A Double Standard Worth Keeping:Race and the Differential Power of the "N-Word"

[boycriedwolf619]

A Double Standard Worth Keeping: Race and the Differential Power of the "N-Word"

                                              By Tim Wise

Published as a ZNet Commentary, 5/25/05

As soon as Oklahoma University's baseball coach Larry Cochell was fired recently, for using the n-word during off-camera conversations with two ESPN reporters, I knew instinctively what some were likely to say. Though I am far from psychic, it hardly required clairvoyant ability to see what was coming.

Sure enough, the foreseeable dialogue found its way into my local paper, in the form of an editorial by one of Nashville's most respected sports writers, Joe Biddle. His remarks would mirror several others to be heard on sports radio in the past few days, and appear, from my experience at least, to represent the views of large numbers of whites in America.

As Biddle put it, while Cochell's choice of words to describe one of his players (ostensibly in a light-hearted manner), was clearly unacceptable and deserving of censure, it was no more offensive than the casual use of the same term by blacks themselves, on the playground or from a stage, as with the comedy of Chris Rock or Richard Pryor (the latter of which has actually stopped using the n-word for more than two decades, unbeknownst, apparently, to Biddle).

In fact, the difference between Rock and Pryor in this regard largely mirrors the divide that exists throughout black America. About half of African Americans, when polled, say the word or it's derivative (the one that ends with "a" instead of "er") should never be used, and the other half argues that it can be used among blacks in certain contexts, as an endearment, or a subtle but unhateful dis, or as a way to "reclaim" the term and arguably strip it of its power to injure.

But whether or not some in the black community continue to use the term, there is no reason why whites should audibilize it, ever. That Biddle (and probably most whites) would call this a double standard is irrelevant. Fact is, history has been a double standard too, and it is this history that explains why the n-word is so much more offensive when coming from a white mouth than the mouth of an African American. That most whites don't know much about the history of racism hardly pardons us: it has been a willed ignorance, after all, and as such can hardly be used as an excuse for the phony claims of equivalence forwarded by Biddle, or any number of white high school students I discuss the subject with each year.

Simply put, the historic use of the n-word in the white community is not one of mixed meaning. It is not a history in which we called our black friends or colleagues such a term, as if it meant little more than "hey there dude, let's go grab a burger and fries at the Mickey D's." In the mouths and hearts of whites, that word has only been used in the context of contempt, of presumed white superiority, of anti-black bigotry.

As such, for any white person to use it today is to force the black person hearing it to immediately wonder what's behind the comment, what the speaker's intent really is, in a way they don't have to sweat as readily when spoken by another black person. History creates a natural and internalized warning bell for any black person hearing a white person use the word, which, if triggered enough can create psychological scars far deeper than most whites could ever fully comprehend.

But to understand the fundamental difference between the white and black use of the word, beyond its historical legacy, consider a similar example.

I am from the South, and frankly, have never much appreciated the word "redneck," which is so often used against white Southerners, largely because I know it as a slur against working class whites, especially rural folks, whose labor in the sun would cause their necks to become "red." Though I admit to having used it before, often in fact, I have resolved not to do so in the future because of its derogatory implications, and because, frankly, many in my family, going back generations, would qualify for the designation.

But having said that, I must also note that when Jeff Foxworthy tells twenty minutes of redneck jokes (as in, his "You might be a redneck if..." routine), I have a hard time taking offense. I don't find the bit particularly funny, as it's not my comedic cup of tea. But I don't get pissed. And why? Simple: Jeff Foxworthy is in the family, so to speak. He too is a white Southerner; someone who could be viewed as a redneck; and as such, I can pretty safely assume he isn't hating on his people or himself. Self-deprecating humor, while it can sometimes straddle the line with self-hatred, generally has a different feel than when someone outside the fold tells the same jokes.

In other words, if Jerry Seinfeld starts telling redneck jokes, we're gonna have a problem.

It's the same thing with Jewish jokes. I'm Jewish, as is my father's father's side of our family. For generations, Jewish comics have made a living telling jokes about our community. In fact, as a kid, I remember coming across several books of Jewish jokes in my dad's old room, all of them written by other Jews. And while I didn't think them very funny (after all, there's nothing amusing about playing upon stereotypes with such quips as, "Why do Jews have long noses? Because air is free."), nonetheless, I could assume this humor was emanating from a less toxic place than had it been published in a Klan pamphlet or church bulletin.

It's sort of like the old playground wisdom that I can talk about my momma, but you had damn well better not do the same. Double standard? Sure. But so what?

That many whites won't be able to understand this simple point is testimony to nothing so much as our own sense of entitlement. In other words, we are not used to anyone telling us that we can't do something, or shouldn't, and as such take great offense when our own freedom, including the freedom to offend, is constrained.

What else can explain the white hysteria over so-called political correctness, which, after all, was really never anything but the desire for folks not to be racist pricks, and to inculcate a norm of civility and respect for persons different from oneself?

I can think of no other reason than the desire to maintain a certain form of white privilege: the privilege of saying whatever we want, whenever we want, and feeling as though our right to lecture others on their behavior should logically take precedence over controlling our own.

In other words, the same privilege that (as the flipside to racism itself), has historically given the n-word its power to injure in the first place. As with all racism, it is power and position that gives a racial slur its ability to injure. This is why slurs against whites like cracker or honky seem more juvenile than truly offensive. And this is why the n-word, spoken by whites, is so fundamentally less acceptable than the same term spoken by blacks, however potentially problematic the latter may be.

[7even]

A Double Standard Worth Keeping: Race and the Differential Power of the "N-Word"

                                              By Tim Wise

Published as a ZNet Commentary, 5/25/05

As soon as Oklahoma University's baseball coach Larry Cochell was fired recently, for using the n-word during off-camera conversations with two ESPN reporters, I knew instinctively what some were likely to say. Though I am far from psychic, it hardly required clairvoyant ability to see what was coming.

Sure enough, the foreseeable dialogue found its way into my local paper, in the form of an editorial by one of Nashville's most respected sports writers, Joe Biddle. His remarks would mirror several others to be heard on sports radio in the past few days, and appear, from my experience at least, to represent the views of large numbers of whites in America.

Here he tries to make it look as if those people were just wrong, basically ridiculing them with his self-satisfied language. By saying how predictable those reactions were, one is of course not directly doing that... but in this context, he sure is. Usually one would expect that if many people criticize a certain action, they might actually have a point. But he takes the fact that people criticized it and uses it as his own ammo.

As Biddle put it, while Cochell's choice of words to describe one of his players (ostensibly in a light-hearted manner), was clearly unacceptable and deserving of censure, it was no more offensive than the casual use of the same term by blacks themselves, on the playground or from a stage, as with the comedy of Chris Rock or Richard Pryor (the latter of which has actually stopped using the n-word for more than two decades, unbeknownst, apparently, to Biddle).

Again an attempt to discredit whites, this time Biddle and Cochell explicitly.

In fact, the difference between Rock and Pryor in this regard largely mirrors the divide that exists throughout black America. About half of African Americans, when polled, say the word or it's derivative (the one that ends with "a" instead of "er") should never be used, and the other half argues that it can be used among blacks in certain contexts, as an endearment, or a subtle but unhateful dis, or as a way to "reclaim" the term and arguably strip it of its power to injure.

50% is a lot - and definitely enough.

But whether or not some in the black community continue to use the term, there is no reason why whites should audibilize it, ever. That Biddle (and probably most whites) would call this a double standard is irrelevant. Fact is, history has been a double standard too, and it is this history that explains why the n-word is so much more offensive when coming from a white mouth than the mouth of an African American. That most whites don't know much about the history of racism hardly pardons us: it has been a willed ignorance, after all, and as such can hardly be used as an excuse for the phony claims of equivalence forwarded by Biddle, or any number of white high school students I discuss the subject with each year.

Simply put, the historic use of the n-word in the white community is not one of mixed meaning. It is not a history in which we called our black friends or colleagues such a term, as if it meant little more than "hey there dude, let's go grab a burger and fries at the Mickey D's." In the mouths and hearts of whites, that word has only been used in the context of contempt, of presumed white superiority, of anti-black bigotry.

When going back in history, blacks haven't called each others' "nigga" all the time, either. Times change.

As such, for any white person to use it today is to force the black person hearing it to immediately wonder what's behind the comment, what the speaker's intent really is, in a way they don't have to sweat as readily when spoken by another black person. History creates a natural and internalized warning bell for any black person hearing a white person use the word, which, if triggered enough can create psychological scars far deeper than most whites could ever fully comprehend.

Hearing that from a white man is just great. How is he supposed to be explicitly aware of how it makes black people feel, when he himself states that "most whites could never fully comprehend" it? Way to go, fatboy. That said, as long as we give that much power to what's history, we hold up our progress. How can we ever feel truly equal if we constantly insist to remind ourselves of a time when we were not considered equal? Not to mention the fact that I associate this whole history-argumentation which he internalized so much with zionism.

But to understand the fundamental difference between the white and black use of the word, beyond its historical legacy, consider a similar example.

I am from the South, and frankly, have never much appreciated the word "redneck," which is so often used against white Southerners, largely because I know it as a slur against working class whites, especially rural folks, whose labor in the sun would cause their necks to become "red." Though I admit to having used it before, often in fact, I have resolved not to do so in the future because of its derogatory implications, and because, frankly, many in my family, going back generations, would qualify for the designation.

I love how he was kind enough to talk down on whites yet again, whilst implying that whites actually use these terms in a derogatory manner to diss other white people for their behavior and/or personality, yet conveniently forgot to mention the fact that blacks use the term "nigga" in a way that is a) far from derogatory and that b) usually doesn't imply anything about the person it is used on. Apples and oranges.

But having said that, I must also note that when Jeff Foxworthy tells twenty minutes of redneck jokes (as in, his "You might be a redneck if..." routine), I have a hard time taking offense. I don't find the bit particularly funny, as it's not my comedic cup of tea. But I don't get pissed. And why? Simple: Jeff Foxworthy is in the family, so to speak. He too is a white Southerner; someone who could be viewed as a redneck; and as such, I can pretty safely assume he isn't hating on his people or himself. Self-deprecating humor, while it can sometimes straddle the line with self-hatred, generally has a different feel than when someone outside the fold tells the same jokes.

As far as I'm concerned telling jokes about blacks while referring to them as "niggers" and casually using the word "nigga" is not the same.

In other words, if Jerry Seinfeld starts telling redneck jokes, we're gonna have a problem.

It's the same thing with Jewish jokes. I'm Jewish, as is my father's father's side of our family. For generations, Jewish comics have made a living telling jokes about our community. In fact, as a kid, I remember coming across several books of Jewish jokes in my dad's old room, all of them written by other Jews. And while I didn't think them very funny (after all, there's nothing amusing about playing upon stereotypes with such quips as, "Why do Jews have long noses? Because air is free."), nonetheless, I could assume this humor was emanating from a less toxic place than had it been published in a Klan pamphlet or church bulletin.

So now he kind of compares whites who use the n-word to Klan editors. Looks like this is only getting better.

It's sort of like the old playground wisdom that I can talk about my momma, but you had damn well better not do the same. Double standard? Sure. But so what?

That many whites won't be able to understand this simple point is testimony to nothing so much as our own sense of entitlement. In other words, we are not used to anyone telling us that we can't do something, or shouldn't, and as such take great offense when our own freedom, including the freedom to offend, is constrained.

What else can explain the white hysteria over so-called political correctness, which, after all, was really never anything but the desire for folks not to be racist pricks, and to inculcate a norm of civility and respect for persons different from oneself?

I can think of no other reason than the desire to maintain a certain form of white privilege: the privilege of saying whatever we want, whenever we want, and feeling as though our right to lecture others on their behavior should logically take precedence over controlling our own.

In other words, the same privilege that (as the flipside to racism itself), has historically given the n-word its power to injure in the first place. As with all racism, it is power and position that gives a racial slur its ability to injure. This is why slurs against whites like cracker or honky seem more juvenile than truly offensive. And this is why the n-word, spoken by whites, is so fundamentally less acceptable than the same term spoken by blacks, however potentially problematic the latter may be.

Yeah, after all, white people can never be mortified by racial slurs either way. If they do, it's just because they are assholes. White people don't have a widely spread faible for calling each others' crackers, yet calling them crackers is not a serious issue at all, how could it be? After all, in history blacks never enslaved whites while calling them crackers. Makes perfect sense!! Also, many blacks use the n-word all the time, yet hell breaks lose if a white man does it, as if he meant it as a racial slur. Cracker is a racial slur. Nigger is a racial slur. Nigga is not, no matter what the heck happened in the past.

On a side note, ever wondered how treating whites as "invulnerable" to racial slurs but "unauthorized" to casually using the word "nigga" kind of stretches the racial gap? Not only is an obvious double standard, it also has a subtle "whites are superior"-vibe... I mean, I don't even have to twist words here... just quote what that guy said "This is why slurs against whites like cracker or honky seem more juvenile than truly offensive." <- More juvenile than truly offensive? That reminds me of an adult punching a little kid at random, being something truly offensive and prohibited, while a little kid punching an adult would be just juvenile and perfectly excusable. I mean, are blacks so inferior that their anger against whites isn't even supposed to be taken seriously? Are whites so superior that even them using the word "nigga" instead of "dude" is just mean? Think about it.

[Shallow]

The only power any word has is in it's reaction. If the word was accepted universally by blacks as the English word to refer to blacks it wouldn't have any power. The word nigger would be as normal as asian. Negro was the scientific word derived from the latin word meaning black (not the Greek word meaning death. There is no real connection), and nigger just came out because stupid ass southern americans can't pronounce words to save their lives. Went from negro to nigra, to naygar, to nigger or whatever. Before the civil rights era it wasn't even an insult to many (maybe most) black people.


I'm Greek, the word Greek derived from the slave trading culture of the Roman empire who after they captured and enslaved Greeks needed something to call them. They picked Greco, and it stuck, and it was used to insult a lot of the time. 99% of Greeks have no idea they refer to themselves as a once derogatory word, even though they have never and will never ever say the word "greek" while speaking the greek language, because the word doesn't exist in greek. The only way to take power from a word is not react to it. Don't teach it to your children as a powerful word and eventually through generations the word will mean nothing. Sticks and stones.

[BANANAS]

^^^fair enough, but you should go to compton and scream "yall niggas need to stop gettin butthurt about me sayin nigger, nigga!" to spread the word. some things are as they are, and hard headed black people aint gonna wanna hear your message even though i agree completely.

[boycriedwolf619]

The only power any word has is in it's reaction. If the word was accepted universally by blacks as the English word to refer to blacks it wouldn't have any power. The word nigger would be as normal as asian. Negro was the scientific word derived from the latin word meaning black (not the Greek word meaning death. There is no real connection), and nigger just came out because stupid ass southern americans can't pronounce words to save their lives. Went from negro to nigra, to naygar, to nigger or whatever. Before the civil rights era it wasn't even an insult to many (maybe most) black people.


I'm Greek, the word Greek derived from the slave trading culture of the Roman empire who after they captured and enslaved Greeks needed something to call them. They picked Greco, and it stuck, and it was used to insult a lot of the time. 99% of Greeks have no idea they refer to themselves as a once derogatory word, even though they have never and will never ever say the word "greek" while speaking the greek language, because the word doesn't exist in greek. The only way to take power from a word is not react to it. Don't teach it to your children as a powerful word and eventually through generations the word will mean nothing. Sticks and stones.

I do agree but you have to admit that, the pain and history of the word "nigger" cuts way more deep than "Greco".  Anyways I do agree with your statement peace

[Shallow]

The only power any word has is in it's reaction. If the word was accepted universally by blacks as the English word to refer to blacks it wouldn't have any power. The word nigger would be as normal as asian. Negro was the scientific word derived from the latin word meaning black (not the Greek word meaning death. There is no real connection), and nigger just came out because stupid ass southern americans can't pronounce words to save their lives. Went from negro to nigra, to naygar, to nigger or whatever. Before the civil rights era it wasn't even an insult to many (maybe most) black people.


I'm Greek, the word Greek derived from the slave trading culture of the Roman empire who after they captured and enslaved Greeks needed something to call them. They picked Greco, and it stuck, and it was used to insult a lot of the time. 99% of Greeks have no idea they refer to themselves as a once derogatory word, even though they have never and will never ever say the word "greek" while speaking the greek language, because the word doesn't exist in greek. The only way to take power from a word is not react to it. Don't teach it to your children as a powerful word and eventually through generations the word will mean nothing. Sticks and stones.

I do agree but you have to admit that, the pain and history of the word "nigger" cuts way more deep than "Greco".  Anyways I do agree with your statement peace

I never said otherwise. My point was that it wouldn't have cut deep at all if it was never complained about in the first place. In the USA it was "hey look at that naygar hung up and that tree there uh hyuk". In Ancient Rome it was "hey look how fast that lion swallowed up that christian greco" (as well as many other slaves from other parts of the world Rome conquered, but christianity was adopted largely by Greek early on). Now the Roman Empire is gone and it was thousands of years ago so the whole thing seems insignificant but 1000 years from now when a new empire is ruling and a different set of people are the oppressed that went through torture what happened in the US in the 1700s and 1800s, and the word nigger, won't mean a damn thing to anybody.

[Don Rizzle]

one that really gets me is paki, the pc brigade says were not alowed to use that word because it is offensive. But i really don't understand what is offensive about it its short for pakistani, just like aussie is short for australian, by censoring the word, they are in effect saying being from pakistan is something to be ashamed of.

I had an interesting conversation about this with my nigerian friend and he basically said fuck all the race shit you call a person what they are he is from pakistan so he is a paki I am from africa so call me nigga I won't get upset. My other black friends say they don't mind either, however I still don't use the word nigga because it is not natural to me, although paki is, but we are told we shouldn't use it anymore. If anything it is the white mans self consorship leads people to find these words offensive....

[boycriedwolf619]

one that really gets me is paki, the pc brigade says were not alowed to use that word because it is offensive. But i really don't understand what is offensive about it its short for pakistani, just like aussie is short for australian, by censoring the word, they are in effect saying being from pakistan is something to be ashamed of.

I had an interesting conversation about this with my nigerian friend and he basically said fuck all the race shit you call a person what they are he is from pakistan so he is a paki I am from africa so call me nigga I won't get upset. My other black friends say they don't mind either, however I still don't use the word nigga because it is not natural to me, although paki is, but we are told we shouldn't use it anymore. If anything it is the white mans self consorship leads people to find these words offensive....

Thats a shame. That guy needs to get Knowledge of Self. Thats the most ridiculous thing I've heard. "Im from Africa, so call me a nigga"- get the fuck out of here with that slave mentality bullshit

[Fuck Your Existence]

Thats a shame. That guy needs to get Knowledge of Self. Thats the most ridiculous thing I've heard. "Im from Africa, so call me a nigga"- get the fuck out of here with that slave mentality bullshit

lol,word

[Shallow]

one that really gets me is paki, the pc brigade says were not alowed to use that word because it is offensive. But i really don't understand what is offensive about it its short for pakistani, just like aussie is short for australian, by censoring the word, they are in effect saying being from pakistan is something to be ashamed of.

I had an interesting conversation about this with my nigerian friend and he basically said fuck all the race shit you call a person what they are he is from pakistan so he is a paki I am from africa so call me nigga I won't get upset. My other black friends say they don't mind either, however I still don't use the word nigga because it is not natural to me, although paki is, but we are told we shouldn't use it anymore. If anything it is the white mans self consorship leads people to find these words offensive....

Thats a shame. That guy needs to get Knowledge of Self. Thats the most ridiculous thing I've heard. "Im from Africa, so call me a nigga"- get the fuck out of here with that slave mentality bullshit

How do you refer to black people?

[boycriedwolf619]

I refer to Black people as Black or just people. This whole thing of taken the word back is bullshit; Its just an excuse to stay ignorant.

[Shallow]

I refer to Black people as Black or just people. This whole thing of taken the word back is bullshit; Its just an excuse to stay ignorant.

You already know my position. There is nothing to take back and in 1000 years there won't be much to discuss because no one will care. I understand why the mass idiot public gets offended by certain words. They need something to numb real thoughts. But why would someone like you who stands above the times even care what he is referred to by people? Who cares if people that don't know you prejudge you or want to be rude and call you something as an insult. I've been called a lot of things by a lot of people and the only time it really offends me is when someone I know, like, and respect insults me with the intent to insult. If it's someone I don't know, barely know, or don't care for I could care less what they "say" to or about me.

[boycriedwolf619]

I refer to Black people as Black or just people. This whole thing of taken the word back is bullshit; Its just an excuse to stay ignorant.

You already know my position. There is nothing to take back and in 1000 years there won't be much to discuss because no one will care. I understand why the mass idiot public gets offended by certain words. They need something to numb real thoughts. But why would someone like you who stands above the times even care what he is referred to by people? Who cares if people that don't know you prejudge you or want to be rude and call you something as an insult. I've been called a lot of things by a lot of people and the only time it really offends me is when someone I know, like, and respect insults me with the intent to insult. If it's someone I don't know, barely know, or don't care for I could care less what they "say" to or about me.

I don't know man if you can't see there something wrong with a person who voluntarily says "I'm from Africa, so call me a nigga"- I don't know what to tell you man. I have a problem with it because when a Black person thinks like that, they obviously have no respect for themselves or their ancestors who fought to make change. When you don't have respect for yourself, no one else isn't going to have respect for you. And thats exactly whats going on a majority of the mass have no respect for Blacks. 

[virtuoso]

I think if you want to live in a free and fair society you must not agree with criminalising racist behaviour. Physical violence inflicted upon someone because you do not like that race is one thing because obviously you are inflicting pain, however to say what can and can't be said is stifling freedom of speech. If I want to call you every racial slur under the sun then that should be my right and likewise if you wanted to do the same, then likewise. Of course you will find it offensive and likewise I find it offensive being white myself when racial slurs are used but collectively as a society it's much more damaging to tell someone that this word is unacceptable. I know of cases in America in which a white woman has been arrested and jailed for calling a black man a "nigger" I mean this is ridiculous. By the way i personally think carrying prejudices against someone because of their race is pathetic and dumb but as soon as we create laws which state what you can and can't say to any given individual we are on a slippery slope because this can be expanded. This is the reason why these "hate laws" are so dangerous because hate can be defined in so many ways and incorporate endless amounts of groups. So basically I don't agree with the double standard and I don't agree with racist bastards but as long as they are not bringing it to violence then c'est la vie, you can't castigate thought crime on the one hand but defend race laws on the other, now that is the true hypocrisy I object to.

[Shallow]

I refer to Black people as Black or just people. This whole thing of taken the word back is bullshit; Its just an excuse to stay ignorant.

You already know my position. There is nothing to take back and in 1000 years there won't be much to discuss because no one will care. I understand why the mass idiot public gets offended by certain words. They need something to numb real thoughts. But why would someone like you who stands above the times even care what he is referred to by people? Who cares if people that don't know you prejudge you or want to be rude and call you something as an insult. I've been called a lot of things by a lot of people and the only time it really offends me is when someone I know, like, and respect insults me with the intent to insult. If it's someone I don't know, barely know, or don't care for I could care less what they "say" to or about me.

I don't know man if you can't see there something wrong with a person who voluntarily says "I'm from Africa, so call me a nigga"- I don't know what to tell you man. I have a problem with it because when a Black person thinks like that, they obviously have no respect for themselves or their ancestors who fought to make change. When you don't have respect for yourself, no one else isn't going to have respect for you. And thats exactly whats going on a majority of the mass have no respect for Blacks. 

I know plenty of blacks from plenty of different parts of the world and only the ones that come from an American point of view even knew the word existed. All of my black friends as a kid that were born and partly raised in Jamaica, Nigeria, Trinidad, or Kenya didn't even know the word "Nigger". This guy that had no problem with it probably has no history with it. It's an American word mispronounced by hick americans. It was in reference to a very small percentage of blacks. I know you might say that it was meant for all blacks every where, but the people that said it couldn't even pronounce the word negro. I don't think they even knew Africa existed.

I remember a story by Oprah when she visted Nelson Mandella and the guard at the door only knew about American tradition from TV and rap videos. When he greeted them he said "Wassup Niggaz" thinking that's how American blacks greet each other. He said it once or twice more before one of Oprah's people corrected him. This was a black man that lived through the apartheid. His idea of racism is a lot more real than the vast majority of blacks in the USA and he had no clue what the word meant. It had no history to him and it was not anything, much less an insult.