I Never Use The Word Nigger
14 May
The recent media saturation of people being caught using racist/sexist/homophobic slurs, has caused a great deal of conversation about language- how we use language, and what words that should or shoud not be used, and by what group, etc.
A new online multimedia project just launched called I Never Use The Word Nigger(.com) takes on the “N” word by asking a range of folks about how they feel about the word, and why they don’t use it. The project is the brainchild of multi-talented filmmaker/photographer and musician Clarisa James. James also runs her own company Clairvoyance Media. I met James when she emailed the Myspace page for “Letters from Young Activists” telling me about how much she like the book. Shortly thereafter, she asked if I would be willing to be interviewed for this project she was developing, and I agreed.
We met, and filmed the interview, and we got on smashingly! She’s really great to work with, and it was a really pleasurable interview. As a token of her appreciation for doing the interview, she offered to take a photo for me. I am in need of new headshots, so I agreed. The result this the photo you see as the header for this blog, and to the left of this posting (in black & white). The photo is phenomenal!
In any case, you should check out the website, www.ineverusethewordnigger.com, and read and watch the videos uploaded to the site.
I’m definitely going to check out the site.
-I was going to say, lol. In all seriousness, I do use the N word and I’m not going to front.
I grew up in a household where the grown folks would use it to other grown folks who weren’t acting too grown. Even though it was said in fun, it always had an edge to it. Which is not too different from when us gay men call each other b***es.
I feel like, for me at least, that we’re still in the center of this media storm and there’s a lot of talk about both words — whether or not there is any social use for them anymore. So I’m haven’t been sure if this talk is really going to led to change or are we building consciousness, which ain’t too bad of a goal either.
BUT when last week I walked into a Harlem barbershop on 125th street and saw a sign on the wall that read, “Use of the N word comes with a $1 fine” I was like damn maybe these N*** really mean it this time!
oh, come on * relax!* you know you want to laugh!
Hearing the word ‘nigger’ reminds me of a mouse walking across my floor and invading my space. No matter how tidy I keep my kitchen and take out the trash, I’m constantly reminded that the building is falling apart.
And I don’t know too many people that call me bitch - at least, not to my face. My edgy word of choice is ‘heffa’ - derived from heifer, basically a young female cow that hasn’t given birth yet. (Now, what has that young calfless female cow ever done to me?) Still, I want to watch that, too, and not rely on it to say what I really mean. Like Mo’nique said a while back, “”Sometimes you just need that extra …”