Originally Posted by Jaybone2315

I would never use that word in a derogatory way. See my previous post about how I snapped on a dude in a country bar when he said that to me.

Strangely, people say that a lot up here and its never in a bad way. It still catches me off guard once in a while, but ill hear my little brother saying it even while around his black friends and no one thinks twice about it. idk, im just spit balling here, but i feel like it has a much worse meaning to everyone down south and white guilt is too much down there. Up here, i hear it all the time and no one really cares because I never hear it being used in a bad way.

You must be joking. You can't even use this word in New Zealand. I would think any use of it at all is degrading to black folk, it's the history of the word isn't it? This maybe why your younger brother and his mates use it, they are so young they don't know the meaning of it, and the school system doesn't teach them about it??

I find it totally insulting and would react to it's use where ever I heard it, anywhere in the world - sort of like people saying white cunt, which is just as bad (nearly).

I suggest you clip your brother round the ears and teach him a lesson on the history of the word.

 

Originally Posted by norv

You must be joking. You can't even use this word in New Zealand. I would think any use of it at all is degrading to black folk, it's the history of the word isn't it? This maybe why your younger brother and his mates use it, they are so young they don't know the meaning of it, and the school system doesn't teach them about it??

I find it totally insulting and would react to it's use where ever I heard it, anywhere in the world - sort of like people saying white cunt, which is just as bad (nearly).

I suggest you clip your brother round the ears and teach him a lesson on the history of the word.

lol @ this post

New Zealand, folks

 

Originally Posted by Jaybone2315

I would never use that word in a derogatory way. See my previous post about how I snapped on a dude in a country bar when he said that to me.

Strangely, people say that a lot up here and its never in a bad way. It still catches me off guard once in a while, but ill hear my little brother saying it even while around his black friends and no one thinks twice about it. idk, im just spit balling here, but i feel like it has a much worse meaning to everyone down south and white guilt is too much down there. Up here, i hear it all the time and no one really cares because I never hear it being used in a bad way.

I don't think its just regional, because I don't use the word but I am older. My brother is a hiphop producer who is more your age (but probably older) and he doesn't use it either. I do think that certain cliques use it freely and no one gets butthurt, because it isn't being used derisively. So while I do think context is extremely important, as EDP said above the word does still have power and can cause a lot of hurt even if that wasn't what was intended.

as has been said, the important thing is the environment. "nigga" = dude in many settings.

if you are ever conflicted about using "nigga" then you very likely shouldn't. you'll know when you're ready.

New Zealand must be the most racist area since it;s in the deepest south....

 

Originally Posted by Camz

I usually just consider la Ala miss and maybeee georgia

absurdly narrow definitions of "the south" are absurdly narrow. You're referring to the Deep South.

 

Originally Posted by userid363

Lol at Georgia being maybeeee the South

Im pretty sure my version of the south is like 14 states.

Southern folks just in denile?

 

Originally Posted by Lord Supremo

absurdly narrow definitions of "the south" are absurdly narrow. You're referring to the Deep South.

I'm.cool with that

i thought deep south was only new orleans south of bourbon st

lol @ silf

 

Originally Posted by XXEDPXX

There is a pretty big difference between places like Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana and places like North Carolina and Kentucky. They're all the south but there are pretty big differences. Thats obviously what he is alluding to. I dont think you need to give a guy from Louisiana lessons on whats the south and what isnt. Im gonna go ahead and credit him with knowing what the actual south is.

I definitely consider myself a southerner, and I was born and raised in North Carolina, as were both of my parents and both sets of grandparents. I understand what the distinction is, though. I think there is a difference between like VA, NC, SC, maybe GA to some extent and like AL, MS and LA.

my rough interpretation of the south/deep south, deep in black (no racist) obv:

Florida is Florida. very distinctive place, for the most part. notice I included the panhandle areas... Floribama about as redneck as it gets

Texas is in the southwest.

I didn't include southern LA cuz that's more of a mashup of Creole and ghetto culture, very unique area.

just a quick outline of my opinion from my experiences...

 

Originally Posted by TheWacoKidd

Florida is Florida. very distinctive place, for the most part. notice I included the panhandles areas... Floribama about as redneck as it gets.

There are two parts of Florida.

1. Coastal living, typically democrats and older retired people.
2. Panhandle, and anywhere on the interior of the state (more than 30 minutes form the coast), which are mostly redneck.

 

Originally Posted by userid363

In KY there were definitely two tiers of Southerners, mostly based on how far back the family goes. Most people don't have much of an accent, but some have very strong ones. The funny sounding ones were the Southerners, ldo

My family goes WAY back in NC and I don't have much of an accent. I mean, it's definitely southern, but not really thick southern. You can ask another OTer who's met me :)

I've actually been lying to everyone all this time. Everyone in the south is like that family in "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" ;) I know that's what a lot of you think lol