Thanks for the replies.
Wow. Never? I’m kind of surprised by this. I would have assumed that just about every black American over a certain age has had someone call them this at least once.
That would definitely be incredibly akward. Perhaps **monstro ** will come by and share how she handled it.
Sorry for the double post.
Yes, this is a different situation entirely. Like KayElCee, I would ask him to stop, no matter what color he was. I have seen white people who feel comfortable calling their black friends “nigga,” and their friends also use the same term for them (I haven’t seen people over about 25 doing this). I haven’t gotten on the nigga=dude bandwagon though.
I’d be all “What? You think you’re American? Say Kaffir like a good South African shit-for-brains racist”
Then I’d leave their company in case the stupid was contagious.
Yeah, it is kind of surprising to me, too. But then, I was very sheltered as a child and teen, and I’ve run in rather PC circles as an adult. I don’t doubt that I’ve been called everything in the book behind my back, but I’ve rarely been subject to an insult (of any kind, not just the “n” word) to my face.
The day that a strange man called me an “ugly bitch” on the PATH trains (commuter subway between NJ and NYC) I practically had to lie down with a cold cloth on my forehead.
We don’t know that for sure.
Because come on - if you’re Mr. T., you can wear any damn thing you please and dare anyone to call you outta your name about it. 
I am not black and I’ve had the phrase hurled at me (by idiot racist French-Canadians a long time ago though…it’s hard being the local colour sometimes).
In California I tend to get “Spic” (mostly crazy people on the subway).
Ah, the perils of being ethnically ambiguous, people fumble for the ethnic slurs. “You…you…you…[insert]”
Well, there’s one way to find out . . . do you look like a the love child of Grace Jones and Dennis Rodman?
Because that would be me. 
By “we”, I meant white people. It was a small joke, and now the poor little thing has died a miserable, squealing death.
Hi I am a parent of two black children. I have had several issues with my eldest who is 10 and the most wonderful child in the world. Seriously his heart is so huge. At school in his class he has a boy who has twice called him a fucking niggar. The school has suspended the child for a day then two days but have never had that child apologize to my son. It infuriates me. They say it is pointless because it would not be sincere. I feel it is necessary. I don’t know what to do. He has been called the N word several times at this school. I am not sure what I am looking for here. Everyone is telling me to let it go but I can’t I believe this is completely wrong. Any comments would be appreciated.
Welcome to the SDMB. This particular thread is six years old, so it might be a good idea to open a new one.
Both my kids are Asian, and tend to snicker condescendingly when someone tries to call them names, so I am not sure I can advise you on your situation, other than to say that two suspensions seems like a reasonable punishment for a ten year old (assuming the other boy is the same age as your son), so maybe letting it go is an option.
Regards,
Shodan
KMJR, your children are going to encounter lots of stupid people in life – people who will judge them based on their race, or their height, or their sex, or their income, or the car they drive, or a host of other things. I’m thinking that the best thing for you to focus on is teaching them how to deal with those situations. There’s not much you can do to control the ignorance of others, and I’m not sure an insincere apology is going to do much.
Going back to the zombie OP, I can think of two times in my life that a random stranger has called me a nigger. Neither of them were looking for a confrontation, as far as I can tell, but instead made the comment in passing as they were walking the other direction. The first had the look of a skinhead, and even if I hadn’t been too stunned to react, I doubt I’d have chosen to engage the guy. The second was someone I’d been riding with on a local bus and who had already demonstrated in other ways that she was mentally ill. I can’t claim it didn’t bother me at all, but my outward reaction was to laugh. I’m pretty sure she wanted to get a reaction out of me, and she said it as she was getting off the bus. I wouldn’t have given her the satisfaction.
Well, if he doesn’t, it’s his own fault, then, isn’t it?
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.
Wish I’d said that. Wait – I just did.