The “N” Word

She is what she is, and from what I can gather she is fine with that. Poor Paula Dean- she is losing it all because of a word- or so they say. I will never allow a word, no matter how derogatory, take me to the edge of insanity. Of course there is a double standard about the use of the word- but not really. I guess that I am lucky because I can use both words. Yeah that’s right I can say “nigger” and “nigga”.
 

I find it rather funny that the racists who use the word did not even develop the word rather incorporated the word into their vocabulary from the Spaniards and Portuguese. At least create your own racial slur- or have the ability to understand that Negro simply means black. But then some decided that they wanted to turn it into slang and something derogatory a.k.a. Nigger. That was the past- now let’s move forward to today’s use of the word. As the Urban dictionary puts it, a nigger is a person that is “ignorant, ill mannered, or low-class people, without regard to their ethnicity.” That definition might suggest that you, reading this blog, could be classified as a nigger. 

The world has had different meanings for a variety of words. And like any word- has to be understood in the context that it is used. For example, I feel gay today. Well, in today’s terms that would mean that I may like the same sex. But in the past it was a simple way to say someone may be excited, alive, or having high spirits. Now the word has a derogatory meaning simply because society is dependent on some label to define themselves- as not being a part of the world but rather exclude themselves to some high horse that they ride through society with their moral standards, but forget that they are not living within those morals standards.

When I hear old Negro people, and old white people, complaining about my culture’s use of the word- I am confused. Very confused. Because most of the old people are cashing in on the use of these words, in movies, films, and even literature. If we can be brutally honest as we should be, instead of forcing the political correctness in our veins, we might be able to achieve something. 

Instead of just pointing to the use of the word- why don’t we take the time to talk about the society that has made the use of these words acceptable? Of course some rich white lady is going to be thrown under the bus because of her slip-up or personal feelings- but should she?   This is America. You have the right to be racist, use racist language, project your old fashioned values on people that do not believe them, and even tell me that Jesus is white and has long hair and blue eyes. But the last time I met a person name Jesus he was Latino. I guess they didn’t want to adopt Spanish names, but they could take their words. 

So when the white guy that lived across the street from me in Texas suggested that I spoke elegantly- I knew what he meant- I was not a nigger and- welcome to the neighborhood. When one of my employers told me that I was different than the rest because I showed up on time- I knew what that meant- that I was not a nigger. When I show up to the studio and hang out with fellow musicians- (you call them rappers)- and they say “what up, nigga”- I know what they mean- what’s up family- 

I have an extensive understanding of language and the use of it. I can even prove that Ebonics is a language, just like Paula Dean proved Southern is a language- “I is what I is”, sort of familiar to the structure of Ebonics. So while we all throw our two cents in to the argument- I want to know how the term slave in the bible turned to meaning “capture all the Negros- and beat them with whips because God said you could”.

This use of this word is just an example of how screwed up we are. We often let things evolve and then move on, but then we want to act like hoarders and hold on to old thoughts and philosophies. The word “nigger!!” coming out the mouth of a white person running towards you with a burning cross and a sheet to hide his fear of being known as a bigot- is vastly different than a rapper saying “these niggas is crazy on these streets”. 

If you don’t like the term then don’t use it. If you are a racist and use it, then pay the price- what every society feels you should pay for your thoughts. Thought crimes- we are in 1984.  If you like hip-hop music, and don’t mind the word, then keep the Beats by Dre in your ear and tell the world to go and fuck themselves- cause yeah, one minute I am chilling with my niggas, and the next I am debating with those that feel the need to think that I am an nigger-   

Choose Ebonics! The DEA Did!

Two weeks ago while watching the “make people dumb machine”, better know as the television, I noticed an interesting story scrolling on the bottom of the screen. In a short incomplete sentence the words “DEA looking for Ebonics translators” passed by with an alarming speed. I was waiting for every news channel in the world to take this story and run with it. But I was not surprised at all when there was no major coverage of the issue. This story did not have the Dr. Laura type drama that is needed to discuss the issue of racism and address the issues of the third world America that is often hidden away from the rest of the world.

The DEA was in fact, looking to employ individuals that understood Ebonics so they could analyze wire taps and close in on major drug empires that are destroying the lives of citizens in the black community. They needed translators for areas like Florida, Louisiana, and California. But the fact that the DEA is in need of translators for Ebonics should be shocking and disturbing. Is the African American community really in that bad of shape that they do not even speak English anymore? For a moment of hope I thought, maybe they are smart enough to know the DEA is listening to their conversations and have created a code to communicate… But the skeptic in me knew better.

Today’s Ebonics is no longer the dialect that was used by slaves while speaking on the planation- a dialect that was known as “Black English”. Ebonics has become a feeble offspring, spawned from the devolution of its predecessor. This is the way the children in the ghetto have learned to speak before they step foot into the hallways of an understaffed, underfunded school.

Ebonics was a cop-out from the start. Ebonics was nothing more than an excuse for a failing school system and the lack of parents being involved in raising their children properly. I will admit even I have some problems trying to understand my African American friend’s posts on social networking sites. I often have to read them twice before I can even try and figure out what they are trying to say.

But this issue points directly to the problem that America has had since after the Civil Rights Movement. The lack of leaders, role models, and people that care for the future are the real issues. Our role models focus on material wealth and ghetto fabulous ideals. The street life has been glorified in movies, music, fashion, and sports and the damage that has been done at times seems as if it is almost irreversible. Where is the outrage? Where are Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton now? They tend to steer away from issues that may be too controversial and lack the promise of profits and increased publicity.

How can an individual be productive in a society whey they can not speak the English language? Is it alright to accept failure? The Drug War is nothing but a military mission against the people of America being conducted by the police and the criminal systems. The funding for the Drug War is ten times as high as the funds spent on educating our children. But we chose to fill our prisons with users instead of dealers. Prisons have become corporations and the DEA is an extension of that company. A division publicly funded and employed by the people that is supposed to protect the people.

The drug war is a war against the people; a way to keep police officers employed, maintain a steady stream of criminals that would be better off in a rehabilitation center, and not a jail cell that keeps this vicious cycle in motion. The DEA is part of the problem, not the solution. We often scream about our tax dollars being wasted but we avoid the real issues. The African American community should be ashamed that we let our children continuously fall behind in school and not demand more.

We have an obligation to the children to create a society that offers every citizen a chance to live their dreams. But we are sending mixed messages to our children. A message that is so deeply rooted in our society that the DEA feels as if they have to stoop to the level of criminals in order to decode wire taps. And where would this qualified candidate for this position be located? Would this job be filled by a drug dealer? Would this job be offered to a “snitch” that has been turned into state’s evidence? Or would this open up new opportunities for individuals that are already serving time in prison? I can imagine a whole floor of inmates listening to wiretaps, for minimum wage.

Shows like the “Wire” offered Americans an insight in to a world that many never knew was out there. Yes this series could be seen as glorifying life in the ghetto, but that would only be to those with a 5^th grade education. The Wire offered us the opportunity to understand the life from both sides. The passion that real detectives have for saving lives, or the fact that a young black African American male’s life means nothing at all when they are involved in the world of drugs. Sometimes this life may be the only option they have when they have an education that could not even secure them a job at McDonalds.

This is a challenge to all of us. How can America be about the people when “WE” the people can not even understand one another and communicate? Fathers, pull up your pants, turn off that rap music, and decided to live life right because your children are watching. Mothers, put your child first instead of living your life searching for the right man. Malcolm X., Martin Luther King Jr., and J.F.K lost their lives so that we could live a better life. Stop using slang, and teaching your children the wrong things in life like having to have the latest Air Jordan’s and doing the latest dance on television. The blame is not just on the DEA, but the black community as well for dropping the ball after the dream was almost a reality.