Nigga Pleaze

“Nigga Pleaze”


“Why do I call myself a nigger you ask me”Is it the same reason I use this word to address my friends associates relatives etc…?Why do some African Americans only take offense to the word when it is used by someone who isn’t of African decent? Nigger, nigga , Nikkuh. Where did it come from? How did it become socially acceptable? What is the psychological effect of this word?


Nigger. How did it find its way to America. This was the word that slave masters used to refer to there black slaves . Like most other English words, the origin is Latin. It is derived from the Latin word Niger. Pronounced Knee-ger. Meaning black. The Spanish and Portuguese use the word negro. Which also means black. It found its way to America through the Spanish and Portuguese slave traders. It was adopted by the English language and pronounced negro or nigger. Since people of color were seen as inferior by all people who lacked color. The word instantly became a derogatory term. Webster’s dictionary once loosely defined the word nigger as an ignorant person. Because of the derogatory connotation of the word nigger. Colored became the alternative for the word negro in the 1800”s. I find this funny. If you live in a urban area you might not realize that people of color are scarcely scattered through this country. But the flipside of this is. People of color are the majority worldwide. Leaving people without melanin or Caucasians as the minority. So how is it that the term colored became popular.?Shouldn’t uncolored or lacking color have been proper in this situation???? After years of being niggers, then colored, black people have become affectionately known as African Americans. Hmm I don’t have a problem with African American. But my ancestors probably didn’t have a problem with being called nigger. Most of my peers don’t have a problem being called nigger. Unless it is said by someone other than an African American. Even I am guilty of using the word nigger. But I am trying to break the bad habit.


How did the word nigger become socially acceptable in the black community. It was rap music. Rap music is solely responsible for the way young African Americans loosely throw this word around like young kids once threw baseballs. wrong. Wrong WRONG. I will be the first to admit that this word is constantly used in rap music. I’ve heard and once used the same excuse that many rappers use. “when used by an African American it is a term of endearment.” N.W.A. used this word as a marketing tool to promote themselves and there music in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Niggaz with Attitudes. Looking at that name it was pure ignorance. Even though the name was ignorant. There music had more substance than most of the music by today’s most popular artist. I could name drop but today were building, not tearing down. If you watch 70”s African American films, the word is used just as much as it is used in today’s rap music. I’m not placing the blame there. I’m just letting you know that it is bigger than rap music. I don’t think anyone really knows how or why it became socially acceptable. Ice cube didn’t do it. Neither did Richard Pryor. Is the term ever appropriate? I feel that in some cases it can be effectively used to describe a persons actions or mentality. But I feel that it should not be limited to color. I know a lot of niggers. But I also know a lot of black people. And if you really analyze the word. The difference can clearly be seen. I feel that we need to first take a look at ourselves and our actions. Then ask yourself .”Do I behave like nigger“. And if I do. Am I comfortable with it. If you are, no offense should be taken when the word is to describe you.


Does the use of the word Nigger have a psychological effect on African Americans? I think so. No matter how u want to look at the word. It is and will always be a derogatory term. Po-tay-toe, Po-ta-toe. To-may-toe, To-ma-toe. Same thing. Whether you cut the pizza in triangles, or squares it is still pizza. Whether you say Nigger, Nigga or Nikkuh it still has the same effect. Many African Americans feel like when used by a black person towards another it takes the sting off of the word. Or that the pronunciation takes the sting off the word. I have heard and I am guilty of using all of these excuses. For the last few years I have made a conscious effort to stop using the word nigger. I use to refer to myself as a nigger. I was told by a friend (Thanks Skitz) that I could never be a good nigga. Because you are not a Nigger. You are a Blackman. Those words really made me analyze myself and my actions. Through thought and analyzation I now see the word (nigger) as self degradation when used to describe ones self. Just think about it. If when you wake up in the morning., and the first person you see calls you ugly. Then throughout the day everybody you come in contact with calls you ugly. By the end of the day you will start to view yourself as ugly. Just the psychological effect of that comment. So if we call our kids nigga all day. Then there peers call them nigga all day. How can we get mad when there behavior becomes ignorant???? A word is just a word. But some words have more power than others. And I feel that NIGGA is a very powerful word.


Black man. Black woman. Black child. Please…. Take this word out of your vocabulary. We will never arrive if we never stop degrading ourselves and each other. Whether consciously or subconsciously. We need to uplift each other to ever accomplish anything as a people in this country. Learn from niggers what we shall not be and what our kids shall not become.