I am just curious what some of you think about the brothers and sisters who's mentality is *African-centered* or consider themselves *African-conscious* that use the N-word.

I started thinking about this after hearing the brother Khallid Muhammad use the N-word repeatedly in a speech. Then I recollected quite a few so called African-centered brothers and sistersusing the N-word rather gratuitously, but speaking in a tone as if it could actually be used intelligently. Anyhow, just curious what you guys think.

If you haven't already, please watch the flash introduction to the Abolish The N Word website here...

http://www.abolishthenword.com

I still believe there is no need to use the word.....it doesn't matter what point one is trying to make, the N word isn't necessary.

Apart from Negrophobia, CONTRADICTION is the second biggest killer of Africans...and the issue of the N word is just one of them to prove my point. Everyday of my life i witness even the most so called pro African activists fall under their innability to stop contradicting themselves....intelligent people ALWAYS follow LOGIC and conclusive arguements.....NOT how one's feelings or emotions feels or dictate...there is no logic in using the N word...it serves no purpose therefore ANY thinking African who continues to use it is just contradicting themselves.

Mezmerized wrote:
So would you say even the African intellectuals that use it have not yet mastered their "Negro emotion"? By "Negro", I simply mean the second-class status in humanity that implies inferiority. Well, it is also fair to ask, do you think these same intellectuals suffer from a less pronouncedinferiority complex as well?

the use of the N word is necessary to reach a certain group of people...like talkin street to street cats.

although I never use the N word I know cats that use it a hell ova lot

Black_Power wrote:
Necessary? You can't be serious. That is like saying ebonics is "necessary in schools" for African-Americans to learn. I'm sorry, but that is a crock of ish if you ask me. Such a statement speaks volumes about how we deem our intellectual capacity, dignity, and integrity as a people. I just don't see African people that way, and I don't think anyone should.

Greetings, Im Hotep



The way I see it is simply that the use of a word that has always had a negative (understatement of the year) connotation is unnecessary and if you expect to tell people how to lead their lives as most "conscious" people do then you need to start fixing the negativity of your own. I obviously cannot speak for all African communities across the world but I can say here in Britain there is no reason for it to be used. That removing the power from the word arguement doesn't wash with me as far as I am concerned. When you feel the need to call yourself by the word that has humiliated and degraded you for the better part of two millenia (and it has been used for more than 500 years) to remove it's sting I find there is something very confused in a person who finds that acceptable. I would have thought not calling yourself by that name would have been more healing than fooling yourself into believing it's alright after your ancestors suffered greatly under it's shadow.



I believe that the only people who are named by another mans words are dogs and slaves. I am neither and refuse to use that terminology to address myself or my people. But the great minds who have used the word know this and know better. it is a word that they used for people they believed were too naive to understand the truth. As you mention Khalid Muhammad, he is a prime example. He knew full well he was African. He only used that terminology to speak to those he believed too ignorant to accept the true terminology as an everyday alternative to degrading yourself with a name given to you like a dog or a slave. The problem is that our leaders needed to and still need to be pulled up on it. Marcus Garvey was another man who had his Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and had a seperate splinter group for those who wouldn't be called by that name, those who would be called African because he knew he had to speak to the "masses" with the N word. In present day Robin Walker who has just written one of the greatest historical books on African history in the last century (seriously he is up there with the greats) uses the word frequently and when he is asked why he says because he knows people wouldn't like to be called African. To this day he still recieves complaints about that word plastered all over a great book. It is simply that, and i am sorry for those who feel it's cool, "conscious" people are in effect dumbing down their vocabulary to appease the masses who refuse to change. It is that simple. And I see many people who love our leaders to bits and still chase that word, not knowing that these leaders probably would not have used it if they could avoid it.



conscious people are just taking on the ideology they think is the ideology of those they revere. a shame most of the time these leaders and conscious people were speaking two different ways to two different sets of people whome they believed were at two different consciousness levels. I would personally be insulted had i been spoken to using that word because it woudl suggest that the person believed my level to be lower than their own. sadly this will be perpetuated for a long time because as I am sure you will see Shemsi en Tehuti, many people will not accept that it has any negative connotations when Africans say it.



Shem Hotep

RasRuben wrote: I was actually saddened to read that bit. The thought that some black would be more affendedat being called 'African' than they would at being called 'N****r'.With a mindset like that the 'oppressors' job is made to be a .walk in the park'.

>>>>>>>>>>>sha kes head<<<<<<<<<

Respect

Backatya wrote:

What is worse is that people are fighting to have his book put into schools and I am worried about what he will use as his terminology in these school books even though it will be a revised version if it goes through.

I will ask him when I see him next saturday at the next AJAMU meeting (if you know what that is) and I will get back to this thread. If I knew how to post up the flyer here i would do so but I don't know.

I can see both sides of the argument even though I don't and would never use the word. Rappers and other ignorant folk are not the only ones who have tried to reclaim the word. In the 1930's Aime Cesaire and others tried to do the same thing when they started the "Negritude" movement. I happen to have a lot of respect for that man and I doubt that anyonecan question his level of intelligence or African consciousness.Even if I don't agree with Negritude, I can't just write off it's proponentsas ignorant and brainwashed, some of them really do believe that what they're doing is the best way for us to deal with the word.

Have a wonderfully AWESOME New Year Everybody!!! Great thread, by the way! That stupid word has no place in our society and anyone caught using it ought to be...

Aryek wrote: Negritude is a different kettle of fish than the N word. Negritude/ although it didnt know it at the time/ was trying to identify an African mindset/ sense of humour/ culture that could be identified in all black people from Africa. Even if it latched on to the stereotypes and western education that its proponents were educated in.

How does the N word as a term of endearment compare? Can it claim such lofty aims?

I think the creator of the Boondocks asked something