The "N" Word: A Call To Action

Let me start by understanding the reality that this argument/debate has took place for a long period of time with people having their own perspectives about it. I also understand that by the end of this blog entry some will still be convinced of their own opinion. Last, let me also state that I understand this as a very controversial topic, so here I go.

I am absolutely convinced that in our community, the African-American community, it is time for us to stop using the "n" word and ANY variation of the word. Let me give you my reasons for it.

First, as a community we already struggle with the issue of identity and knowing who we are. This struggle started when we were taken from our native land in Africa to an unknown land to us. Therefore we had to try to discover who we are. Yet most did not have any idea so whatever the majority/slave holder told us we were is what we accepted.

Some of them called us "niggers" or "house negros", etc. Remember that "nigger" means ignorant. Here's my question: If the root word "nigger" means ignorant, why would we use any variation of the word to one another? Are we ignorant? Do we really believe that we are ignorant? Now the argument used in favor of using the "N" word is "it's a term of endearment" or "we took what was bad and made it good." I don't fully understand that argument because at the end of the day, the original root word was used for us to denote us as ignorant.

Second, I believe using the "N" word keeps us stuck in the mentality that we are ignorant, don't know anything, and keeps us stuck in "yesterday." As a race we are trying to overcome the challenges that we have had to deal with over a course of centuries. We have a long way to go and I believe that us stopping our use of the "N" word and every variation of it is a start. Why do we want to be identified at all as ignorant?

Our people and original culture was one of gold. We are a beautiful race of people with a wonderful history, but that history becomes tainted when we continue to use things that were originally intended to label us and put us down. I don't care if you're not using it in it's original form, it still has meaning and regardless if you joke about it or not, it's time for us to move past that and let's begin to use words that give us a positive view about ourselves.

Using the "N" word and any variation of it keeps the label that we are ignorant and not a racial group that thinks high about ourselves. We are in an identity crisis as it is and part of the solution is calling ourselves great things like "blessed", "intelligent", "rich" and "beautiful."

Final word: Let's move forward as a racial community, rediscovering who we really are, i.e. the essence of our race and STOP USING THE "N" WORD AND EVERY VARIATION OF IT!!!!