Why can a black person call each niger but when a white person does it we are racist?
362996
I don't enjoy the word no matter who says it. It has been incorporated into black culture as a way of claiming(power)it from negative to positive.It has been handed down from slavery times. It is a bastardized form of the Spanish word negro which means black. It was used to demean a people thus even today if a white person uses the word it is viewed as racist.Check and see which group of people use that word as much if not more than some blacks.Let me give you a hint-White Power!!There are various groups of this type however i think that you will find not only some whites follow this line of thinking. Check other races as well. Peace!!
1071695
Because people would think that's racist.\n\nI guess we're just supposed to accept that crap as normal.
830825
Well, I don't know about that but in Chicago it doesn't happen that way. But a lot of people just joke around with those words, because of the rap music and everything. All I know, is that nobody should be called that word based on their skin color. N*gger refers to a ignorant, dirty person and from my experiences anybody can be ignorant and dirty regardless of race.
142052
The word "negro" is Spanish for black.  The word "nigger", which is used to degrade an entire race of people, comes from the word negro.  So, negro is usually frowned upon.  \n\nIn general, white people are not called "blanco", which is Spanish for white.  \n\n"Negro" has a negative connotation and is reminiscent of the days of Jim Crow.
1004814
cuz ppl are racist against poor black people
880543
First of all how did you go from An African to Negro?  This makes me wonder if you are a racist.  African is a name given to a persons that live in Africa ( America--Americans).  Negro is a racist name given to persons of color in the United States for reason of making one feel more inferior to another.  Now that I finished with that.  If one has a bigger jaw, I guess it is used for chewing like everyone else jaw is used for.   Duh!
1126871
because we live in a hypocritical and racist society. were you just born? why is it ok to make white jokes and not black... why is honkey, cracker and such funny but nig*er a horrible word...come on now
1172701
no one should say it, it's derogatory, but we get more when a white person says it than a black person because of the history behind the word. it was used to humiliate and honestly it still does. I don't use it and I get pissed when anyone calls me that.
731074
I guess I should be called then African German?  Never heard that one before.  But I don't mind either African American or black, I usually use black.  I don't know what the big problem is for white people to call us black?  We call you white (even though you are more light-pinkish) and we are not really black but different shades of brown, so what's the big issue?\nWhite people, it is not a crime to say "Black" or "African American".  Just don't call us "Colored" people, we are not in the 60s.  That's all.  I always have to laugh when white people look at me and ask me, is it ok if I say "African American" or black.  Please, come on, do black people really get upset about that?
959106
THANK YOU!!!!!  I am soooooooo sick of this double standard with the black race-- if you watch the Wire, that's all they call eachother is nigger.  So WHY is it okay for them to use it to eachother but it is a major faux pas if any other race uses the word?  You dont see Jewish people calling eachother kikes, or Polish- polaks, Germans -krauts, Chinese-chinks, Puerto Ricans-spics, etc, etc.  This is a multiracial, multicultural world and if YOUR RACE ENJOYS calling eachother a nigger, and use it so proficiently, then you are opening pandoras box to allow everyone else to use it, whether it is acceptable to you or not- by the way, I dont particularly care to be called a "cracker" but at least I dont go around calling other white people this.
755814
I've seen whites call each other the c-word, but I don't call white people that word. That's up to them. Yep, whites reserve the right to use that word and all though by definition it cannot be used derogatorily towards a white person, I will continue NOT to use it towards white people. It's just out of respect and common decency to just let it be.\n\nI wish white people will look at the n-word in the same light as I do, because if we start nitpicking we're going to start getting into freedom of speech issues. \n\nBlacks and other subcultures of the United States (i.e., Italians, Latinos, Irish, Polish) also reserve the right to use their respective racial epithets within their respective groups. \n\nNow if everyone agrees to accept this and not use racial epithets against other groups of people we will all be able to move on with our lives peaceably.\n\nI have a sub-question and I hope you can answer it:\nWhy are whites offended by blacks using the n-word amongst themselves? \n(A) Is it a "I don't want to hear it used in public"-thing? \nOr\n(B) Is it a "I feel that if they can use it amongst each other, I should be able to use it towards them, too"-thing?\n\nIf it's B, tough noogies, no one black person in their right mind is going to co-sign that BS.\n\nGood day!
12904
a derogatory word becomes offensive only when it is intended to be offensive.  This is why, I believe, "nigger" can be used by african-americans, but not by whites.  This is why my african-american student Antoine could call my white student Grace "my nigger", but Grace would have a more difficult time calling Antoine "my nigger"\nIt's all about context, connotations, and sensitivity (or insensitivity) to feelings.\nThis is also why this program turned the "n" word into a series of asterisks, rather than allowing my original post to go unedited.  The word is too commonly used in an offensive way, so even though I'm not trying to be offensive, it still won't let me use the word.
193854
Well, I have been discrminiated against and racially profiled. I am a militray wife and been just about every where and because of my fair skin I have been assumed to be Everything but, black. Because they say I "sound" white. Many people are under the assumption that all black people are "brown skinned". NOT TRUE. we come in different shades. I am mixed with Seminole Indian, African American, German and Irish. Despite of my many mixed nationalities I am abdominatly "Black". But, it's ashame to see that people still use the "N" word even within the black community. But, as soon as a person of a different race says it, it's offending. So, why call eachother that. It is a sticky discussion and can go on for years to come.
139567
Good question, I noticed you said "some" white folks, thanks for specifing that. Not all us white people are a$$holes. I am sorry one of my "white" counterparts has done this to you or someone you know. It may stem from the INDIVIDUALS insecureness. However, I have been outcasted because I am white, and I haven't done anything wrong to anyone. Hell, I am married to someone of a different race, so why do black,brown,yellow,orange,red,green and or purple people instantley label all white people as racist slave owning hillbilly trailer trash? Same reason whites do it to other races, all races are racist, try this out, live in a homogenious (one race) country like I do, and then you will know what true racism is.
681475
YOu can and it is the same thing.  The world is fighting for equality, not superiority. ANyone who threatens you, or judges you based on your ethnicity is a racist. I grew up in a predominately black and Samoan neighborhood, and a lot (not ALL ) of the kids were extremely racist to the white kids.  Even though we were in the same shitty town, with no money either.  If you rise above it and understand why they think the things they do, you can connect with just about anyone though.
799764
I don't know how long the word "cracker" has been used to refer to whites, but I remember back clearly 50 years, and to my knowledge it wasn't used then.  I only first saw it being bantered around here in Q&A, actually.\n\nThese names make little difference.  White trash is the same as the N word.  It applies to certain people and to others it doesn't.  The fact that some people put such stock in a word, mystifies me, but to keep the peace we probably should publicly go along with it.  What becomes more serious, I  imagine is when the names change often; even within generations...  N to colored, to negro, to black, to people of color, to Africian American, all within  one lifetime becomes a bore.  I don't think scienfically the race name has ever change (I may be wrong).  Whites are caucasion,  blacks are still negroes (I think), I believe Asians are Asians. And the intigious peoples of the world as well are intigious peoples of their region.\nAnd then you start mixing religions in with race names and it is truly ridiculous.  Muslim isn't a race, neither is Buddhist; Jew may be a race of people (members genetically of the 13 tribes, I suppose) or a religion (like Liz Taylor)\nAll this sensitivity is probably not very helpful to anyone's self esteme or human relations in general.\n\nAnd then finally, there's a difference between racism, and picking and choosing the people you want to associate with.  Generally in America we do it by educational levels, intelligence and economic standing.  Those people who don't fit into what we consider civilized behaviour within the group we belong, are usually, and properly so, excluded from our A List for cocktail parties.
573619
we just want to be people.  if you are ever in a conversation with someone and they want to describe someone they saw or spoke to they will always be  descriptive if the person was black.  ie- hey i saw this black guy with really cool dreadlocks.  if they are speaking of anyone else they wont use ethnicity