Editor's Note: Occasionallywe get a submission that makes us wonder how it will be received by teens andteachers across the country. After consulting with our Teacher Advisory Board, wefound overwhelming support for publishing this piece. We hope it sparksconstructive, positive discussions in classrooms and personal reflection on thisissue among our readers. Under different titles, this essay has been previouslypublished on wiretap.org and tolerance.org.



About a year ago, oneof my friends asked if it were cool if she called me her"nigga."

"No," I replied with a breath of disgust,intending that the conversation never come up again.

My friend, whom Isuppose is Armenian, Lebanese and white, justified her question because she has ablack relative. She characterizes herself as "semi-black" (whateverthat means), especially when it is in her best interest. She told me that she'dalso asked my friend Maranda (the other black girl in our grade) if this commonderogatory term could be used as a term of endearment. Maranda believed the wordcouldn't mean any harm coming from a friend.

I knew my friend wouldn'tuse the word as an insult, but I still didn't approve of her referring to me thatway. I understood that her interpretation of the word was intended as a term ofendearment - as in comrade, homie, my sister - so why did her question bother me?Did I take it too literally?

Then the question of the "ProteanN-word" arose. The "Protean N-word," a chapter in Nigger: TheStrange Career of a Troublesome Word by Randall Kennedy, a Harvard law professorand former Rhodes scholar, describes the word's purposes when used in differentcontexts. These contexts are used to distinguish the usage of the word nigger asa racist and derogatory term, as a historical word, or as a term of endearment.

Today, I realize that I've learned from that particular experience, andwould probably handle it differently. My answer would remain the same, but Iwould want to explain why nigga, or nigger, is not a term of endearment.

The word is actually derived from the Latin for the color black - niger.It wasn't until 1837, that author Hosea Easton labeled the term as "employedto impose contempt upon [blacks] as an inferior race."

The N-wordhas its roots as a derogatory term and has always been used as a hurtful epithet.It is a term which has its roots in being a hateful word with the premise tobelittle blacks, or degrade the African-American culture. It still imparts painand is still an insult when applied to people of oppressed heritages. Peoplesometimes forget that the labels "Niggers of Europe" and "Niggersof the Middle East" were used by Anglo-American supremacists in reference topeople of Irish and Middle Eastern culture. Those labels also have been used todemean those cultures, invoking nothing but hatred and ignorance.

Unfortunately, in modern society, young people have abused and exploitedthe word. The reality is that blacks shouldn't use it when addressing their blackfriends in the presence of other races because it then becomes transformed into afriendly word, and other races begin to rationalize its use. A few months ago, Iread that poor whites are increasingly referring to one another as niggers or"white nigga trash" to inflict one of the lowest of insults on eachother. There is also controversy surrounding Hispanic and Latino students whocall their black friends "niggaz" because they are minorities too andthus feel that it's okay.

After Jennifer Lopez recorded her hit "I'mReal," outrage surfaced in the African-American community about herreference. The black community suddenly forgot about all the black artists whouse the word like it's the time of day. If the public criticized Ms. Lopez forher song's content then we should lament black entertainers' use of the word aswell. Richard Pryor, a "Saturday Night Live" comedian from the '70s,was featured in a skit entitled "That Nigger's Crazy," and Chris Rock,a popular comedian, opened with, "I love black people, but I hateNiggers." These black comedians have played on the N-word for their skitsfor years. Both have been subjected to harsh criticism, but hardly the same thatwhites have when using the word. Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), a former Ku KluxKlan member, got into trouble in 2001 for saying that he had "seen a lot ofwhite niggers in [his] time" (cnn.com). His comment raised eyebrows, but whydid the public react differently? Or should they have acted differently? Thedifference hardly exists. The word has no place as an epithet in Americansociety, or in the entertainment business. All people, regardless of race, shouldavoid using it. It is hateful, shameful and a disgrace to all when usedunintelligently.

The questions still remain. Do blacks have the right touse the word? If I understand what it means, can I use it? Randall Kennedy's bookdocuments many court cases involving the "troublesome word," includingthe controversies surrounding its use in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn forhigh-school English classes.

Remember: the use of nigger is hurtful,destructive and racist; nonetheless, it is a word that has a place in our historyand culture should not be censored when used for intellectual purposes.