Opinions & Features

The dangers of reclaiming racial slurs

Racial slurs, often known as racial epithets, are expressions that denigrate people who belong to particular racial or ethnic groups. By implying that the populations being disparaged are undeserving of equality, slurs and other racial defamation tactics demean the targeted groups and support racial discrimination. 

Slurs are used similarly to the N-word, but with less power and with a different meaning, yet they are similar enough that we still recognize them as obviously offensive words. It is a deliberate verbal attack created to hurt someone, racially, as it also causes serious psychological and emotional harm to the intended victim.

A reclaimed slur is when oppressed groups of people adopt a pejorative term that has historically been used to disparage them and uses it to recapture some of the social power that has been taken from them. Many have stated that reclaiming slurs is a kind of healing from past and present injustices, but is it? There have been many battles, advocacy campaigns, and movements against racial discrimination, such as black lives matter, but racial discrimination still exists today. 

When someone in one group makes a slur for another, the addition of this rule only makes it worse and more obnoxious. In recent years, not fewer, people have become more prone to being upset by racism. Slurs have a bad and lengthy history among the group that endured racism. When a race refers to a minority race as a slur, why do people become upset if reclaiming insults is seen as progressive? The fact that words have power, significance, and the ability to alter how we think about and interpret messages must also be mentioned. It is impossible to erase a slur’s history, no matter how hard we attempt to recover it to weaken it. 

Finally, it’s all about respect and sensitivity, as with anything. Understanding that some individuals might find something offensive while others might not is important since these terms can elicit such diverse and divisive reactions depending on a person’s past experiences with them. 

The psychological consequences of racist slurs are discussed by Psychology Today. Researchers discovered that continued exposure to an accumulation of perceived daily stress and racial discrimination stress increased the probability of violence among African-American young people in one of the few studies I could locate that connected the experience of racism to violent reactions.

The Daily Life Experiences scale was used to gauge the stress caused by racial prejudice. It includes things like “Not being hired for a job,” “Your views or opinions being downplayed, ignored, or devalued,” and “Being neglected, overlooked, or not offered service (at a restaurant, store, etc.).” Only one thing comes close to qualifying as a racial slur: “Being insulted, called a name, or harassed.” This item, in my opinion, does not adequately convey the impact of hearing a racist epithet like the “n-word.” 

It’s important for marginalized communities to speak out against racial slurs and not tolerate them because they have a very painful history. This sensitive topic is also about realizing that if you don’t belong to the marginalized community in question, you will never be able to identify with them or interpret their challenges for them.

Deborah Dzifa Makafui

Recent Posts

Krystal Anderson: Longtime Kansas City Chiefs cheerleader dies after stillbirth

Krystal Lakeshia Anderson, a longtime cheerleader for the Kansas City Chiefs and a women’s health…

13 mins ago

Owners of bowling alley where Takeoff was shot blame rapper for his death in response to lawsuit

The owners of the bowling alley where Takeoff was fatally shot are asking a judge…

33 mins ago

How Crawford-Williams started a movement in her apartment that now supports hundreds of small businesses in Detroit

Get to know Jennyfer Crawford-Williams; she is behind All Things Detroit Day, an annual event…

15 hours ago

Two friends treat South African security guard to once in a lifetime helicopter ride over the rainbow nation

Two friends in their 20s made a heartwarming gesture to their apartment's security guard after…

16 hours ago

From errand-runner to multi-business owner, meet 2024 Enterprising Woman of the Year Roslyn Ellerbee

Roslyn Ellerbee, the CEO and founder of Dream Team Digital Marketing, Manifesting Greatness with Roslyn…

17 hours ago

Kevin Hart loses big after selling his Bored Ape NFT, raises concerns over future of NFTs

In 2022, American actor and comedian Kevin Hart joined a growing list of celebrities who…

20 hours ago

Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley makes history again with national coach of the year win

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association has picked South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley…

22 hours ago

First grader who overcame trouble hearing accepted into Mensa

Taurian Collins is making waves with his intelligence. The first-grader has already been accepted into…

22 hours ago

Halle Berry shares how a doctor misdiagnosed her perimenopause as the ‘worst case of herpes’

During a talk about women’s health with First Lady Jill Biden at Monday’s A Day…

24 hours ago

Nicki Minaj and husband ordered to pay $500K to security guard who sued them

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has ordered rapper Nicki Minaj and her husband…

1 day ago

Nigeria: Chinese businessman sentenced to death for fatally stabbing girlfriend

A 49-year-old Chinese businessman accused of fatally stabbing his Nigerian girlfriend has been sentenced to…

1 day ago

Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse: Baltimore mayor calls for prayers as 6 missing now presumed dead

Six workers who were missing after the Baltimore bridge collapsed are presumed dead, officials said.…

1 day ago

Woman completes chemo and gets proposal from her boyfriend of 10 years in emotional video

Angelica May experienced a series of mind-blowing events in one day. The 27-year-old North Carolina…

2 days ago

Self-styled Bishop sentenced to prison for deceiving at least 10 women into marrying him

A Houston man, Orlando Coleman, 51, has been sentenced to prison for deceiving at least…

2 days ago

Oprah Winfrey reveals why she keeps a whole octopus in her fridge

Oprah Winfrey has confirmed long-standing rumors about an unusual item in her fridge during an…

2 days ago