Vulgarity By Maya Angelou

This word “Nigger” is also known as the N-word is being expressed into everyday world of language when speaking to friends or strangers. During the 1870’s and 1880’s before the civil war, many showed racism and how people treated color skin people and how slavery became such a problem. By looking at In Defense of a Loaded Language by Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, one can analyze that this loaded word is important because a fact so basic to human speech that without it, human language might well collapse. “In Defense of a Loaded word’’ by Ta-Nehisi Coates document which acknowledges that the “Nigger” word is being stated as violent and offensive. ““Nigger” is different because it is attached to one of the most vibrant culture is inextricably linked to the violence that birthed us (source #1).”

If you’re in high school, how many times do you hear the expression “Yo, what up nigga.” This is the word that travels through the hallways of many schools and on the streets in many cities. However, do people know what the word means? That’s the problem. They don’t know what it means yet they still say the word. What does it help them achieve? Does it help them be cool? Does it help them fit into a group of people? Now we all say this word to whites, Asians, Hispanics, and even blacks, but do we think how it makes them feel? Imagine if you were African American and had ancestors get whipped, have to use a separate bathroom, and much more, and still be called a nigger. This is a problem we had back then and that we still have today. We used one word to describe

The n-word is considered one of the most vicious racial slurs in the English language today. True that the n-word is closely associated with slavery and the oppression of blacks. Even after the abolition of slavery the word still haunted African Americans, especially in more segregated areas; where blacks were viewed as inferior to whites. In recent years the n-word has become less of a malicious slur in parts of our country. Public figures who use the n-word run the risk of losing their jobs. However, since the 1960s African Americans have coined the term “nigga”, when addressing one another. The rise of hip hop culture also enhanced the use of the word-they felt as though they are using the word as a term of endearment. Critics of the

White people have been criticized for using the word nigger by black people, because when a white person says it, they claim it is racist or that they are not allowed to say nigga because they are white. They say that black people can use it because they have a right too, because of their people being oppressed in the past. Today we have black people, white people and all other variety’s of races calling their friend’s who are not black, a “nigga” in a way that claims them to be a close friend of some sorts. Most of the time we see black people call other black people niggas and we aren’t

The use of words to portray feelings slowly drifts away, becoming replaced with short sentences, the lack of descriptive words, and the use of emoticons in texting. Today there are hundreds of emoticons to describe your feelings, or even your location. Maya Angelou, commonly known as, “poet, author, performer, stage and screen producer, director, and a singer”, wrote the excerpt Graduation Day from I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in 1969. She along with many other authors changed the minds of individuals by the strategic placement of letters and words. Today the art of English is dwindling away from Americans, although many refuse to accept the fact. Words alone have very little meaning, but when arranged and a few descriptive words are added,

Contrastly, many older people in the black community feel that this word is disrespectful and is some form of internal racism, which causes blacks to remain inferior in society. But how can that be the case when we turned lemons to lemonade. We changed something with negative denotation and made it positive. Even Hispanics call themselves "essays" which is similar to the word nigger in Spanish. Also, the term "Yankee", which is a term that has described Americans for centuries, was once an insult by the British. So do we ridicule the founding fathers of this country for accepting this name? Even if we did not change the meaning and spelling of the word nigger don't we have the right to call ourselves the word (like the founding

In the English language, the word "nigger" is an ethnic slur, usually directed at black people. The word originated as a neutral term referring to people with black skin, as a variation of the Spanish and Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger . It was often used disparagingly, and by the mid-twentieth century, particularly in the United States, its usage became unambiguously pejorative, a racist insult. Accordingly, it began to disappear from popular culture, and its continued inclusion in classic works of literature has sparked controversy. In the contemporary United States and United Kingdom, using the word is taboo, and it is often replaced with the euphemism "the N-word". "Nigga" is sometimes used among African Americans in a non-derogatory sense or as a term of endearment. Etymology and history

If it was used in a friendly manner as in to identify a friend the word must not be used. For example, in today’s time many rappers in the music industry embrace the word and use it casually. Hip-Hop culture has influenced the mainstream use of this belittling term. The problem with this is that it can only make racial slurs more socially acceptable. Some people take offense to the use of this word while others don’t care. For instance, in 2001 when Jennifer Lopez released her song “I’m real” featuring Ja Rule she used the word “nigga” in the song. For some people they honestly did not mind, but the majority of people took offense to her use of the word and went crazy about it. She took a lot of flak for the use of the word although she did not intend to offend anyone she still did because the word is a racial slur. The only acceptable time the word should be used is to educate people on the historical context of the word. The history behind the word has a strong shadow over the word which will never fade, which is why people ought to never forget the history behind the term.

The words Negro, nigger, and nigga have always been a sensitive topic, yet it is a topic that needs to be addressed in light of the more common use of its vernacular. One word is used to describe a color, while the others are used to define a people. It’s very clear to many the negative connotation these words carry, but where did these words come from? Furthermore, is there a difference between the word nigger and nigga; and why is it that African-Americans now use the word nigga to degrade each other in today’s society? These words, in spite of their spelling, still holds the same degrading power as it did during the time of slavery, and they are still spoken out of cruelty and ignorance, but who is to blame? Can one still blame the

Many people find identity in their culture, art and literature. Both in Maya Angelou’s “Africa” and Mos Def’s “Hip-Hop” both have themes of identity and exploitation. Both show that the black experience in the Americas and mostly all over the world is based on being the one’s who are exploited. Both poems have to do with one’s identity or autonomy being stolen from them. They do differ when it comes to the genre and the context but they do share the themes of identity and exploitation. Angelou in her poem uses the examples of the slave trade and using a women to convey two different means of exploitation. Her poem can even connect towards today, where Africa is still being exploited for its natural resources. Def’s song has to do with mainly a commentary of hip-hop as a genre and a culture. This song jam packs a myriad of subject matters such as history, progression, warnings, friendship, perfection, and identity. Def in a song that should seem like a celebration for hip-hop, instead criticizes it for it’s exploitive nature. In both poems you could get to hear the voice of the exploited.

I do in fact agree with Randall. “Nigger: it is arguably the most consequential social insult in American History, though, at the same time, a word that reminds us of ‘the ironies and dilemmas, tragedies and glories of the American experience’” (Kennedy 1). (Please note that my points are absolutely debatable). I do indeed believe that in today’s world, even though there is still racist lurking around us, you can use the N word if it’s in the right context. I would in no condition use this manner when speaking to an adult. I also would never use this word if I were at school or work. But I would use it with my friends, or having a casual conversation with someone my age. During my senior year of high school my English teacher asked us to write an essay using our everyday terminology. She made it clear that we could use foul language. In my essay I including the N word and the next day I was called into the office. My principle explained to me that my English teacher believed I was being racist and only chose to use that word because I had the freedom to say anything I put my heart to. I got into a big argument with the principle on how the word is used differently for my generation and I was not going to apologize or accept any type of punishment. I had to write letter for the board explaining myself. I won this conflict because I stated that if my teacher was not capable of handing this kind of paper, she should have never asked for it in the first place. I

It was a the main word back in the 1800’s and up till the civil rights movement. The N word is a very strong word, with repercussions coming for whoever speaks it. The N word is used in many black neighborhoods and ghettos, as the N word is slung to one another constantly. Racism will continue to be prevalent if the N word is still used in predominantly black communities. The N word has racism written all over it, and societies will not make progress towards eliminating racism if the N word is still used, Kevin says, “I am never again going to utter the word “nigger” to describe myself, to describe Black people, to paint a picture of a certain type of mentality born of racial oppression, self-hatred, confusion, of ignorance…”(45). Societies that use the N word to describe one another, is destroying progress made to ending racism. The word is commonplace in rap and inner city cultures, making the word seem acceptable to say in society. Using the n word is not acceptable in any culture in the United States. The amount of hatred towards Black people the word expresses is sickening, and we must make advances in society to eliminate the word from our

The N-word is an insult to our ancestors; the content in which you use the word doesn’t deny it’s derogatory meaning. What’s the point of bringing back and using a word that white people used to use to degrade people of color? It’s so much more than just a word, there’s a sad and depressing history associated with this word. A professor once said, “ The poison is still there. The word is inextricably linked with violence and brutality on black psyches and derogatory aspersions cast on black bodies..a word that has tormented generations of African-Americans...Among many young people today-black and white-the N-word can mean friend”. We live in a society where the word is so common; it’s often used by the descendants of the people who had to

Should Nigger be Used as a term of Endearment in the Black Community and Everywhere?

“The Word “Nigga” Is Only for Slaves and Sambos” was written by Rob Nelson and first published in a university newspaper in North Carolina. Later on, the article was so meaningful that it was re-published in the academic journal, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. In the article “The Word “Nigga” is only for Slaves and Sambos”, Rob Nelson uses ethos, logos, and especially skillful pathos appeals based on the history of slavery and the illustration about the future of African American, to prove why he thinks the “N-word” is not acceptable. By using ethical argument and those clever appeals, Rob Nelson definitely persuades his young African American audience.