Well let’s get this out of the way: Streamer Pewdiepie said the N word during a stream like a dumbass. This has given way to a question I’ve dealt with all too often and figured I’d address it in writing.
Everybody isn’t going to like my answer on this and honestly this is JUST my answer to the question “when can white people say the n word?”:
Whenever you want. It’s a free country you have freedom of speech, but what you want to know is when can you get away with saying the n word. When will people feel comfortable with you saying the n word? When can you get away with saying the N word?
which is never.
ok
There’s one acceptable use for white people to use the word:
“fuck me harder nigger”
That’s it. Sorry. You guys had plenty of years and more than enough fun with it.
Like it or not the word has a history to it, a history of terror and it’s a history that makes a lot of people uncomfortable since it was weaponized. Don’t blame me, blame those people.
You know what if you invent time travel and can completely unravel the past 400 or so years for black people you can use it.
Now why do some black people say it or feel it’s “ok” to use it(and that’s debatable among us even). I’ll put it this way. Think of it like a weapon…now among us it’s like seeing a veteran in uniform with their service weapon.
This is a person we’re going to trust to be responible and have other people’s interests in mind. The skin really is the uniform in this case. Nearly all of us have experienced a form of racism in our lives.
Yes most of us didn’t live through the WORST racism like Jim Crow, slavery ect, just like some vets might not have seen the WORST wars like WW2 & WW1. Some might have seen none just like you could be a desk jockey during Iraq.
They've still earned their right to wear that uniform and speak like a soldier, you haven't most likely.
There’s a relative understanding of experiences and history there. That Jay Z doesn’t have a secret desire to go back to the “good ol days” where he’d have to enter venues from the back with the garbage at clubs black people can perform and wait at but can’t attend, or his daughter would have to be somebody’s cook or nanny unless she “passes” for white or the very nature of Kanye’s relationship with Kim would be illegal.
When white people use the n word it’s like seeing someone in a trenchcoat walking with an AR 15 around Sandy Hook or Columbine. It becomes an all hands on deck “let’s not repeat this shit” situation. Open carry might be legal as freedom of speech is but the shit is still tacky and disrespectful to their history and experience and people are definitely going to want to know your intentions as well as shut that shit down quick fast and in a hurry. Even if the current classes and staff at columbine weren’t there at the time of the shooting it’s still a shit idea.
Like yelling “allah ackbar” on a plane flying to New York. You might not have been there when the planes hit, there might be people who were just being born but nobody is going to be having a good time hearing that shit.
Even trying to use it in a friendly way is like stolen valor, like someone in Soldier 76 cosplay walking into a VFW and pretending he has a similar experience to guys that have been in the shit.
You have every right to say it, but people have every right to assume you have some Calvin Candie ass ideas too and if you don’t it’s just a bigger hole you have to dig yourself out of.
Now like I said it is a free country and you have freedom of speech. Just don’t be surprised if nobody wants to listen to you after and you lose any platform you have over it and any black fans/friends/supporters start looking at you side eyed.
It’s really one word in the english language it’s incredibly ill advised to use. Is it that big a deal?