There used to be a time when any woman was shocked and offended when she was referred to as a “bitch.” Thanks to today’s pop culture and the many “bad bitch” advocates in the realm of hip-hop, the term is now supposed to be received by Black women with a charmed smile. But why? The original definition of the term “bitch” refers to a dog or a “lewd or sensual woman.” Neither lends itself well to being used as a compliment especially as Black women are constantly being portrayed in mainstream media as hypersexualized objects.
The N-Word
“The n-word is unique in the English language. On one hand, it is the ultimate insult — a word that has tormented generations of African-Americans. Yet over time, it has become a popular term of endearment by the descendants of the very people who once had to endure it,” Neal A. Lester, the dean of humanities and former chair of the English department at Arizona State University, said of the controversial term. While people today claim they use the N-word in an attempt to “take control of” its context, Lester believes that in today’s environment the word will always “take on a life of its own” and only justify white people who decided to use the word as well. This is not to say Black people are to blame for white people using the racial slur but only that it is adding fuel to an already burning fire of racism in America.
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