Is Thug the New Nigger?

I was just told by a member here that using the word THUG as I have in a previous post is now under political correctness and social engineering the new reference to nigger. If this is true did not the Mayor and our dear President used the same word to described those who destroyed over 150 businesses in Baltimore City. SexyBaltimorean what is your take on the ground there. Can you give us a report.

 

*heavy sigh* :???:
The term "thug" is not constrained to ethnicity, race, gender, richesh, health or sexual orientation. Black people... always harping on small things and destroying their on neighborhoods under the guise of protest. A proper education increases the likelihood of escaping destitution and crime-ridden neighborhoods.

 

This thread is going to be a blast

 

lol.

im gonna let you malcom 10's have this one

 

I heard this too. It was on the same Dr. Drew show as the one they were analyzing the Baltimore mom. (I was bored that day!)

There's always going to be some sort of term used for different groups of people. It used to be "punks".

I don't get how it can be equated with the "N" word.

 

Yes thread closed

 

It has a lot to do with how the media likes to use that term to justify the killing of black men and boys. But, I understand if you don't get it. Everyone will have different opinions on it. I believe a Stanford educated NFL player elaborated the issue in a press conference a year ago.

 

Who comes up with dumb shit like this. Smh

 

Like so many things nowadays when it comes to black people it's because of hip hop music & culture. Rapper Tupac (2Pac) Shakur coined the term "Thuglife" in the early 90's and people have since used the term "thug" to more often than not mean specifically black males, especially those from the inner cities.

 

Ah ok - thanks for that explanation.

 

Kind of like a new dog whistle word.

 

If Dame Judi Dench didn't say the line," Any thug can kill," to Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, we'd still get the message. Thug is not as extreme as the word nigger. It is ashame that folks seem to adopt it the same way as nigger, which is defined as a person of little or of no moral character. So, based on that reasoning, every person who is of low or of no moral character is a nigger regardless of race. But it is more socially acceptible to call a person of color(black people) nigger. Thug is defined as a henchman or gun-for-hire, a person who carries out the dirty wishes at the command of bad people. However, in the rap and hip-hop songs, a thug is a symbol of independence and intimidation. It would be easy to label someone of color, doing wrong(or someone who looks that way) a thug.

 

If it's not nigger, or thug, animal, savages or whatever the flavor of the month is, it's going to be something else

That's why I tell people to take the power away from words or else they're going to be in for a long ass ride

Mmhmm

Goodlove

 

In certain context it can be used as a code word for "nigger." And, if not nigger, then a low life black person.

I remember when I had long cornrows in my hair. I did a lot of public speaking at the time on the corporate level. Well, I cut my hair. Shortly after that, at one of my speaking engagements, a woman told me how glad she was that I cut my hair and how much she liked it. I thanked her for the compliment. She went on to add that it made me look like a thug. Mind you, when I was attending these events, I was always dressed in corporate attire. Nice suits, taylord so they fit correctly. None of that old school Steve Harvey shit with the fifty eleven buttons down the front. I made sure if I was going to be in front of corporate America, I would be dressed appropriately. Of course, I still retained a "creative edge" to my look but nothing that would denote anything criminal or hood. In short I looked like an artist or musician in a suit. Or, maybe even a PR or ad man. I've met a few of them with way edgier looks than me. Of course, they were white sooo ...

Now, anyone who has ever laid eyes on me knows "thug" is not the label that comes to mind when one sees me. I was kind of offended. Would she think a white guy with long hair a thug or just the creative type? Of course, I could have straightened it. Would I have still looked like a thug or was it only because I chose a distinctly African American hairstyle?

I really don't think any black person would have ever thought that. They may have said that hairstyle didn't look professional and that would be fair. I understand that. But a thug? A criminal? Someone you'd have to fear for your safety when he came around? No, I'm sorry. She may not be ready to burn crosses on someone's lawn, but there was definitely a racist element to that "compliment."

So, I'm thinking yeah, "thug" is the new and slicker way to call us niggers. But, as in all things, and my right wing brothers and sisters will not get this, context matters. Who says it and what situation it's used in makes all the difference. Sounds complicated doesn't it? Well, don't blame us, had we been given equal standing and respect from emancipation on, this would be a non issue.

Of course we'd still be fighting over class and religion. But, whatevs ...

 

This I wouldn't doubt

Cornrows and native black styles in general have been the issue of 'unprofessionalism' or thuggery for decades

There's a movement to destroy this status quo/assault on blacks tho

 

Right!

If I had been a white guy with some long haired rocker hair style it would've been thought of as edgy and cool. But, nothing approaching criminal.

 

When your right ur right

Anything blacks do is criminal, low class or whatever until it gets appropriated

 

I have to wonder how much of this can be the area too. A few years ago I was at a corporate event when a young black professional with locs wearing a suit walked in. It was a room filled with the typical uptight white professionals and their wives. There actually were a couple of younger white guys with longer hair there too. In no time the man with locs was surrounded. The men thought he was cool and the women thought he was sexy. The white guys with the long hair, not so much.

 

Your experience may have been a positive one, but you are speaking from an outside perspective considering that he didn't explain any issues he might have had from wearing locks in his career. In addition to that, one incident that may seem positive doesn't change the institutionalized system of oppression and anyi-blackness in the workplace, media, etc. That hasn't really changed much. I think the point they are trying to make is that the derrogatory words used to describe us change, but the system of anti-blackness hasn't. Either way, the fight is about to start so I have to go. Meow