Knowing that most non blacks only use this term to disparage black people should give pause to everyone. Ultimately, whether or not a black person uses the word nigga to refer to themselves or other comes down to personal preference and culture and both of those things should be respected.

I have an alternative solution that I've never heard anyone suggest, before...

Let's redefine the word, as something a racist wouldn't *want* to call a black person. Perhaps it could be slang for "brother from another mother" (although I suppose that is, itself, slang). Best part is, those who use it without intending any racial disparagement pretty much use it like this already... we'd just be making it official.

And then, anybody who uses the word as a disparagement can simply be laughed at for being not just racist, but also stupid.

Mind you, I wouldn't use it anyway, personally, but there's a lot of slang words I don't use.

Context is the most crucial part of it in my mind. It's not an all-or-nothing thing. Any minority group can reclaim a word to get rid of the stigma attached, but that doesn't give you license to use it. But I think if you belong to the minority group or you've been granted that special priviledge among friends, then it's ok.

Good questions, OP!

It's okay for anyone to say whatever the f*** they want to. Stop getting butthurt. They can call me cracker all they want but I'm not a sensitive idiot. Grow a pair

Mod edit:

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--Veknoid_Outcast

i dont understand wh its okay for black people, if i remember right, the first slave owner was a black men...

no i think that its fucking stupid to use a word that you pretend to be offended by and i say that as a black man myself

in the context of if the person in question pretends to be offended by the word

I don't think anyone should use the term. I think it's stupid for people to be calling themselves/friends it and then get offended when other people do it.

The word should not be used by anyone.

I agree.

Stephen A. Smith said it best

If it upsets someone to hear you say it, don't say it around them.

It's so simple, and yet so many people overcomplicate it. If you're around company, and you don't know if saying it will upset someone, don't fucking say it. Black, white, red, or yellow. Don't say the word. If you're around friends who are all cool with it, go ahead and say what you want. Black, white, red, or yellow. It's not the word that matters - it's the audience who hears it. Know your audience.

But there absolutely is a double standard. If blacks want to reclaim control of a word that was used to control and oppress them for hundreds of years, let them.

I'm African American, and hearing white people throw around the word rubs me the wrong way. None of my friends say it around me, because they know it bothers me. I know some of them say it with their other friends, and it's fine. I'm not there to control what they do when I'm not around. Sometimes they even slip up and say it in front of me, and I'm always lenient because they always express remorse. Again, it's all about knowing and respecting your audience. Not just about the "N" word, but about anything and everything.