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Revision as of 14:03, 23 July 2002 by Mswake (talk | contribs) (major rewrite - see talk page)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Nigger is a pejorative term used to refer to dark-skinned people, particularly those of African origin. It is believed to derive from the word negro, and was common in the United States and United Kingdom as recently as the 1960s. Its implications of racism are so strong that it is now unusual to hear it except in very specialised contexts. Many publications will not even print it, instead using the euphemism "N-word".
It is worth noting that the term has to some extent been reclaimed by black people in recent years, particularly in America. Many young African-Americans, in particular, use the word to one another without any derogatory implication. In 1988 the album Straight Outta Compton was released by the rap group Niggaz With Attitude -- despite their own use of the word "nigger" the group's name was often glossed as "NWA", perhaps reflecting the extreme discomfort that still surrounds any use of the word.
As an illustration of this process of "reclaiming" the word, just thirty-one years earlier, in 1967, Muhammad Ali had explained his refusal to be drafted to serve in the Vietnam War by saying:
"I got nothing against no Viet Cong. No Vietnamese ever called me nigger."
It should be reiterated that the word is considered extremely offensive other than in the very specific context described above, and is rarely heard outside that context.
Books:
- ISBN 0375421726 Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, by Randall Kennedy
- ISBN 0671735608 Nigger: an autobiography, by Dick Gregory