In The Spirit Of Black Love…Can We Ever “Bury” The N-Word?

By Ayize Ma’at

During my matriculation at Bowie State University, I was an outspoken opponent against the use of the n-word.  I participated in several spoken word events where I firmly expressed my disapproval and disdain for a word which I believed had outlived it’s historical necessity.  Initially, embracing the word nigger may have been an appropriate coping mechanism meant to minimize psychological scars from slavery.  Unfortunately, the consequence of adopting maladaptive behaviors to deal with a hostile environment may be more injurious than they are uplifting because they leave you with habits of holding on to “useless stuff” when it should’ve been let go a long time ago.  Instead of remixing the word (nigger into nigga) how bout we release the word and replace it with two words that also have two syllables “brotha” and “sista”.  I believe once a “nigga”, always a “nigga” ….unless you stop calling yourself “nigga”.  Brotha’s and Sista’s…. Stop Playin’ and Start Pushin’.

In the excerpt below from TheGrio.com Tammie Lang Campbell, founder and executive director of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation makes her position about the n-word clear: No one should be using it. Period. In an interview with the CBS affiliate KENS 5 in San Antonio, the Houston native explained, “We do a disservice to our fore-parents, to ourselves, to our mothers and fathers, to our children to use that word or to accept anyone using it.”  She along with many others share the common belief that eradicating the n-word from our vocabularies would bring about a dramatic shift in how we relate to each other, how we relate to the world, and how the world relates to us.  CLICK HERE to read more from The Grio.

BLAM Fam what do you think?  In the spirit of black love…can we ever “bury” the n-word?