General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: my friend said, "it is never, ever okay for white people to say (n-word)." [View all]orleans
(34,051 posts)(not from birth--but when she was old enough to understand--maybe around 4 or 5? i don't remember. kids tend to be colorblind toward skin color when they're little and i can recall wondering/angsting how & when i should broach the subject.)
my grandmother used that word and my parents did occasionally. but i always felt uncomfortable hearing it. i don't recall ever using it in conversation--not even when i was little. and when i got a little older (maybe around 9 or 10) i'd tell my parents and my grandma to stop saying "that word."
one thing i do remember was seeing jesse jackson on tv with some kids beside him. he was talking about "black is beautiful" and this little girl said "i'm black and i'm beautiful." and i looked at her and thought "she is beautiful." that simple moment left a lasting impression on me. maybe it was after that when i became the word monitor around the house.