3 ms·
The n-word is the modern legacy of a history of 400 years of racism and enslavement. Its modern usage originates from using the word to reinforce the same econ
by elangoc 12y ago
The n-word is the modern legacy of a history of 400 years of racism and enslavement. Its modern usage originates from using the word to reinforce the same economic and social oppression. That context exists for the n-word beyond your 'baseline' racial epithet.
'Hacker' is different because it's a term that originated with a somewhat positive connotation within and by a community, and got misinterpreted negatively later by the outside.
Yes, the duality in assigning meaning to 'hacker' internally/externally does share some similarity with a group/race-based slur that has been 're-claimed', but obviously not entirely. The n-word seems like a particularly bad choice of example, though.
- jamra 12y agoI was making a parallel between using a word within a community when that word has a different meaning from outside the community. The exclusion that comes from using the word is the only point I was trying to make. I was hoping that the history and origin of the word would not create some kind of epithet of racism. The discussion of something related to race is not racism in and of itself just the same as the discussion of feminism is not misogynistic.