By Waleed Waite
Trinity Times Correspondent

In a provocative encounter in the heart of Washington’s Columbia Heights neighborhood, a bewildering incident prompted reflection on the significance of the “N-word” in contemporary culture. 

As I approached my apartment building, a high school-aged teenager of Hispanic or Latino descent casually employed the offensive term in conversation with his companion, oblivious to my presence. 

The incident left me, a Black African American, grappling with a multitude of emotions and questions regarding the use and implications of this incendiary word, “nigger.”

This encounter ignited my quest to discern the contemporary connotations of the “N-word.” Seeking insight, I turned to some fellow students at Trinity Washington University, delving into the emotional responses aroused by this controversial term. 

My inquiries probed not only the feelings associated with hearing or reading the word but also who is permitted to use it. Does it matter if one’s racial background aligns with the word’s historical context? Is it acceptable for individuals outside the Black community to borrow this term from songs or movies?

In the pursuit of understanding, I discovered the perspectives of students like Jayla Gibson, who asserted, “I feel like it depends on the setting and also the person.” 

Gibson stressed that within her African American friend group, using the word is acceptable, but in formal settings, it is deemed inappropriate. 

Her sentiments were echoed by Trinity student Lillie Warner, who asserted that it primarily depends on the tone and the person employing the word. 

Both students emphasized the discomfort that non-African Americans can evoke when using the term.

“I’ve (witnessed) Caucasian people using the N-word and it bothers me personally,” Gibson said. “I feel angry, I feel upset because… that was a word used by their ancestors against Black people and to still be using it, it’s so offensive, even though we (Blacks) as a community are trying to take the word and give it a positive light. I feel (like) only Black people should use that word. 

“I use the word with an A at the end,” she said. “It’s not a hard ERR. I don’t think it’s racist when I use it. It’s racist if a white person is using it against me.”

That brings up the sensitive issue of the Black community’s internal use of the “N-word.” 

Warner acknowledged that its use to denigrate or describe a lower socio-economic class within the community is problematic, fostering division where unity is needed.

Ana Molina-Benitez, a Latina student at Trinity, said she perceived a duality in the word’s usage. 

Molina-Benitez described the contradiction between how the word is received within the Black community and the deep-rooted historical negativity associated with it.

“I’m not Black, I’m Hispanic, so to me, I feel like that’s the equivalent of the documented, the Hispanic students who are born here (in the U.S.), making fun of the undocumented Hispanic students, and vice versa,” she said. “Like the undocumented Hispanic students invalidating the Hispanic students who were born here claiming that they’re fake Hispanic, just because they’re born here.”

Katia Vinogradov, a Caucasian Trinity student who uses the pronouns they/them, offered a nuanced perspective, acknowledging the complexity of the topic and emphasizing that as a non-Black individual, they deems it is not their place to dictate when or where the word can be used.

In contrast, Philomena Stone, a Black student, asserted that the “N-word” remains inherently racist and is sometimes employed by the Latino community to oppress Black individuals, citing a personal encounter in New York. 

“I got into an argument with a Hispanic girl when I was visiting New York and it got a bit heated,” Stone said. “She just out of nowhere called me an N-word and a monkey. And it’s one of the things I find the more uneducated of them tend to jump to when they have no other basis for their argument, when they have nothing else to say.”

Stone expressed her disappointment in the continued usage of the N-word and her belief that distancing the community from the word remains a challenge.

Furthermore, Stone disclosed her grandfather’s use of the word, even as a dark-skinned Black man. She highlighted the discomfort it causes both her and her mother and the historical baggage it carries.

The use of the N-word in American society has been the topic of confusion and conflict, said Hans Momplaisir, assistant professor of sociology at Trinity. 

“The N-word (nigger) in its original form and meaning was created by whites to ridicule Blacks, describe them as ignorant and lacking of value,” Momplaisir said. “The term is derogatory and meant as an insult. The term was created to divide Blacks, keep Blacks ‘othered’ and less than whites.  

“However, Blacks have since reappropriated the N-word using it as a term of endearment only to be used by the ‘ingroup,’ other Blacks,” Momplaisir continued. “It’s also used as a substitute for a noun (him, her, or them). Similar to how the word ‘dude’ is used. This N-word (nigga) used by Blacks is spelled and pronounced differently. Blacks use it to refer to everyone (Blacks, whites, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, etc.) Thus, the use of the N-word in the Black community can simultaneously be freeing, endearing, and culturally correct, yet harmful and perpetual of white supremacy.” 

The white community should never use the N-word unless in an academic or research setting when attempting to study the term, said Momplaisir, who is also the chair of Trinity’s Human Relations program in the College of Arts and Sciences. 

“White people should not use the very term their ancestors created out of pure hatred for the Black race,” he said. “Them using the term is a sign of disrespect and racism. Though that might not be the intention, its use is clearly an exercise in white privilege.”

Use of the N-word by Latinos is more complex, Momplaisir said.

“Black people for a long time have viewed Hispanics as long-lost cousins or fellow members of the oppressed, therefore allowing some of them to adopt the term into their vocabulary,” he said. “However, it’s only when Hispanics are viewed as a friend or an ally of the community.

“Furthermore, some Hispanics use the term for the same positive reasons Blacks do, while others use it to reinforce white supremacy,” Momplaisir said. “The use of white supremacy here is referred to as bigotry, prejudice and ignorance. As such, not every Black person is comfortable hearing it used by Hispanics and prefer for them not to use it. Blacks don’t often hear Hispanics calling each other ‘Spic,’ a racist insult created by whites used to refer to Hispanics/Latin Americans.”

The NAACP, a prominent civil rights organization, vehemently opposes the casual use of the “N-word.” 

The organization asserts that this word, born from a derogatory history, embodies painful memories and perpetuates racial stereotypes, calling it one of the most offensive words in history. 

In the association’s stance, the NAACP rejects any endorsement or involvement with individuals who use the word without acknowledging its historical context or its prejudicial nature.

The “N-word” continues to be a deeply divisive and emotionally charged term, sparking a myriad of perspectives and emotional reactions. As society grapples with its implications, one thing remains clear. The conversation surrounding this word is far from over.