Alan Gribben, a scholar at Auburn University's Montgomery campus who specializes in the work of Mark Twain, is editing a combined edition of Twain's The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884). Prompted by this revision of these American literary classic three thoughts come to mind as to why "nigger" must be exhumed from it's warm, shallow grave. Sorry Rev. Sharpton and crew.
Reason #3, White America’s feelings of guilt can’t be allowed to erase this important historical word “nigger”. The word greatly differs from its baby brother “nigga”. Nigga is common across mainstream culture, largely due to the influence of rap and the hip hop culture and should not to be mistaken with “nigger”. Cowardly, meaning well, white folks (usually liberals) experiencing “white guilt” and delusional Negros acting as if success means they have escaped the historical scaring of this sacred racial epithet desire comfort over uncomfortable truth. This cut and paste job being done to the Twin novels attempts to rewrite an excellent narrative of life in the American south while falsifying the intent of white folks in the south.
Reason #2, the word “nigger” has been paid for by the blood, sweat and tears of millions of blacks, coloreds, Negros, African Americans and yes niggers. Blood that was spilled from shots in the distance, a hangman noose, swinging bodies, the fields of battle, firing squads, burning crosses and the list ago on. Yet let the word reparations be mentioned in any forum about race relations and white American screams bloody murder, ironically what literally happen to so many of these so called “niggers”. So rather than letting “nigger” go, we must keep nigger. Whites “man up”, don’t be lazy cowards, teach your children of the human crimes of your ancestors identify the war criminals and Blacks teach our children the sacredness of this word and how it was sometimes the last words heard by our ancestors. Nigger rings in the ear differently that nigga. Teach the difference.
Reason, #1 “Nigger” says there is still work to do. It’s our battle cry and appeals to our communal quest for justice in our lives and the world. Dr. Martin L. King said “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” and in our finest historical hours we, the black American community has been a light to the world. The word “nigger” is a part of the spark that lights the fire of black people in America; don’t forget the “Nigger”.
