KOFI

How do you really reclaim a word that is linked with such an ugly history of suffering, oppression, and evil? How does one wear such a word with pride and expect to be taken seriously. It’s like saying, “i’m going to refer to my brothers and sisters as niggers but don’t you dear treat them like niggers”. That seems like a contradiction to me. In the words of Shihan, “sticks and stones may break your bones but words will always teach you”. Understand that through the power of our words and actions, we teach people how to treat us.———Kofi Frempong 2011

VS.

FELIX

Yes they are reclaiming the word Nigger, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The idea is that black people are only hurting themselves when they use the word towards each other for e.g when used in a greeting like “What’s up my nigga!”,but is it really?

Let’s take a closer look at the word “Nigger”, did you know that it’s a variation of the Spanish/Portuguese noun negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger, which basically means the colour black. All the oppressor did was found a fancier way to say “black” and then put a negative connotation to it. Now because black people are smarter than that they just flipped the script and said “you know what you see that word Nigger aka black, we’re taking it and making it ours.” The catch now is that only black people can use it and for anyone else who’s not black, if they dare even think that word they should be penalized for it, and thats how they own it.

We have to remember that the system is still working against black people maybe not as extreme as before but it is and black people have to take any leverage that they can get to help them fight back against the system or at least survive within in it….. You know what I’m saying my nigga!———Felix Cabrera 2011