Rating: 
Summary: Black Language
Review: Randall Kennedy's Nigger: the Strange Career of a Troublesome Word is about the history of the N-word. A good part of the book is about white people verse black people saying the word. Many black people loosely refer to themselves as niggers. When white people do the same it is an insult to all people involved. White, Detroit rapper Eminem has earned his "blackness" to be able to use this word. He has worked hard in a black dominated field and he has been accepted into this "world." He is free to use their language. Black people feel it's a privilege to use the word. You must earn your right to use the word. This book is very interesting and as a white person I learned a lot due my reading it. The reader learns the history, meanings, usage, and court cases all surrounding the word nigger.
Rating: 
Summary: Intellectually Stimulating!
Review: Randall Kennedy, a Princeton and Yale educated African American (AA) Harvard Law School professor, is the author of the renowned book: Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word. In the spirit of his legal background, Kennedy methodically organizes the book into three main sections: The first attempts to define the word and discusses the historical and modern day uses of it particularly in the areas of entertainment (comedy, rap, poetry, etc.). He takes the reader back to the historical roots of the word and its original meaning to firmly establish that the n-word was intentionally used to inflict insult or to humiliate and belittle its victims. The first 40 pages cite numerous examples of how the racial epitaph has been recorded throughout American history in the educational, legal, and political institutions. The second section deals with the use of the n-word in the American judicial system and provides interesting discussion on the legalities surrounding the use of the n-word as a "fighting word" and as justification for physical retaliation (even as a defense strategy for murder). He discusses the impact that racist views of defendants and litigants can have on court rulings. He spends a lot of time referencing legalities of when the word can be entered into evidence in a court of law and cites several instances including the infamous O.J. Simpson case in which Mark Fuhrman perjured himself when asked if he had ever used the n-word. Kennedy also covers the difficulties AA's face when suing on the grounds of racial discrimination. The author's knowledge of the law proved invaluable for this section because he shared his insight and perspective on the intricacies behind these controversial cases. The third section of the book addresses a myriad of modern day issues such as the debate surrounding censorship of the word, the campaign against Merriam-Webster regarding the definition of the word, use of the word in the company of non-AA persons, etc. Although a small book in physical size, it is packed full of hundreds of factual accounts of well-documented real-life cases that one can research independently for more details. Throughout the book, Kennedy offers a solid discussion on the differing schools of thought between the "eradicationists", those who maintain that all uses of the word are wrongful and hurtful, and those of a more tolerant group who support use of the term in its proper context. This reader personally enjoyed the discussion that paralleled Amos 'n' Andy to Def Comedy Jam and author's choice to include viewpoints of the AA intelligentsia of yesteryear and today: Langston Hughes, Bill Cosby, Roy Wilkes, Countee Cullen, Thurgood Marshall, Julianne Malveaux, and others. Disappointingly the author does not provide a conclusion or any formative recommendations, however, he clearly establishes that the n-word has been embedded in our culture for a very long time and will remain so as long as there is an America. Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub, Nubian Circle Book Club
Rating:
Summary: What is in a name
Review: The author... if you can call him that, wrote this book to make some money off the poor saps of Americans that still believe in equal rights, rather than believing that racism is a past sub cultured belief. The only true racisms that exist are with the old and sub cultured separatist blacks that believe that living in a world of drugs and violence. The purpose of this novel would have been effective say... 50 years ago, but those times are long gone. The only reason that they still exist today is because of people like this author trying to keep the hatred alive by continually reminding us of past times and how they are in need of repair. In all actually this black "author" is writing this to further the government's involvement in his financial life. Keep the hope alive they say... well they always need a little more, they have to prove to them selves that they are less than the rest of the world in order feel like they need more help from the government... more liberal welfare plans for the poor, e.g. poor black community because the white folks don't need it. Well I can not agree with this attitude, we should all be treated the same by everyone, no single group of people deserves more money than another just because they were treated poorly in the past. Blacks do not deserve any more than any other person in this country, and just for complaining so damn much they should have their "blacks only club" privileges taken away. The book was horrid, the message was weak, the "author's" style was horrid, and the over all literary worth of this novel is kindling. Hope you enjoyed my review; please take it in to consideration.
Rating: 
Summary: More than a book -- an experience!
Review: The experience of reading this book further highlighted what the book discusses, and why it is a subject that needs discussion. While reading it, my awareness of those around me was sharpened. It felt strange, even somehow wrong, to even have this word on display in my presence. And yet, the fact that it was there sparked some valuable conversations, which I think Kennedy might have appreciated. It was difficult for me to imagine a book that focused on a single word so closely without becoming trite or repetitive, but Kennedy accomplishes the task admirably here. It helps that this particular word is so rich in cultural background and societal impact. It's an important word, even if it's a vile one, and Kennedy never loses sight of either fact. In the course of the book, he briefly covers the word's history and etymology, but moves quickly on to discuss its cultural impact, how this has changed over time, how different groups or individuals can use it in different ways, the reactions one finds when certain people use it, how the word has affected legal proceedings, and how the word is being handled today. Through all of this, he is neither overly critical nor overly apologetic about the use of the word; he is simply honest. About halfway through the book, while discussing an effort to have the word removed from Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Kennedy states "Nigger should have a place in any serious dictionary. The word is simply too important to ignore." I'll take that a step further and say that it the word is so important to American history and culture that it demands examination and open discussion. This is not to say that it should be used in the ways that it once was, to belittle and hurt people, but that it should be understood for what it is, and what it represents, both in a historical and modern context. Kennedy seems to argue toward the same end, especially when he describes the ways in which the word has affected some court cases. Kennedy brings up the use of the word in high-profile cases, such as the O.J. Simpson murder trial, as well as some lesser-known but important cases, particularly cases of employer/employee discrimination. He looks at both criminal and civil cases. Kennedy examines each case closely, and quite fair-mindedly. In some cases, he agrees that the use of the word was at the heart of the issue, in others he finds that while the word was an element of the offense, it was at best a distraction from the real issue, which was less offensive and so less likely to win the case for the complainant. In other words, he found that some people had genuine problems that were best solved in the courtroom, while others were simply trying to use the word to meet their own ends, for personal gain. Kennedy's look at the entertainment world was also quite revealing. He spends some time talking about African-American comedians Richard Pryor and Chris Rock, who make extensive use of the word in their routines, often with the effect of "de-fanging" the word for the audience. He does point out, however, that white people still (justifiably so) have less recourse to use the word in a similar fashion, and points to popular white rap singer Eminem as an example. While Eminem uses a great deal of outrageous and often offensive language, and is widely admired and respected among fellow rap artists, the word "nigger" is "not even in his vocabulary" -- off-limits even to his extreme stylings. Kennedy also makes some mention of the radio and television show "Amos 'n' Andy," giving a brief history of the show and some interesting insights into the flip-flopping of opinions over its impact on American culture. Most valuable to me, however, was the aforementioned experience of reading the book. From the moment I bought it I was keenly aware of its potential impact on people around me. While I was reading it on the bus, a Hispanic girl sitting near me asked what I was reading. I showed her the book. Upon seeing the title, she did a double-take, and I briefly explained what it was about. We actually talked for a few minutes about it. I also noticed, while reading the book, that I was made significantly more aware of who was around me while I was reading. I never hid the book because of this, but it certainly made me think about what someone else might have thought upon seeing me reading it. At work, someone noticed the book on my desk and flipped it over. When I asked if he was seriously offended, he laughed it off, but told me a story of someone he used to work with who was fired over the use of the word. It sparked a valuable discussion about what is and isn't appropriate in the workplace. If Kennedy had a goal in mind when writing this book, I think it would have been something like this; encouraging serious discussion about some of the difficult topics associated with the word he wrote about. I'd say he accomplished this goal. In practice, reading this book changed little for me. I rarely used the word in the first place, because of its special status in American culture as one of the most offensive epithets in the English language, and I have never used it to insult another person. What reading this book did for me was to make me a little more aware of why the word has the status that it does, and of its cultural significance. My feeling is that Kennedy is right about many of his observations in this book, but in particular the point that the word is too important to ignore is one of the things that makes this such a valuable book to read, and to discuss.
Rating:
Summary: Simply Stellar!!
Review: This book is a Godsend! Randall Kennedy is a genius! I sincerely hope that as many people as possible read this book. In my opinion, this ranks as one of the most revolutionary books ever written about American language to date; it has helped me more clearly understand the 'fangs of the viper'. Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, methodically dissects the N-word to show the deliberate and diabolical social engineering that was used to transform nigger into one of the most explosive words in American history. At the same time, the book holds out the idea that change may, at sometime in the future, be possible; that one day our children will look at the fossilized remains of this little word and wonder, "What was the big deal?"
Rating: 
Summary: What a Racist!
Review: What a racist this baffoon is! He uses this book to trash Black Americans. What's his next book, "Spics-R-Us: The history of Mexicans and their menial labor"? But more important than the slandering of blacks Kennedy engages in is the slandering of a perfectly good word. What has the word N*gger ever done to the author? It sure didn't bone his spouse, it was only used as a slang term to describe him and his indigeous family of gorillas. Don't let this racist fool you, blacks are perfectly capable of holding certain jobs and N*gger has an important role in our society as a good word
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