, if an Asian called a random black stranger a slur, he would be trying to upset him. However, if an Asian called his own friend "my n-word" in private, the intention would be entirely different. If someone has to explain that it's being used as a term of affection, then chances are they aren't really using it that way.

There may be some places where it's still used by other races as a slur to their faces; in my years on this earth I haven't heard it used that way. For example, I've never heard an insulting sentence like "what're these n-words doing here."

Most of the time it's more like "my n-word right here" or "can you get an n-word a pencil."

But you may be right, and my experience may be different than that of others.

Deleted user · Answer

I hope this dialogue can give readers a good idea of how people feel about the topic in this country. It remains one of the more contentious topics.

Deleted user · Answer

It's disappointing to see the hostility here against our friend @Cassie_meow. He or she asked a legitimate question, and has no obligation to understand or agree with a different cultural worldview.

shoesc34 · Answer

@Cassie_meow why do you want to say it so badly?

Like no offense, but no matter how hard you try, you can never really understand from a non-black POV.

It’s a different vibe, history, significance, and place in our society—within the Black community.

bagel · Answer

In order to understand why, you must understand the history of our country. In the beginning of America slaves were brought over to America (and other European countries) from Africa. because of the vast differences in our skin color and culture it was easy for them to become a target and be portrayed as dumb, uncivilized and unintelligent. Fast forward to the end of the slavery era, the south did everything to keep black people from integrating into society (e.g. Jim crow laws, redlining, lunching and so much more) throughout all this time the N-word was a horrible slurs used by the racist white people in order to dehumanize black people. Our country has made a lot of progress the past 60 decades and now we’re seeing black people finally get the recognition they deserve and our country is becoming a lot less divided however the n-word is still a horrible slur and even if you don’t mean it in a mean way, using the n word can be very hurtful because of the way it was used once before. Even if you don’t mean it in a bad way it is still very ignorant to use it. Black people use it towards each other because they don’t mean it in a discriminatory type of way. It is  probably very confusing to a person who did not grow up in the United States of America but in conclusion just don’t say the n-word because you will come off as very rude and ignorant.

bagel · Answer

@Cassie_meow its ok!! It’s good to ask questions like this!!💕 I don’t expect you to understand immediately but just know that there is a lot of history behind the word that you must learn in order to understand why it is offensive🥰

Why can black people call each other N-word while whites can't? It's pointless... 🤔 See a translation

@Cassie_meow why do you want to say it so badly? Like no offense, but no matter how hard you try, you can never really understand from a non-black POV. It’s a different vibe, history, significance, and place in our society—within the Black community.

It's disappointing to see the hostility here against our friend @Cassie_meow. He or she asked a legitimate question, and has no obligation to understand or agree with a different cultural worldview.

@Cassie_meow I apologize. It can be difficult to explain to people from countries with a completely different mix of ethnic groups. Basically, it's a bad word, and if you're not black, you shouldn't ever say it.

@Cassie_meow its ok!! It’s good to ask questions like this!!💕 I don’t expect you to understand immediately but just know that there is a lot of history behind the word that you must learn in order to understand why it is offensive🥰

I hope this dialogue can give readers a good idea of how people feel about the topic in this country. It remains one of the more contentious topics.

@duckman That, we can agree on. A lot to be learned here.

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@Cassie_meow ah! sorry! it’s a slang term, technically. it basically means to excel, or do really good at something all of a sudden. that, or to kind of explode and do a lot. (look it up on urban dictionary they might give a better understanding)

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Why can black people call each other N-word while whites can't? It's pointless... 🤔

@Cassie_meow why do you want to say it so badly?

Like no offense, but no matter how hard you try, you can never really understand from a non-black POV.

It’s a different vibe, history, significance, and place in our society—within the Black community.