Randall Kennedy on The N-Word: History, Power, and Controversy in American Language and Law

This podcast episode features a conversation with Randall Kennedy, a Harvard Law School professor and author of "Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word." Kennedy delves into the complex history and enduring power of the N-word, tracing its origins to the 16th-17th century from Latin and Spanish roots, noting its clear establishment as a derogatory slur by the early 19th century, though the exact transition remains unclear. He emphasizes that the word is a "soundtrack of racial terrorism" in the United States, deeply intertwined with the history of lynching and the terrorization of Black people, making its study essential for understanding American history.

Kennedy highlights the significant controversy his book has generated, leading to unexpected roles as an expert witness in various legal cases (murder, assault, tort, employment) and, notably, causing teachers to be suspended or fired for using excerpts of his book in classrooms, particularly when discussing works like Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn." He argues that such disciplinary actions are pedagogically unsound and "stupid," stressing the crucial distinction between a teacher using the word for educational purposes within a historical context and using it as a direct slur against a student. He advocates for facing and grappling with the word precisely because of its power and historical significance, rather than shying away from it with euphemisms.

A key distinction Kennedy makes is the contextual nature of language, illustrating how words like "discriminating" or even former slurs like "queer" can evolve in meaning and usage, sometimes being reappropriated by the very groups they once targeted. While acknowledging the N-word's unique and unparalleled status as a slur, reflecting the "unique stigma that has been imposed on African Americans," he also points out its varied uses by Black artists and comedians like Dick Gregory and Richard Pryor, who have repurposed it to hold a mirror up to society or as a term of endearment or solidarity within certain communities. He also differentiates between "nigger" (hard R), "nigga" (softer A), and "negro," noting that while the first two are distinct in modern usage, "negro" has historically carried less animus and was used by revered figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Kennedy advises prudence for non-Black individuals considering using the word, especially in casual settings, due to the potential for misunderstanding, offense, and even violence, emphasizing the heavy responsibility that comes with uttering such a powerful term. He acknowledges critics who fear his work might inadvertently grant permission for inappropriate use but maintains that understanding the word's full spectrum of meaning and impact – from its terrorizing past to its reappropriated present – is vital for a comprehensive understanding of American culture, history, and the ongoing struggle for racial justice. The conversation underscores the dynamic, often volatile, nature of language and its profound connection to social power dynamics and identity.

The word you're referring to is nigger. The book that you're referring to is nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.

by the early 19th century it had become a slur. It had become a derogatory word about which people complained but exactly how that came about not all together clear.

every year there are teachers who are suspended or who are fired because they will exert a chapter of my book.

this is an important word in American history. It is a word that is explosive, that's why people get so upset. It's a word that's volatile. It's a word that has typically been used in a terrible way. It's a word that is part of the soundtrack of racial terrorism in the United States.

you also have to know that this is a word that has also been put to other uses... to put up a mirror to American society and say look at this word and look at the terrible way in which it's been used.

it's precisely because words matter however that we need to be willing to face words and grapple with words and talk about words and talk about the history of words.

words can mean different things in different contexts. It's not the case that a word means the same thing in every context.

Yankee was a slur in 18th century United States... queer... Gay Liberation movement basically we're not going to run away from this we're gonna grab this quote slur and we're going to affix it to ourselves and we are going to repurpose it.

I think that the the fact that nigger sort of occupies such a unique status among slurs I think that's a reflection of the unique stigma that has been imposed on African Americans.

The Prudent thing would be to stay clear [of the word] unless you're very certain and unless if you're called on it you feel you're in a position to defend yourself.