“Why can’t i say the n word?”
The inevitable happened at work today.
The boys and I were cracking jokes at work some of them borderline, some of them stupidly funny, we were just cracking up for no good reason.
“Why is 6 afraid of 7? because 7 8 9” lololol (yer some of them were terrible but funny)
Then I remembered a joke I saw on tumblr and started giggling and in fits i said “Why is 6 afraid of 7? because 7 is a nigger”
Everyone bursts out laughing because it is shockingly funny, and then we all cool down and get on with work. In retrospect I shouldn’t have told that joke because minutes later…
“How do you feel about white people saying the n word?” There was an inward sigh in me. “See, I don’t get why white people can’t say it when black people say it”
Oh dear…
His smug justification was that “if a word is derogatory then no one should say it, white people shouldn’t be discriminated against for saying the word”
“Are you aware of history, you completely disregard the fact that white people oppressed millions of people using that word?, ofcourse white people can’t just say it, black people have taken the sting of racism out of the word and …”
“But it all depends on context” he said “It depends on how it is used…”
blah blah blah and it got quite heated
“Listen mate, there is no justification for a white guy to say the n word, just drop it” - This was from another white guy on the table.
I was baffled by the fact the other guy actually thought he was justified to think so. Thing is, he is a lovely guy, we get on well. But why are white boys my age so desperate to say it? I voiced this and another white guy chipped in with “well…black rappers use it all the time and they are seen as cool so white kids want to use it”
But he pissed me off greatly when he gave me a note saying you need to watch “Chris Rock on black people and niggers”. The FUCK? The audacity, he actually thinks he is fucking correct.
Thing is I felt myself getting angry, and i’ve taught myself to be silent when the wick of my temper starts to burn but it makes me look weak which is even more infuriating.
What responses do you have to give to white people about this?
