Bill Maher started a firestorm on June 2 that is still raging.  On his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse asked Maher if he would like to work the fields on a farm. Maher replied that he was a “house nigger” and that he does not do that. Since that time, viewers and media critics have been outraged, upset, and have called for his firing.

At the controversy’s core is the question: Who can say that word and who cannot? Can anyone? Race has been an inflammatory topic since the dawn of this country and it will not go away until addressed. Did Maher go too far? First, the word’s history.

The word “nigger” derived from the French word “negre,” as well as from Spanish and Portuguese roots. “Negro” ultimately evolved from the Latin word “niger,” meaning black. Like the word “cunt,” it is one of the most offensive words in the English language.

What disturbs me most is not that Maher used the word but how comfortable he was using it, putting it in the correct context as if he were a black man. Does that give him a pass? Not by any means. Is this a case of cultural appropriation? Definitely! But in order for us to be mad at him as black Americans, we need to be outraged at our own people for our use of it as well.

Black people use the word the most, either in jest or in anger.  Regardless of how we use it, we use it and hear it everywhere. It is in our music, our books and is scrawled on walls in bathrooms. It is heard on TV until recently and every day in our conversations. We use it to describe each other in love as well as in hate. So why we are angry with Maher using the word? Is this a word for blacks’ use only?

We played a part in making that word better known than it should be. We often use that word to desensitize it so that when other races and nationalities say it, the sting is not as harsh. If that is the case, it is not working – especially if people who are not black use it and get fired. As all races and ethnicities use it, should we be mad or not? And how can we expect the world to not call us what we call ourselves?

It is in our hands to decide how we want the world to address us. We need to stop using this word … PERIOD!  We decide – not the media and other races. We need to show that we are a people who will not stoop to use that term to define ourselves anymore.

As Maher has apologized, the dust will settle and things will get back to normal. It’s now up to us to decide if “normal” includes our use of that word.

Erick Smith Tech & Sim Support for Chamberlain University.  Husband, father, uncle of many, friend to all.  Football lover and sports enthusiast.  Enjoys a good conversation about sports and life issues.   esmith4560@gmail.com
Erick Smith
Tech & Sim Support for Chamberlain University.  Husband, father, uncle of many, friend to all.  Football lover and sports enthusiast.  Enjoys a good conversation about sports and life issues. esmith4560@gmail.com