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Why Is It OK To Call Condi Rice And Dr. Ben Carson Racist Names?
Aren’t they also black? Or are some black people more black than others?
I was taught that it is never OK to use the “n word”. And I agree. It has such a fraught history, it is unacceptable. However, exceptions are made for black people themselves, and I sorta get it. Though I do find it weird — as a woman, I’d never call myself or any other woman a whore, or even a bitch, though recently I’ve come to redefine the latter. But I would still never use it in conversation. Same with the heinous words used to put down people from the Indian subcontinent, where my parents are from.
So it struck me as odd that some black people find it fine to call each other by this pejorative, but different cultures have different standards, and black American culture is unique.
However, all that being said — why is it acceptable to call certain blacks by that term as well as other demeaning and insulting ones?
Back in 2003, Condoleezza Rice was called “skeeza” by Amiri Baraka. She has also been called a “house n***er”, and there have been cartoons published showing her in really racist ways. Apparently this is acceptable? At least, there hasn’t been the outrage I would have expected. Why not?
