The n-word is used loosely nowadays, conversations on the phone, probably hearing it at least once every day on the streets, from hip-hop songs to works of literature and cinema productions. The term as we know it today is diverse from what it was a hundred years ago when it was used during slavery. Nonetheless it can either be a taboo word or the synonym for “dude”.
According to the African American Registry, “the word nigger can be traced back to the Latin word niger” which means black. It is said that “nigger” can be the altered spelling of the word Negro which means black in Spanish. In the early 1800’s the term was then being used as a derogatory term against the African-American group, used to trivialize the black community in order …show more content…
On one hand Zulu Kente is affected by the word to the point where he begins to think that being /black was a bad thing/ because of how the term is being spewed at him with hate, as a result Kente has flashbacks of times when his self esteem was low because he thought something was wrong with him and has troubled him mentally since; Kente is most likely against the use of the term as it evidently still brings negative memories (Kente, 15). In her essay, Naylor turns the other cheek and realizes how the people around her are now taking the word lightly; one rarely thinks about the word and it’s past. Contrast to Zulu Kente’s poem, Gloria Naylor mentions how she’s heard the word as a “term of endearment for husband or boyfriend” (Naylor, 115). She then states how the word ‘nigger’ hold a representation of manhood deriving from times of oppression and slavery, the term showcases the struggles and conquers achieved throughout history by the black community; being called a ‘nigga’ by your girlfriend or wife is a stamp of having strength and bravery, the ability to conquer. Gloria believes that the use of the word is a way to crush those who thought they could belittle a group. Upon using the word frequently among the black community, it weakens the original derogative meaning of this word that was used to dominate a group of people (Naylor,
According to the African American Registry, “the word nigger can be traced back to the Latin word niger” which means black. It is said that “nigger” can be the altered spelling of the word Negro which means black in Spanish. In the early 1800’s the term was then being used as a derogatory term against the African-American group, used to trivialize the black community in order …show more content…
On one hand Zulu Kente is affected by the word to the point where he begins to think that being /black was a bad thing/ because of how the term is being spewed at him with hate, as a result Kente has flashbacks of times when his self esteem was low because he thought something was wrong with him and has troubled him mentally since; Kente is most likely against the use of the term as it evidently still brings negative memories (Kente, 15). In her essay, Naylor turns the other cheek and realizes how the people around her are now taking the word lightly; one rarely thinks about the word and it’s past. Contrast to Zulu Kente’s poem, Gloria Naylor mentions how she’s heard the word as a “term of endearment for husband or boyfriend” (Naylor, 115). She then states how the word ‘nigger’ hold a representation of manhood deriving from times of oppression and slavery, the term showcases the struggles and conquers achieved throughout history by the black community; being called a ‘nigga’ by your girlfriend or wife is a stamp of having strength and bravery, the ability to conquer. Gloria believes that the use of the word is a way to crush those who thought they could belittle a group. Upon using the word frequently among the black community, it weakens the original derogative meaning of this word that was used to dominate a group of people (Naylor,