Aight dammit. Let's finally get into language and the CULTivation of CULTure

[Buddy]

Pretty much reached my apex with this shyt so here it goes. Shoutouts to @MasterThought I'll try to make these concepts as accessible as possible.

So basically... language is foundation of a culture. If you want to understand a culture, examine their words and how they've assigned them. It'll speak volumes to you if you're paying attention.

This is a predominantly Black American forum... what in the entire hell is going on where the only words where we know to call each other is "nikka", "c00n", "bedbuck/bedwench", "hoe" etc? If they're gonna exist, then okay, but where is the balance to them? People try to play like its harmless but it's really not... how come we have fifty-leven ways to identify someone we disapprove of, but few to affirm what we see as right?

I think in way it's our circumstance: being amongst non-black people predominantly and adopting their language for ourselves. And no, a lot of you African/Caribbean-- but not Black American cats aren't exempt cause I literally watch you adopting it how or why is another conversation but in summation: We have to be intentional in the words we create and utilize. And we're wasting our time if they're not in an affirmative manner. Or we can just keep doing what we have... and get fake mad when Fat Joe says the N-word or Boosie let's his white fans say it. All because we refuse to draw lines in the sand for ourselves first and foremost. It can't be that damn "cool" if it comes with all these rules. Quiet as it's kept, we could really create the words to affirm the reality we want to see... things for future generations to identify. That's not happening yet but I have faith, and I really needed to get this off my chest Open for all comments or confusion

 

[Rhapscallion Démone]

Some people get mad when we call each other kings and queens too lol. I've seen folks say "not all of us were kings and queens" "some of us were farmers". I gotta go find that thread i thought that was weird to take issue with . So you want to get rid of the N word?

 

[get these nets]

OP, those slurs are directly copied from YTer. When people use the term "father figure" for social media celebs, that's along the line of where the criticism stems from.
Boys eventually copy and adopt the ways and words of their fathers, without knowing it.

 

[Buddy]

Some people get mad when we call each other kings and queens too lol. I've seen folks say "not all of us were kings and queens" "some of us were farmers". I gotta go find that thread i thought that was weird to take issue with . So you want to get rid of the N word?

It's so much bigger than the n-word. That's a primary target for me but again: Why don’t we have the word to affirm what we see right? You can be "c00nin", "tapdancing", getting "butter biscuits", but if what you're doing is worth approval, then what??? What do we say?

 

[RickyDiBiase]

It's so much bigger than the n-word. That's a primary target for me but again: Why don’t we have the word to affirm what we see right? You can be "c00nin", "tapdancing", getting "butter biscuits", but if what you're doing is worth approval, then what??? What do we say?

You cannot get caught up in this digital world. All that stuff, while valid appeals to the absolute bottom of our community for a reason.

 

[Rhapscallion Démone]

It's so much bigger than the n-word. That's a primary target for me but again: Why don’t we have the word to affirm what we see right? You can be "c00nin", "tapdancing", getting "butter biscuits", but if what you're doing is worth approval, then what??? What do we say?

I've seen people say "putting in work", "a true leader", "understand/understood the assignment", "gets shyt done", "Black excellence" etc.

 

[Buddy]

You cannot get caught up in this digital world. All that stuff, while valid appeals to the absolute bottom of our community for a reason.

I think I'm more cinders with the way we've been consumed collectively in this digital world, but I get what you're saying. Respect.

I've seen people say "putting in work", "a true leader", "understand/understood the assignment", "gets shyt done", "Black excellence" etc.

True enough I really hope those continue and expand. You can embody 'Black Excellence' but you can't necessarily be 'Black Excellence-ing'... but a 'c00n' can damn sure be 'c00ning'-- if you get what I mean.

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

The “black folks need to stop doing all that [insert behavior]” thread quota has been just 3 hours into a new week

 

[invalid]

Just for the record, I've heard many educated and well to do blacks use "nikka" in polite conversation. I'm talking about people like Henry Louis Gates and Spike Lee.

Even I use it. Alot. And I have to stop.

Like my grandparents would say, how in the world did we polish up (nikka) shyt (n****r) and think that it's okay.

To be fair, we do use words of affirmation or endearment, even more than the words that you mentioned. Brother, bruh, breh, bro, comes to mind.

You also have fam, sis, my baby (if you're from Detroit), patna, etc.

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

The issue with this topic is that it paints black folks as too dumb to understand context and nuance of language (which is not true), while also taking away our agency to speak and interact with each other the way we please.

It also gives white people a pass to pretend they’re too stupid to understand nuance and context (“well, you guys say it, why can’t I?”). Black folks are the only people who want to constantly police and wring the hands of our own people, which is nothing but respectability politics. Why can’t we have rules around the language we use?

We can stop saying the dreaded n-word, c00n, etc tomorrow and the class of black folks viewed as lesser would not improve in the least. It also wouldn’t stop white people from using it because they’re the ones who came up with it in the first place.

 

[the elastic]

At the end of the day, negative people will be negative and positive people will be positive.

It'll be expressed no matter what, in any language. Energy is the universal language.

 

[Buddy]

The “black folks need to stop doing all that [insert behavior]” thread quota has been just 3 hours into a new week

If you don't give a damn about anything then say that

 

[Buddy]

At the end of the day, negative people will be negative and positive people will be positive.

It'll be expressed no matter what, in any language. Energy is the universal language.

Strictly for reference:

 

[BobbyWojak]

Quiet as it's kept, we could really create the words to affirm the reality we want to see... things for future generations to identify.

'nikka' will be the last thing to go, Black Americans are largely not comfortable with themselves, the white majority or their material conditions until these things change the language will not change.

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

If you don't give a damn about anything then say that

See my subsequent response. Threads like these are made damn near daily. There’s a constant need by many in this specific forum to highlight negativity involving black people are everyday.

There are PLENTY of positive interactions in this forum and the others every single hour. Black folks know how to speak and are free to speak as they please. Non-black people say the n-word because they want to, not because we empowered them to do so.

This is no different than saying how black people need to pull up their pants so police don’t harass them, when 95 percent of us don’t sag them anyway.