Admitting to using the N word, these days is paramount to killing someone as it seems. In recent history we have seen people vilified and lose their employment. The acceptance and usage of the N word has been a debatable subject for years. I think that it became an open topic of discussion during the OJ Simpson trial when Mark Fuhrman used it. Eighteen years later that debate has grown wider and has divided people all over this country.
I have always been conflicted about the use of the word. When I’m at a Jay Z concert and he does his song “Jigga my N@&%a” I’m not gonna lie, I join in the chant with everyone else. But, for some reason hearing the word outside of music sometimes offends me. When I hear people in my family, or friends say it, it doesn't bother me. If I hear strangers or co workers use it, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.Trying to reconcile the difference is a hard task that I have yet to be able to figure out. With that being said, do I think people should lose their livelihood because they chose to use the word? No!
Paula Deen, a woman of a particular age admitted to using the word in her past. She used it during a time where it was socially acceptable by large groups of people. Do I blame her? No. Artists like Jay Z have successfully initiated a transformation of the word. By taking the stigma out of the word, the youth have began to use it as a way of referencing a good friend. The problem is that some of the older generations don’t see it as a term of endearment. In many social circles, it is still used in a derogatory fashion to demean and degrade. Like many words the N word can be seen as having a double meaning. It is because of that double meaning that I get conflicted. I suppose at the end of the day it will remain a big topic of discussion. But until both sides sit back and listen to and learn from each other it will not be an acceptable on the grand stage that is society.
Peace out my N%$#a’s