Journal entry – Derogatory terms used to described blacks in Maycomb County

A we all know, racism is very common in Maycomb County, especially towards blacks. Negro, colored, nigger, nigga, African American and black are all names that civilians of Maycomb County have become used to calling blacks. There are actually two definition of the word nigger. The word “Nigger” is a derogatory term that is used against black people. The definition of the term “nigger” is a rude and ignorant person. It was very often used during the Atlantic slave trade, by the late 1800’s. It is commonly used as an offense to African descendants. The word nigga, however, has a completely different meaning than nigger. It is used as a form of slang and it is one of the most popular used world today. The term is mostly used by African Americans and hip hop musicians. However, many people still consider it as a derogatory term because of its roots from the word nigger.

 

The word negro was derived from Spain and means black in Spanish and Portuguese. Negro, in Argentina, Cuba and other Spanish speaking countries is used when talking to friends or family with no racial context. For example, if someone says “Oye, negrito. Como estás?”, it is not considered as a racial insult because the word negrito is referred to as “buddy”. However, if a person which does not speak Spanish says the word negro, it is considered as an insult. As Ta-Nehisi says, it is based on the relationship you have with the person that determines what you can and cannot say. If you say the word negro to a fellow Spanish speaking friend, it is acceptable because you and your friend are not attempting to use the word in a negative what. But if someone that does not speak Spanish says the world negro to a black person is it considered as an insult because they do not know the meaning of the word and most likely are saying it in an offensive way.

 

The term colored is another very commonly used world in the 1800’s. The word is used to describe African American or in other words people that are not white. The word colored is considered as a derogatory term because when someone says this word, it brings back memories of a very hard and racism time, which was when the Jim Crow lays were still active. During that time, the word colored was often written on posters to separate what blacks could use and what they could not use. For example, on top of each bathroom there would be a sign that said colored and white. The colored bathrooms were the ones that blacks could use and the white ones where the one that non black people could use. The way it was used in that time period makes not acceptable to say it in the world of today.

 

Is it acceptable to say “African American”? This term is preferred not being said because it is considered offensive to several people. Many blacks claim that they do not like to be called African American because several of them do not have any African descendants. This term is preferable to not be said in any context because of its offensive meaning. I believe that we should not call darker skinned people black or even African American, we should just call them by their real name. The terms negro, colored, nigga, nigger, African American and black are all word that should not be used in any way to describe a person even if you are black because all of them have a meaning in history that you might not know about and that other people might take serious offense to.