One of the dumber aspects of how the American conception of racism has evolved is the “bad words” theory of racism, wherein someone who simply uses a racial epithet, regardless of context, is immediately labeled a racist. That’s part of the reason why some people have trouble figuring out in what context their use is appropriate, such as Washington Nationals recent draft pick Zach Houchins, who seems to use the word nigga a lot on his twitter feed:
“Whether people think it or not, I’m not racist,” Houchins said. “I’m not a bigot. I’ve had a black guy live with me for four years. My closest friends literally are all black. I’m sorry it was out there for everybody to read. That’s just how me and my friends talk, including my black friends.”
Among many young people, casual use of the word nigga is ubiquitous. I’m not talking about black people either–in New York City, you’re likely to hear Puerto Rican kids or Italian-American kids tossing around the word as a term of endearment or even just in the place of “person.”
That doesn’t mean that we’re living in a “post-nigga America,” because “nigga” and “nigger” can ever truly be divorced, as some people might claim. Their connection is inseverable, which is why it’s important to be careful about what you say and when you say it. It’s not that black people don’t have to be careful of context either, it’s just that they usually know when it’s appropriate to use the term and when it isn’t.
This is a case of someone being dumb, not someone being racist. I don’t doubt that Houchins’ friends are unoffended by his use of the term. But the fact that your black friends are comfortable letting you use it shouldn’t be taken as collective permission to use the phrase without black people taking issue with it. Black people aren’t the Zerg, we don’t have a hive mind that communicates to us who is racist and who is just trying to be down.
Here’s a great skit from The Message a few years ago about when it’s actually appropriate for white people to use the term: