Dimensions of Racism: The N-Word (Junior)

The ongoing debate over the use of the N-word makes it, arguably, the most polarizing word in our society. The word is a product of an era of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, colonization, and the largest forced migration of human beings in world history. The fact that the word was created during this time and was used to describe and dehumanize people of African heritage problematizes its continued use. The word outlived the abolition of slavery and segregation, and the era of the civil rights movement.