For any white person who still doesn’t get why they shouldn’t ever say the N-word, even if it’s just rapping along to a hip-hop song, Ta-Nehisi Coates has a straight-forward explanation.
At an event last month at Evanston Township High School in Illinois ― a clip of which was posted to YouTube last week by Coates’ book publisher Random House ― the journalist and author of We Were Eight Years in Power was asked the seemingly perennialquestion of why white people can’t use the word “nigga” when singing along to a rap song.
“Words don’t have a meaning without context,” Coates responded in the video, which has since gone viral on social media, garnering more than 4.5 million views on Facebook.
Coates listed a few examples of words that are acceptable to use in some situations, and not in others. For instance, while it is OK for his wife to refer to him as “honey,” he noted, it is probably not cool for a strange woman walking down the street to do so.
“My wife with her girlfriends will use the word ‘bitch,’” Coates continued. “I do not join in. I don’t do that ― and perhaps more importantly, I don’t have a desire to do it.”
The author explained that just because certain communities may choose to use a derogatory word ironically among themselves, that doesn’t give other people outside that community license to do so.
Coates noted that LGBTQ activist Dan Savage was considering calling his show “Hey Faggot.” Coates pointed out that, as a straight man, he would never use that word.
“I had a good friend who had a cabin in upstate New York, which he referred to as the ‘white trash cabin,’” Coates continued. “He was white. I would never refer to that cabin, tell him ‘I’m coming to your white trash cabin’ ― and I think you understand why.”
“The question one must ask is why so many white people have difficulty extending things that are basic laws of how human beings interact to black people,” he added. “And I think I know why.”
White privilege ― or white people being raised in a society whose laws and culture communicate to them that “everything belongs to you,” as Coates put it ― makes some white people feel as though they have a right to do anything, including use a word they have been repeatedly told is inappropriate for them to use.
“For white people, I think the experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word ‘nigga’ will be very insightful,” Coates concluded. “This will give you just a little peek into the world of what it means to be black. Because to be black is to walk through the world and watch people doing things that you cannot do.”
Former NBA guard Darius Morris has died at the age of 33. He played for five teams during his four NBA seasons. Morris played college basketball at Michigan.
Affluent Americans may want to double-check how much of their bank deposits are protected by government-backed insurance. The rules governing trust accounts just changed.
With free agency and the draft behind us, what 32 teams look like today will likely be what they look like Week 1 and beyond for the 2024 season. Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski reveal the post-draft fantasy power rankings. The duo break down the rankings in six tiers: Elite offensive ecosystems, teams on the cusp of being complete mixed bag ecosystems, offensive ecosystems with something to prove, offenses that could go either way, and offenses that are best to stay away from in fantasy.
It’s key to note that we’re not saying the “best team” or “best roster.” Instead, we’re talking about the best confluence of factors that can outline a path for survival and then success.
Jake Mintz & Jordan Shusterman discuss the Padres-Marlins trade that sent Luis Arraez to San Diego, as well as recap all the action from this weekend in baseball and send birthday wishes to hall-of-famer Willie Mays.
An annual government report offered a glimmer of good news for Social Security and a jolt of good news for Medicare even as both programs continue to be on pace to run dry next decade.
Budgeting apps can help you keep track of your finances, stick to a spending plan and reach your money goals. These are the best budget-tracking apps available right now.
Minneapolis Fed president Neel Kashkari said interest rates will likely stay at current levels for an "extended period" and didn't rule out a hike if inflation stalls near 3%.