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The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why
A renowned cultural critic untangles the twisted history and future of racism through its most volatile word. The N Word reveals how the term “nigger” has both reflected and spread the scourge of bigotry in America over the four hundred years since it was first spoken on our shores. Jabari Asim pinpoints Thomas Jefferson as the source of our enduring image of the “nigger.” In a seminal but now obscure essay, Jefferson marshaled a welter of pseudoscience to define the stereotype of a shiftless child-man with huge appetites and stunted self-control. Asim reveals how nineteenth-century “science” then colluded with popular culture to amplify this slander. What began as false generalizations became institutionalized in every corner of our the arts and sciences, sports, the law, and on the streets. Asim’s conclusion is as original as his premise. He argues that even when uttered with the opposite intent by hipsters and hip-hop icons, the slur helps keep blacks at the bottom of America’s socioeconomic ladder. But Asim also proves there is a place for the word in the mouths and on the pens of those who truly understand its twisted history—from Mark Twain to Dave Chappelle to Mos Def. Only when we know its legacy can we loosen this slur’s grip on our national psyche.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
78 people are currently reading
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About the author
Jabari Asim
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Praise for Only The Strong
"Jabari Asim is such an elegant writer that you won't realize how smoothly he drew you in until you're halfway through this book. Humane and humorous, compassionate and willing to get a little rough, this describes both the writer and the novel. Only The Strong does for St. Louis what Edward P. Jones has done for Washington D.C., Raymond Chandler for Los Angeles---marked it as place on the literary map where you'll want to stay for a long while. A riveting novel." --Victor LaValle, author of The Devil in Silver
“Only the Strong is a lushly atmospheric and passionately written piece of work, bursting with colorful characters that shine on every page.” ---Bernice L. McFadden, author of Gathering of Waters
"Only the Strong effortlessly transmits Jabari Asim’s profound affection for this book's charismatic and varied characters. This is a vivid, revelatory portrait of 1970s America in the disheartened aftermath of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death." —Rafael Yglesias, author of The Wisdom of Perversity
"There's an eerie timeliness to the publication of this fictional study of Saint Louis black communities of the 1970s. Only the Strong reminds me of Chester Himes’ Harlem entertainments—in its deceptively light handling of desperately serious subject matter. Jabari Asim is a writer to watch, and to listen to closely, in these difficult times." —Madison Smartt Bell, author of All Souls’ Rising and Zig Zag Wanderer
"It is like stepping into a time capsule of my old neighborhood in the 1970s...to read about Gateway City, Jabari Asim’s fascinating rendition of St. Louis, as an adult brings back memories of time and place, and also admiration for his storytelling." —Susan Straight, author of Between Heaven and Here and A Million Nightingales
Praise for A Taste Of Honey
"A Taste of Honey has the power of memoir and the poetry of fiction. Suddenly, it is 1968 once more, with all of the hope and violence and seismic change that rocked the cities that summer. It's all here and it's all beautifully rendered. This books is a gem."
—Chris Bohjalian, author of Secrets of Eden
"Jabari Asim has written a brilliant coming-of-age tale filled with compelling characters navigating race relations in 1968, navigating familial and neighborhood demands, and triumphantly reaffirming what it means to be human. A lovely, lyrical collection of connected stories that will leave readers breathless and ecstatic with passion and joy."
—Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Yellow Moon
"Offering the bitter with the sweet, Jabari Asim's first collection of stories, A Taste Of Honey, serves up a multilayered dish. Asim ranges through and across a Midwestern African American community in the wake of the civil rights movement and the social changes of the last forty years, writing from the inside out and unforgettably bringing to life a world that still is too seldom seen in American fiction."
—John Keene, author of Annotations
"Jabari Asim's rich short stories read like a novel . . . full of people we love getting to know—Rose, Gabriel, Pristine, Ed, Reuben, and Guts. I particularly loved the male characters in these pages . . . men who live by their brains and their brawn, shelter their children, their community. They embrace their wives. They love hard, laugh deep, and cry inside."
—Denise Nicholas, author of Freshwater Road
"Asim successfully delves into politics, domestic violence, racial identity, young love, and more in this humorous and poignant collection..."
—Publishers Weekly
"With his debut work of fiction, the Guggenheim Fellow proves himself to be a promising storyteller." -Library Journal
"This fiction rings true." -Kirkus Reviews
More about Jabari Asim
He is the author of What Obama Means . . . For Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future,, The N Word
"Jabari Asim is such an elegant writer that you won't realize how smoothly he drew you in until you're halfway through this book. Humane and humorous, compassionate and willing to get a little rough, this describes both the writer and the novel. Only The Strong does for St. Louis what Edward P. Jones has done for Washington D.C., Raymond Chandler for Los Angeles---marked it as place on the literary map where you'll want to stay for a long while. A riveting novel." --Victor LaValle, author of The Devil in Silver
“Only the Strong is a lushly atmospheric and passionately written piece of work, bursting with colorful characters that shine on every page.” ---Bernice L. McFadden, author of Gathering of Waters
"Only the Strong effortlessly transmits Jabari Asim’s profound affection for this book's charismatic and varied characters. This is a vivid, revelatory portrait of 1970s America in the disheartened aftermath of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death." —Rafael Yglesias, author of The Wisdom of Perversity
"There's an eerie timeliness to the publication of this fictional study of Saint Louis black communities of the 1970s. Only the Strong reminds me of Chester Himes’ Harlem entertainments—in its deceptively light handling of desperately serious subject matter. Jabari Asim is a writer to watch, and to listen to closely, in these difficult times." —Madison Smartt Bell, author of All Souls’ Rising and Zig Zag Wanderer
"It is like stepping into a time capsule of my old neighborhood in the 1970s...to read about Gateway City, Jabari Asim’s fascinating rendition of St. Louis, as an adult brings back memories of time and place, and also admiration for his storytelling." —Susan Straight, author of Between Heaven and Here and A Million Nightingales
Praise for A Taste Of Honey
"A Taste of Honey has the power of memoir and the poetry of fiction. Suddenly, it is 1968 once more, with all of the hope and violence and seismic change that rocked the cities that summer. It's all here and it's all beautifully rendered. This books is a gem."
—Chris Bohjalian, author of Secrets of Eden
"Jabari Asim has written a brilliant coming-of-age tale filled with compelling characters navigating race relations in 1968, navigating familial and neighborhood demands, and triumphantly reaffirming what it means to be human. A lovely, lyrical collection of connected stories that will leave readers breathless and ecstatic with passion and joy."
—Jewell Parker Rhodes, author of Yellow Moon
"Offering the bitter with the sweet, Jabari Asim's first collection of stories, A Taste Of Honey, serves up a multilayered dish. Asim ranges through and across a Midwestern African American community in the wake of the civil rights movement and the social changes of the last forty years, writing from the inside out and unforgettably bringing to life a world that still is too seldom seen in American fiction."
—John Keene, author of Annotations
"Jabari Asim's rich short stories read like a novel . . . full of people we love getting to know—Rose, Gabriel, Pristine, Ed, Reuben, and Guts. I particularly loved the male characters in these pages . . . men who live by their brains and their brawn, shelter their children, their community. They embrace their wives. They love hard, laugh deep, and cry inside."
—Denise Nicholas, author of Freshwater Road
"Asim successfully delves into politics, domestic violence, racial identity, young love, and more in this humorous and poignant collection..."
—Publishers Weekly
"With his debut work of fiction, the Guggenheim Fellow proves himself to be a promising storyteller." -Library Journal
"This fiction rings true." -Kirkus Reviews
More about Jabari Asim
He is the author of What Obama Means . . . For Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future,, The N Word
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
July 28, 2011
I found this to be quite disappointing....very deceiving. I expected a cultural studies book and it felt more like reading a college history textbook. I don't recommend this one.
June 6, 2017
This book's title is a little deceptive — it's more of a history of racism in America, using the n-word as a lens through which to view it. There is a lot of good content, and I appreciated Asim's analysis of the use of the n-word and other racial tropes throughout American cultural history. But in the final few chapters he seems to come down heavily on the side of banning the n-word outright, without (I felt) giving much of an opportunity for opposing views. In addition, this opinion seems linked with his distaste for many modern black cultural figures who use the n-word more freely. I thought Asim could have brought a little more nuance to the contemporary discussion.
August 4, 2010
This well-researched book traces the notorious “N” word back centuries and explains how it became what it is today and why it is still so powerful. Asim includes many interesting and thought-provoking historical and cultural references that make this book a fascinating read. Students will be shocked as they read about some of the most disturbing parts of American history and forced to evaluate how and why the “N” word is still used today.
February 13, 2021
This challenging* book is almost entirely made up of a linguistic history that is both thorough in its breadth, but topical in its depth. As the history enters into more recent history, the analysis and commentary gets deeper, especially as Asim looks at popular culture. I appreciated his contrast of humorists, musicians and filmmakers, especially.
*Challenging: Not in that it challenged any previously-held convictions... more like: the N word is repeated many, many times.
*Challenging: Not in that it challenged any previously-held convictions... more like: the N word is repeated many, many times.
March 5, 2019
This was really hard to rate, considering that I am very passionate about the book topic. I studied Sociology when I was enrolled as an undergraduate,many of these race topics are not foreign to me. Race has always played a crucial role in my life, mainly because on more than one occasion, I was racially profiled whether overt or convert. While I will keep my opinions of myself regarding that, I will say that this book had the potential to be great. This is not really a negative thing but I would have liked for this to be more persuasive than informative. It did not really live up to what the plot described, it only talked about historical context.
Most of what was read was mainly what I already knew from studying it in college. I will recommend it people MAINLY for people who wants to know only the historical significance of the word, but not for people who wants to be more persuaded on the troublesome word.
It was a decent book but I expected more, especially with topics such as this.
Most of what was read was mainly what I already knew from studying it in college. I will recommend it people MAINLY for people who wants to know only the historical significance of the word, but not for people who wants to be more persuaded on the troublesome word.
It was a decent book but I expected more, especially with topics such as this.
May 21, 2020
I expected something completely different. This felt a lot like the author was merely listing instances in history where the word was used by and/or against notable people.
October 22, 2014
Asim relies a little too heavily on Sterling Brown's analyses in the first third of the book, and I wish he would have made his view more clear--how exactly he feels about the N word isn't really clear. But, I appreciate his thoroughness in examining television, film, literature, and history and learned quite a bit from this.
I did have some small quibbles with his discussion of Gone with the Wind, though. First, the book has a lowercase W in with. Asim tries to somehow apologize for the insufferable character of Prissy, and his analysis of the novel is too brief to be impactful, particularly since he focuses on Scarlett's "slapping of Prissy, her seemingly simple-minded servant. When Prissy, who always seems to know more than she lets on, confesses to knowing 'nuthin' 'bout bringin' babies,' Scarlett slaps the girl's 'black cheek with all the force in her tired arm" (131-32). Now, I'm certainly not condoning Scarlett's violence toward Prissy (or the many other characters Scarlett shoots, slaps, throws things at, etc), but Asim is really being subjective and not looking at WHY Scarlett was so angry at Prissy--Prissy had promised Scarlett that they wouldn't need a doctor when Melanie delivered her baby because she knew what needed to be done. When Melanie begins a very lengthy, very difficult and risky labor during the middle of Sherman's march through Georgia, Scarlett is desperate for help and turns to Prissy (a slave, remember) for help and guidance. When Prissy confesses to the above, Scarlett reacts (IMO) accordingly. Asim offers no textual evidence to support his claim that Prissy "always seems to know more than she lets on" (which I don't think is true at all). As a result, this reader is somewhat curious about other taken-out-of-context claims he may have made.
I did have some small quibbles with his discussion of Gone with the Wind, though. First, the book has a lowercase W in with. Asim tries to somehow apologize for the insufferable character of Prissy, and his analysis of the novel is too brief to be impactful, particularly since he focuses on Scarlett's "slapping of Prissy, her seemingly simple-minded servant. When Prissy, who always seems to know more than she lets on, confesses to knowing 'nuthin' 'bout bringin' babies,' Scarlett slaps the girl's 'black cheek with all the force in her tired arm" (131-32). Now, I'm certainly not condoning Scarlett's violence toward Prissy (or the many other characters Scarlett shoots, slaps, throws things at, etc), but Asim is really being subjective and not looking at WHY Scarlett was so angry at Prissy--Prissy had promised Scarlett that they wouldn't need a doctor when Melanie delivered her baby because she knew what needed to be done. When Melanie begins a very lengthy, very difficult and risky labor during the middle of Sherman's march through Georgia, Scarlett is desperate for help and turns to Prissy (a slave, remember) for help and guidance. When Prissy confesses to the above, Scarlett reacts (IMO) accordingly. Asim offers no textual evidence to support his claim that Prissy "always seems to know more than she lets on" (which I don't think is true at all). As a result, this reader is somewhat curious about other taken-out-of-context claims he may have made.
June 26, 2012
The book is comprehensive, well-written, and truly showcases the genius of Jabari Asim. This book is not some mere clarification for anyone who may be confused as to who can and who cannot use the word, but a literary work of art that brings to light the mephitic concept of Black inferiority. A must read for all races.
April 3, 2008
Interesting..it sparked up alot of debates in my black studies class on the actual meaning of it.
January 30, 2022
Don't trust the science. An interesting, if disjointed, overview of 200+ years of some of the more ridiculous racial pseudoscience/cultural/literary commentary.
Asim's 2007 "The N Word" is something of a bait and switch. It isn't really a linguistic history of the N-word and is more of a loose collection of examples of clearly racist/supremacist writings across a variety of fields over 200+ years. We get dilletante Thomas Jefferson's musings on the "natural inferiority" of the negro along with multiple other examples of shoddy racialist quackery (racial categories, skull features, and the hilariously macabre "Drapetomania" -- the mental illness that causes enslaved blacks to flee bondage). While the citations are interesting in an intellectual train-wreck sort of way, Asim never quite brings the thesis together (his attempts to saddle Jefferson with being the originator of the American vision/sterotype of the "n*****" is unconvincing at best as Asim criticizes Jefferson, who had the most extensive personal library in the nation at the time, for *not* having certain books by/about Blacks -- it's a decidedly odd and petty criticism in light of the era in which Asim is talking about -- 18th century rural Virginia).
His brief sections on the Framers and Constitutional Convention are similarly unconvincing as Asim argues that the Framers were so bound to their (generally Southern) code of "honor" which explains why they went out of their way to *avoid* using the term slavery in the debates. This is substituting John C. Calhoun for John Adams, and it doesn't match the record. Rather, the Framers avoided references slavery in large part because they knew it to be morally wrong but (for some) politically/economically necessary. Only once the abolitionist movement started becoming more overt in its denunciations did the "slavery as a positive good" school begin to take hold. Asim's transference of 1850 arguments about race/slavery to the Founders/Framers is just bad research.
The most interesting section is when Asim highlights the literary criticism of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" from all corners (then and now). Asim acknowledges that while it was a hugely influential book in bringing to white Northerners the physical brutality of slavery but it did so in a very paternalistic manner, almost undermining the humanity of those it seeks to sympathize with. Now, while Stowe's novel is, objectively, not very good and the selections Asim chooses to highlight the various problems with it are very unique, Asim goes too far in saying that the problems with Stowe's novel in its portrayal of blacks outweighed the good it did (helping popularize and galvanize the abolitionist movement).
We also get sections on the post-war Reconstruction era as well as commentary on the popularization of minstrel shows (and minstrel-like caricatures of blacks until way too far into the 20th century). The book ends with some fine, if underwhelming commentary on more modern examples of racially charged language -- taken almost exclusively from various forms of entertainment (TV, movies, music, comedy, etc). Here the power of the work diminishes because it's mostly just cherry-picked examples of entertainers (mostly black) using the N-word and Asim explaining why in X context it's appropriate and in Y context it's not. To the extent Asim defends his title of explaining who "can" say the N-word, it's mostly a question of intent. Asim avoids a categorical rule and says intent and context matters and that most current context counsels against the word's use. Cool.
The overall feel is that as Asim went through various historical eras and found the "juiciest" quotes about how Blacks were inferior, lazy, shiftless, or whichever baseless stereotype was at play, and struggled to find a way weave it into that particular chapter. The result is that it's a lot of objectionable/risible opinions from people that are long dead but that otherwise doesn't really enlighten except to say that people used to write a lot of racist stuff under the guise of "learned science."
Asim's 2007 "The N Word" is something of a bait and switch. It isn't really a linguistic history of the N-word and is more of a loose collection of examples of clearly racist/supremacist writings across a variety of fields over 200+ years. We get dilletante Thomas Jefferson's musings on the "natural inferiority" of the negro along with multiple other examples of shoddy racialist quackery (racial categories, skull features, and the hilariously macabre "Drapetomania" -- the mental illness that causes enslaved blacks to flee bondage). While the citations are interesting in an intellectual train-wreck sort of way, Asim never quite brings the thesis together (his attempts to saddle Jefferson with being the originator of the American vision/sterotype of the "n*****" is unconvincing at best as Asim criticizes Jefferson, who had the most extensive personal library in the nation at the time, for *not* having certain books by/about Blacks -- it's a decidedly odd and petty criticism in light of the era in which Asim is talking about -- 18th century rural Virginia).
His brief sections on the Framers and Constitutional Convention are similarly unconvincing as Asim argues that the Framers were so bound to their (generally Southern) code of "honor" which explains why they went out of their way to *avoid* using the term slavery in the debates. This is substituting John C. Calhoun for John Adams, and it doesn't match the record. Rather, the Framers avoided references slavery in large part because they knew it to be morally wrong but (for some) politically/economically necessary. Only once the abolitionist movement started becoming more overt in its denunciations did the "slavery as a positive good" school begin to take hold. Asim's transference of 1850 arguments about race/slavery to the Founders/Framers is just bad research.
The most interesting section is when Asim highlights the literary criticism of Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin" from all corners (then and now). Asim acknowledges that while it was a hugely influential book in bringing to white Northerners the physical brutality of slavery but it did so in a very paternalistic manner, almost undermining the humanity of those it seeks to sympathize with. Now, while Stowe's novel is, objectively, not very good and the selections Asim chooses to highlight the various problems with it are very unique, Asim goes too far in saying that the problems with Stowe's novel in its portrayal of blacks outweighed the good it did (helping popularize and galvanize the abolitionist movement).
We also get sections on the post-war Reconstruction era as well as commentary on the popularization of minstrel shows (and minstrel-like caricatures of blacks until way too far into the 20th century). The book ends with some fine, if underwhelming commentary on more modern examples of racially charged language -- taken almost exclusively from various forms of entertainment (TV, movies, music, comedy, etc). Here the power of the work diminishes because it's mostly just cherry-picked examples of entertainers (mostly black) using the N-word and Asim explaining why in X context it's appropriate and in Y context it's not. To the extent Asim defends his title of explaining who "can" say the N-word, it's mostly a question of intent. Asim avoids a categorical rule and says intent and context matters and that most current context counsels against the word's use. Cool.
The overall feel is that as Asim went through various historical eras and found the "juiciest" quotes about how Blacks were inferior, lazy, shiftless, or whichever baseless stereotype was at play, and struggled to find a way weave it into that particular chapter. The result is that it's a lot of objectionable/risible opinions from people that are long dead but that otherwise doesn't really enlighten except to say that people used to write a lot of racist stuff under the guise of "learned science."
August 14, 2022
While evocative, the title of this honestly undersells it. This is not just an exploration of one word, but moreso a discursive history of American thinking about blackness, from the writing of the constitution to James Fenimore Cooper, Uncle Tom to minstrel shows, Huck Finn to Uncle Remus, Birth of a Nation to Gone with the Wind, Sanford and Son to the Jeffersons and Good Times, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy to Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino.
November 23, 2020
Jabari Asim's The N Word is a fascinating study of the history behind our language's heaviest word. The book traces the history of the N word from 1619 through today, and along the way we hear the voices of authors, senators, everyday people, musical artists, and even presidents who have used the epithet. A must-read for anyone interested in culture, history, or racial relations.
August 10, 2010
This was REALLY insightful. I had no idea about the history at all, especially because I thought it was going to be just about modern usage and that sort of thing. Some later parts of the topic I found to be sort of more "opinionated" than factual as I'd liked. But this wasn't a constant or standard in the book, just something I noticed here and there.
What I really liked about the book is that it gave LOTS of information but it didn't feel like it was forcing it or that I was learning. Not like reading a textbook or something for school. It kept me all the more interested because of it. This was a GREAT achievement on the writing style.
I'd totally recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about a topic that is much more complex and historical than they'd originally thought, but who want to learn it in a way that keeps them interested.
What I really liked about the book is that it gave LOTS of information but it didn't feel like it was forcing it or that I was learning. Not like reading a textbook or something for school. It kept me all the more interested because of it. This was a GREAT achievement on the writing style.
I'd totally recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about a topic that is much more complex and historical than they'd originally thought, but who want to learn it in a way that keeps them interested.
May 28, 2020
An impressive and innovative book to look at the history of black-white race relations in the U.S. through the use of the N word, which is surely lead contender for one of the most problematic words in human history.
The book is well-researched yet also written in an engaging, conversational tone. It's very thoughtful and skilfully structured to move between themes and political and cultural figures and movements, as well as brackets of time bounded by major events.
From slavery to minstrelsy to "gangsta" culture, the epic struggle of black people and use of the N word is laid out for the reader to reflect on. The N word remains a riddle and a contradiction, and this book will keep you aware of its complicated and unresolved legacies.
The book is well-researched yet also written in an engaging, conversational tone. It's very thoughtful and skilfully structured to move between themes and political and cultural figures and movements, as well as brackets of time bounded by major events.
From slavery to minstrelsy to "gangsta" culture, the epic struggle of black people and use of the N word is laid out for the reader to reflect on. The N word remains a riddle and a contradiction, and this book will keep you aware of its complicated and unresolved legacies.
May 29, 2023
This is such a brilliant read. Thoughtful, well researched and surprisingly historical!
I wasn't expecting a detailed history of the N-Word when I started listening to audiobook, but I'm very grateful it was!
At times, this book has made me angry and deeply sad. Listening to all the horrible, awful, inhumane things my ancestors were made to do, simply because of their skin colour - there aren't the words to truly describe it. If you know, you know.
I find it very telling that the people leaving 1 star reviews are mostly non-black. Very telling indeed.
If you're someone interested in learning the history behind this word and to learn more about racism, please read this book.
I wasn't expecting a detailed history of the N-Word when I started listening to audiobook, but I'm very grateful it was!
At times, this book has made me angry and deeply sad. Listening to all the horrible, awful, inhumane things my ancestors were made to do, simply because of their skin colour - there aren't the words to truly describe it. If you know, you know.
I find it very telling that the people leaving 1 star reviews are mostly non-black. Very telling indeed.
If you're someone interested in learning the history behind this word and to learn more about racism, please read this book.
November 3, 2008
“Who can say it, who shouldn’t, and why.” More far reaching than the book by a lawyer I reviewed previously in Mishap, Asim traces the word in the history of white supremacy in the United States and ends by examining modern usage in popular culture. The history is a stellar presentation of racism, white supremacy, and how the “n” word is a product and perpetuator of those things. The popular culture part isn’t as clear as the book’s subtitle suggests, but I recommend this book.
February 25, 2021
Well written and researched, though the stance of the usage of the word must be left to each black individual to decide considering we’re all affected by it differently. No one person can say “this is what it’s going to be” after it’s been a certain way for so long.
I personally think reparations from this country to Black Americans is the answer for many questions...
I personally think reparations from this country to Black Americans is the answer for many questions...
Read
August 25, 2023I wanted more exploration of the use of the word in modern times by black people but the author's own stance kept that exploration very limited. The historical part were covered in depth but I was going into this for the use in 'modern' times and didn't get that so it was disappointing in that way.
March 11, 2019
We all know that the word ni@#er was used by both " black and white " people during slavery and the Jim Crow era, so I could have done with less time spent on that.
December 22, 2020
Excellent
January 17, 2021
3.0/ As part of a larger analysis of racism in modern America, I approached the premise with fervor. I have many debates with my teenage daughters as to why it is disrespectful for non-Blacks to sing popular hip hop lyrics that include the "N word". Doesn't that add teeth to the racist monster we are trying to defang? The title poised the book perfectly to address this issue.
I feel terrible about the rating because Asim is a fantastic writer. His background makes him a perfect author to summarize the history of racism in America. If he divided the book into two: “A Brief History of Racism in America” and “A Historical Analysis of Black Fictional Characters in Various Genres” (boring titles, but you get the idea), I would have rated each part at least a 4/5. His review of rap lyrics, their historical relevance, and impact on various Black struggles and stereotypes is particularly interesting. I would definitely read a whole book about that topic! However, he never gets close to addressing his title. At best he notes how gangster rappers are attempting to morph the N-word into a term of endearment (with various spellings) within Black circles, and the ensuing debates among Black intellectuals. Some Blacks feel non-Blacks don’t have a right use any N-word that is phonetically similar to The N-word, while others feel it is always improper. Any comedian or writer who uses the word for its controversy or shock potential is achieving their goal. In summary, he supports people saying whatever they want in private but not openly. What a leap! I couldn’t help but wonder if the publicist added the provocative title just to sell a few more books. Even if this were the case, the writer meanders in and out of some very interesting topics with no thematic cohesion other than The N-word is featured prominently. With so many intriguing books on interesting facets of modern racism, I feel this book missed the mark by a wide margin.
I feel terrible about the rating because Asim is a fantastic writer. His background makes him a perfect author to summarize the history of racism in America. If he divided the book into two: “A Brief History of Racism in America” and “A Historical Analysis of Black Fictional Characters in Various Genres” (boring titles, but you get the idea), I would have rated each part at least a 4/5. His review of rap lyrics, their historical relevance, and impact on various Black struggles and stereotypes is particularly interesting. I would definitely read a whole book about that topic! However, he never gets close to addressing his title. At best he notes how gangster rappers are attempting to morph the N-word into a term of endearment (with various spellings) within Black circles, and the ensuing debates among Black intellectuals. Some Blacks feel non-Blacks don’t have a right use any N-word that is phonetically similar to The N-word, while others feel it is always improper. Any comedian or writer who uses the word for its controversy or shock potential is achieving their goal. In summary, he supports people saying whatever they want in private but not openly. What a leap! I couldn’t help but wonder if the publicist added the provocative title just to sell a few more books. Even if this were the case, the writer meanders in and out of some very interesting topics with no thematic cohesion other than The N-word is featured prominently. With so many intriguing books on interesting facets of modern racism, I feel this book missed the mark by a wide margin.
October 14, 2025
3.75/5
"As long as we embrace the derogatory language that has long accompanied and abetted our systemic dehumanization, we shackle ourselves to those corrupt white delusions- and their attendant false story of our struggle in the United States. Throwing off those shackles would at least free us to stake a claim to an independent imagination." (Ch. 15; Pg. 233; Hardcover)
The N Word is a fascinating look at Black stereotypes throughout American history. It isn't just about the n word, it also talks about the harmful stereotypes of Black Americans that have poisoned the American imagination since it's founding. From the origin of minstrel shows to the popular rise of plantation literature, Mr. Asim leaves no stone unturned. The first few chapters discuss the origin of scientific racism. We then move into the antebellum South and the controversy surrounding Uncle Tom's Cabin. From there, we move into the failure of Reconstruction and the rise of minstrel shows. We finally look at how Black Americans have used the n word and stereotypes to find some empowerment. For the most part, this book is well researched with a lot of examples. However, some chapters diverge into tedious reviews of books and pamphlets. It isn't exactly well balanced, but the information in this book is necessary. After reading Randall Kennedy's book on the n word, I wanted to continue my research into this provocative word. I honestly prefer Kennedy's legal analysis to Asim's more textual analysis. But there is much to find interesting in Asim's overall analysis.
"As long as we embrace the derogatory language that has long accompanied and abetted our systemic dehumanization, we shackle ourselves to those corrupt white delusions- and their attendant false story of our struggle in the United States. Throwing off those shackles would at least free us to stake a claim to an independent imagination." (Ch. 15; Pg. 233; Hardcover)
The N Word is a fascinating look at Black stereotypes throughout American history. It isn't just about the n word, it also talks about the harmful stereotypes of Black Americans that have poisoned the American imagination since it's founding. From the origin of minstrel shows to the popular rise of plantation literature, Mr. Asim leaves no stone unturned. The first few chapters discuss the origin of scientific racism. We then move into the antebellum South and the controversy surrounding Uncle Tom's Cabin. From there, we move into the failure of Reconstruction and the rise of minstrel shows. We finally look at how Black Americans have used the n word and stereotypes to find some empowerment. For the most part, this book is well researched with a lot of examples. However, some chapters diverge into tedious reviews of books and pamphlets. It isn't exactly well balanced, but the information in this book is necessary. After reading Randall Kennedy's book on the n word, I wanted to continue my research into this provocative word. I honestly prefer Kennedy's legal analysis to Asim's more textual analysis. But there is much to find interesting in Asim's overall analysis.
February 16, 2023
Because my curiosity gets the better of me, I occasionally read Goodreads reviews after finishing a book but before writing about it. Many top reviews for Jabari Asim's The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why characterize the book as misleading. The book's title is a real sticking point, or so it seems. Respectfully, these critiques miss the mark. Asim offers his reader a clear, astute, and insightful literary and aesthetic history of the N-word, specifically how writers, artists, and, in the 20th and 21st centuries, filmmakers used and continue to use the word. Specifically, Asim's chapters on 19th abolitionist and abolitionist-adjacent figures like Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain are fascinating. Furthermore, Asim effectively traces the use of the N-word during the Harlem Renaissance, and like his commentary on 19th-century literary sensibilities, he persuasively articulates the contentious, contradictory, and sorted history of the usage of the word.
More than anything, I appreciate Asim's overarching connection between literature and art and how literature and art create discursive models for how people see, understand, and interact with the world. A warning, however: Asim freely uses the N-word throughout The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why, which is a choice (understandably so) that troubles some potential readers.
More than anything, I appreciate Asim's overarching connection between literature and art and how literature and art create discursive models for how people see, understand, and interact with the world. A warning, however: Asim freely uses the N-word throughout The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why, which is a choice (understandably so) that troubles some potential readers.
June 23, 2022
As a historian, and a Western Horror Author (i.e. 1800s Civil War-Cowboy era type stuff) the history of blacks in America has a huge place in my book. After all, the three pillars of Western Horror is (#1) God is Judge, (#2) Satan is Real, & (#3) People are Cruel. In my fictional books (with real history often tied in), they're meant to be as disparaging and offense as possible - but then they're Horror. *Brilliantly written books like this really give me something to chew on. As a white guy who writes really offensive garbage, I would add that a lot of my work is deeply inspired by Black Historians, & Black horror makers in general. It was from Black scholars that I learned of the mind-blowing enormity of Negroes who owned Negro Slaves. The largest slave owner of while had over 700 (i.e. during the 1830s). ...It was a black historian who wrote the brilliant book "Forced Into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White American Dream", and so forth. This book is at the tip-top of my list for my favorite books that I've listened to on Audible. Frankly, it is flawless. It's opened me up to a number of books, movies, and such that I was unaware of. Sincerely, this is an exceptional book. It's like art. This author is now subsequently someone who I hold in high regard. Bravo!
April 16, 2024
“The ‘N’ Word” by Jabari Asim is a comprehensive exploration of the origin, usage, and offensiveness of the infamous racial slur. While the book provides valuable information and historical context, delving into the norms and social values of both white and black Americans, I found it challenging to get through. The writing style is reminiscent of a textbook, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Despite its scholarly approach, the book offers a deep dive into the complexities surrounding the word, incorporating scholarly references from some of the country’s most famous patriots. Asim’s work is more than just an etymological study; it serves as a historical discourse, shedding light on the word’s impact on American society.
Overall, “The ‘N’ Word” is a thought-provoking read that prompts readers to reflect on the power and implications of language. While it may be a challenging read, the insights it offers are valuable for those interested in understanding the complexities of race relations in America.
Despite its scholarly approach, the book offers a deep dive into the complexities surrounding the word, incorporating scholarly references from some of the country’s most famous patriots. Asim’s work is more than just an etymological study; it serves as a historical discourse, shedding light on the word’s impact on American society.
Overall, “The ‘N’ Word” is a thought-provoking read that prompts readers to reflect on the power and implications of language. While it may be a challenging read, the insights it offers are valuable for those interested in understanding the complexities of race relations in America.
December 9, 2023
Brief Review
Jabari Asim does a masterful job of walking the reader through the history of the word as well as just the differences and evolution of the racism that the word became. This is a history book and a lot of the information is presented in conversation, articles, and other evidence of the ever changing and venom that the word has become.
Why I Read this book
I think everyone should be challenged in the way they think. With all that is going on and the rise of a new Call of Duty, this word is constantly used and I didn't know where it started.
For more, go to https://boydsbar.xyz/the-n-word/
Jabari Asim does a masterful job of walking the reader through the history of the word as well as just the differences and evolution of the racism that the word became. This is a history book and a lot of the information is presented in conversation, articles, and other evidence of the ever changing and venom that the word has become.
Why I Read this book
I think everyone should be challenged in the way they think. With all that is going on and the rise of a new Call of Duty, this word is constantly used and I didn't know where it started.
For more, go to https://boydsbar.xyz/the-n-word/
July 2, 2022
Jabari Asim gives a strong history of the usage, development, and complexity of the N-Word. He weaved a lot of the history and pain, as well as the complicated narrative around the Black community’s reclamation or wholesale rejection of the word. While Asim concedes that there are compelling uses of the word in art forms, he advocates for the end of its use in public discourse. As a white man, this is a conversation I’m willing to listen to and learn from, but I don’t get a vote. Thanks to Brian Murphy for the book recommendation.
April 24, 2023
This was a nonfiction book and basically a history of the blacks in the USA through from slavery and the founding of the USA through to the present day. The author looks at the use of the N ... word throughout and how it changed its connotation through time. How it was used in film and literature and so on.
It wasn't a comfortable book to listen to as the word is repeated many times.
It was interesting to learn how much impact one six letter word can have on society and especially on those with black skin.
It wasn't a comfortable book to listen to as the word is repeated many times.
It was interesting to learn how much impact one six letter word can have on society and especially on those with black skin.
April 26, 2018
A well-researched history of America's dark underbelly. I was glad to have read this book because I wanted to know this history and understand the place of the N word in contemporary America. However, the book was a challenging reading experience because it is written as an academic history with dense sentences and multiple sources per paragraph. I've read other non-fiction books that are similarly rich in information but more narrative and readable, and I wished this book was able to do both.
September 26, 2020
This book is really more a history and explanation of various opinions rather than a definitive proclamation of the subtitle Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn’t, and Why. It was very helpful for me to get that historical perspective and to understand those opinions. Even though at times I struggled with where the book was going in relation to the title or some of the examples went over my head, it was a beneficial read at a time that I am listening and learning.
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