America has made tremendous steps towards the eradication of racial segregation from the period of the Civil War. Historically, racial discrimination has been a significant problem directed mainly towards members of the Hispanic, African American communities, and other minority groups. America has continuously progressed in making legislation aimed at eradicating this social problem. However, one of the current pertinent issues surrounding the problem of racial discrimination is the widespread use of racially directed slurs by Americans. The debate mainly examines whether the expression of racial slurs constitutes an offense chargeable in a court of law. This paper examines the use of the word “nigger” as a racially directed slur from the historical, legal, and social points of view.
The word ‘nigger’ evolved many decades ago during the time of slavery. Slave masters and non-slaves used the term to refer to slaves of African American communities. The word ‘nigger’ is derived from a Portuguese word ‘negro’ that is used to refer to black. Americans and the British adopted this term to refer to Africans (Brontsema, 2004). Its use today is a reminder of the atrocities that were committed against African Americans and the entire history of racial discrimination and civil war. When other communities other than black Americans use the N-word, they are considered as racists or as the word is regarded as a racial epithet (Parks & Jones, 2008).
On one perspective, the use of N-word, just like any other racially directed slur, has been considered in some circumstances as expressing hate towards the black Americans (Parks & Jones, 2008). On the other hand, the use of the N-word today is not connected to slavery, which happened many years back. It is just a word that any American, including the black Americans, use in their daily conversations, not necessarily to express hate.
Brontsema, (2004) indicates that the N-word is nowadays used to refer to a close friend. Black American women also use the term to refer to their partners, loves, or their significant other. Still, semantically, the N-word is used to refer to a rebellious, unconventional, or fearless black man. It is also used to refer to individuals who are deeply rooted in hip-hop culture (Brontsema, 2004; O’Neal, 2014). In some instances, individuals have been convicted with hate crimes for using the N-word, while in some other cases, persons accused of using the word have been acquitted. Still, other instances have been witnessed when individuals used the N-word have resigned from leadership positions as they considered the use of the word as being racist or expressing hate (Parks & Jones, 2008).
The divergent perspectives with which the use of the N-word can be viewed at makes it more difficult to ban its use. Earlier, the use of the racial slur could be considered as expressing hate against the black community. However, in contemporary America, the N-word has been entrenched in the American vocabularies that are difficult to avoid. For this reason, the word should be officially adopted as a conventional term that can be used for day-to-day conversations.
The N-word has evolved to become an essential urban slang that is difficult to restrict its use. Legal systems should, therefore, stop using the word as the sole basis of determining cases related to hate crimes. Instead, other indications such as physical harm, and defamation speeches should be used as evidence in the identification and trial of hate crimes.
Another proposal is that the N-Word should be banned completely in all states. This is to prevent acquittal of hate crimes where other forms of evidence are lacking. This will serve to harmonize the laws in all states concerning the use of the slur as a form of racial discrimination. Still, another proposal is that the N-word can be allowed to be used under specific circumstances. Being a popular urban slang, people who use it for purposes other than to express hate should not be charged for hate crime, for instance, when it is used to refer to a friend.
My proposals are likely to face opposition from the relevant authorities and legal systems because it still depicts significant racial connotation. The law prohibits discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Racial discrimination and slavery, being fundamental to the history of American and the establishment of the Bill of Rights, will remain a key part of the American legal system that is difficult to alter. Lastly, the interpretation of the laws concerning the use of N-word that based on the original meaning and incidences constituting hate crime have continued being experienced, and the N-word features prominently. In other words, the N-word continues to play a significant role in the determination of evidence regarding hate crime against African Americans.
References
Brontsema, R. (2004). A Queer Revolution: Conceptualizing the Debate Over Linguistic Reclamation. Colorado Research in Linguistics, 17(1) 1-18. Web.
O’Neal, L. (2014). Redefining the word: examining a racial slur entrenched in American vernacular that is more relevant than ever. The Washington Post. 2014. Web.
Parks, G. (2008). Nigger: a critical race realist analysis of the N-word within hate crimes law. Journal of criminal law and criminology, 98(4) 1305-55.