On Friday afternoon, I was walking through CMC and a large group of White males were were outside enjoying a game of beer pong and loud rap music. As I walked past, the music shuffled to a song in which the lyrics included the "n-word" several times. I curiously watched the group as I walked by and as I looked away, one White male told another "you don't have to censor yourself, there aren't any Black people around, just say it".
Even though I know that, just as anywhere else, the 5c's have some close minded and ignorant people, I was really surprised to hear someone say this. How can one be in an academic setting such as this and such an ignorant mindset? There many things wrong with this statement. The "n-word" is a highly controversial term, and so are the politics surrounding it. I believe, and I am certainly not the only one, that if you do not identify as Black, you shouldn't say the "n-word", period. The word has been re-appropriated by the Black community to serve a different meaning than it was given historically. When someone who is not Black, in this case a White person, says the "n-word" they are removing the re-approprated meaning the Black community has given it, and are returning to the word it's historical meaning and context. In addition, just because "there aren't any Black people around" does not mean one is granted some sort of pass to say the "n-word". A white person saying the "n-word" without Black people around doesn't change the fact that this person said it, and it doesn't change the dehumanizing and marginalizing connotation it has when a white person says it.
Even though I know that, just as anywhere else, the 5c's have some close minded and ignorant people, I was really surprised to hear someone say this. How can one be in an academic setting such as this and such an ignorant mindset? There many things wrong with this statement. The "n-word" is a highly controversial term, and so are the politics surrounding it. I believe, and I am certainly not the only one, that if you do not identify as Black, you shouldn't say the "n-word", period. The word has been re-appropriated by the Black community to serve a different meaning than it was given historically. When someone who is not Black, in this case a White person, says the "n-word" they are removing the re-approprated meaning the Black community has given it, and are returning to the word it's historical meaning and context. In addition, just because "there aren't any Black people around" does not mean one is granted some sort of pass to say the "n-word". A white person saying the "n-word" without Black people around doesn't change the fact that this person said it, and it doesn't change the dehumanizing and marginalizing connotation it has when a white person says it.
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