I’m going to start off this issues blog by saying that this is a very sensitive topic, and thus requires an open mind and absolute respect from all who choose to read and engage with this article. The N-word is possibly one of the most controversial words in the English language. Initiated as a derogatory word to refer to African Americans during the slavery period, the word was eventually replaced with words such as “colored”, “negro”, “coon”, the list goes on. The N-word has continued to be a very problematic topic, especially in our current society. Today, various formats of the N-word exist, ending with either the –a or the –er. However, the real issue with this word is the common use of it by those other than blacks or African Americans, which seems to be a hot debate topic in our current day and age. 

So, why is this becoming a hot topic? Most people who listen to today’s popular music, especially in the rap, hip-hop, and R&B genre, know that the N-word is present in a majority of these songs, especially because the majority of singers in this genre are indeed black. However, this isn’t the issue. The issue at hand is that people who are not black, often think that the word being in the song gives them the authority to use the word. This article details an issue that occurred at a Kendrick Lamar concert, when a white fan was called onto stage to rap one of his songs, and repeatedly said the N-word. She was stopped by Kendrick, and consequently “boo-ed” by fans in the crowd, because the N-word is a word that shouldn’t be used by people who are not black. 

However, many non-black people argue that they should be able to say the word, or no one should be able to say the word. Right? Wrong. As evident in this article, the N-word is a word that black people have reclaimed for EACH OTHER. For years, white Americans used the word to demean and humiliate African Americans, and African Americans have chosen to “reclaim it” and now use the word with the –a ending, as a way to greet or refer to their fellow African Americans friends. While I personally don’t think the word should be used by anyone, some African Americans that choose to use it, use it because it represents freedom, and I understand that. If ANYONE should be using that word, it’s black people and black people only. There is no reason for anyone of any other race, ESPECIALLY not Caucasians, who had control of the word for centuries, to use the word. For many people who aren’t black and feel that there is no issue with their use of the word, they need to reevaluate themselves. I’ve personally heard a Caucasian say that it “isn’t fair” that black people can say it, but white people shouldn’t. But guess what, a lot of things aren’t fair. Like slavery.

Another argument, one that I find similar to the music argument, is that it is okay to say the N-word if it is seen in literature. This is far from the truth. Regardless of if it’s in a book or a song, if you are not black, do not say it. I remember the first time I heard a teacher say the N-word. With the –er. I’m still not sure if I can put a name to the emotion that coursed through my body, but it wasn’t a good one. We were reading To Kill a Mockingbird, which has been pretty controversial lately because of its use of racial slurs. In the Commonwealth Governor’s School, we used a broadcast system to communicate with the other program sites. It was essentially group facetime for the classroom. Anyways, we were on broadcast going over the book, and an English teacher at the Stafford site read an excerpt from the reading. While hearing the N-word with the hard –er for the first time from a white person put me in shock – quite literally – I think I was more surprised by the fact that in the next sentence instead of repeating “God damn”, she said “G D”. If she had wanted to, she could have just as easily literally said “n-word” and it would have been just as affective. This ultimately gave students the confidence to use the word and – as one of two black people in the Governor’s school program, with my best friend at the time, Sydney – over the course of that class period, I had heard the word so many times from whites that I became so angry that I almost threw up. Quite frankly, the word is traumatizing. As evident in the “meme” below, one of many concerning the same disgusting feelings towards the matter, it is obvious that people who are not African Americans feel a sense of power and feel superior when using the word. This is the exact problem we’re trying to avoid.

Overall, there is never any reason that a person who is not black should say, sing, or recite the N-word. If they choose to do so, it is because they personally WANT to, not because they need to. And if they do indeed want to say the word, there are clearly racial motives involved – no ifs, ands, or buts. The N-word is a word that has been reclaimed by the very people who it initially targeted for centuries, and honestly, that’s a freedom that black people who want to use it DESERVE. Sure, everybody has the freedom of speech, but if non-black people choose to use that excuse as grounds for using the word, there are evidently moral and racial issues that need to be dealt with.