Nigger

The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word - with a New Introduction by the Author

By: Randall Kennedy

Narrated by: Langston Darby

Nigger: It is arguably the most consequential social insult in American history, though, at the same time, a word that reminds us of “the ironies and dilemmas, tragedies and glories of the American experience.” In this tour de force, distinguished Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy - author of the highly acclaimed Race, Crime, and the Law - “put[s] a tracer on nigger”, to identify how it has been used and by whom, while analyzing the controversies to which it has given rise.

With unprecedented candor and insight Kennedy explores such questions as: How should nigger be defined? Is it, as some have declared, necessarily more hurtful than other racial epithets? Do Blacks have a right to use nigger even as others do not? Should the law view nigger baiting as a provocation strong enough to reduce the culpability of a person who responds violently to it? Should a person be fired from his or her job for saying nigger? How might the destructiveness of nigger be assuaged?

To be ignorant of the meanings and effects of nigger, says Kennedy, is to render oneself vulnerable to all manner of peril. This book brilliantly and sensitively addresses that concern.

©2008 Randall Kennedy (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Provocative...engaging and informative.” (The New York Times)

“Should be required reading.... This little book deserves to be read especially if we seek better understanding of ourselves and others.” (The Dallas Morning News)

“Demonstrates a key truth about the N-word.... it tracks our racial history and stars in a slew of court decisions that reveal large truths about bigotry and free expression.” (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Would this book survive among the anti CRT cabbal?

Read (or listen to)the book, by the way, it's a great deal about the intersection of speech, culture, history and law, not miserly at all. Worthy of burning...

Why we have the thesaurus…

Enjoyed the book and agree with many points; however, the author neglected to fully explore the “family” aspect of the word. I grew up kick’n it in South Philadelphia, and anyone familiar with that area knows that it’s full of Italians. We all got along extremely well, but as an African American, I knew there were names/words they called each other that I should never use, and I didn’t use them out of respect. They also knew that there were certain names/words we called each other that they would never use. Like Eminem, it was done out of respect. Now there were a ton of words we called each other that an outsider may have found offensive, and they probably were, but we never crossed that line. There are things you can say to your family and true friends that would get an outsider killed. Nigger is one of those words. Like Italians, Irish, Puerto Ricans, etc., the African Americans are one big happy, crazy, dysfunctional family. It’s okay for Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle because they’re “family,” but it isn’t okay for someone who isn’t part of the family. That said, I agree that context matters. While no one family member can dictate its use or give approval for all, I believe that use in an academic setting or for historical purposes should be accepted, but use in lazy script writing done by Quentin Tarantino, for example, should not be accepted. Not saying he isn’t talented, because he clearly is, but there have been times when he used the word gratuitously, such as its use in Pulp Fiction, for example, which was just lazy imo. It was low hanging fruit and he went for it. Django Unchained, however, was appropriate use of the word and DiCaprio crushed it. Again, imo. The use of the word is a reflection of the speaker’s respect of the family, and it’s the speaker’s responsibility to understand if this is the only word that can be used to describe the person/situation and to share that understanding with family members within earshot. That goes for all derogatory words and for all families no matter the color of their skin. The speaker should find another way if any family member within earshot is uncomfortable…that’s why we have the thesaurus. However, family shouldn’t be allowed to complain about it when interviewing the author of a book with the word clearly plastered on the cover.

A Better Understanding!

There is a quote that says "In all your getting, get understanding. l have a more in-depth understanding of the N-Word, however, l still don't like the use of it in any context. l think it is still the most Dirtiest, Filthiest, Most Despicable word in the English language, and should not be used by Black or any other nationality. My opinion is solely my own.

Thought Provoking

This made me realize that it’s difficult to have intellectual discourse in todays society. We are dummying down America.