Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: NY case puts N-word use among blacks on trial [View all]marshall
(6,665 posts)35. I tried in vain to curtail the use of that word when I was teaching middle school
I taught at a school that was 85% African American, and at times I felt like I was the only person who wasn't using the word. Girls used the term when calling their boyfriends (and were in turn called bitches). The librarian used the term to quieten noisy students in the library. Parents used the term in reference to their children during conferences. The term was shouted at opponents during sporting events. Even the principal used the term when he got angry. I found that all I could do was control my own use of the term, and gave up trying to monitor how others used it. And then I became numb to its use, and I found that I didn't really hear it anymore, and it didn't bother me.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
36 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
You can use it. I don't care and I'm a woman. I think giving these words ALL THIS POWER
valerief
Sep 2013
#4
I disagree that using it as he describes would reduce the power, because we didn't give the words
spooky3
Sep 2013
#7
"no white person has ever used that word in a complimentary fashion, and never will"
bunnies
Sep 2013
#16
I'm not talking about this incident. I'm talking about the right wing tactic of
valerief
Sep 2013
#30
It surely does. To pretend otherwise is absurd, and obnoxious. Probably deeply ignorant, as well.
Judi Lynn
Sep 2013
#21
I tried in vain to curtail the use of that word when I was teaching middle school
marshall
Sep 2013
#35