# Is the word "negro" a slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 20, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838 "2020-07-20T14:56:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![BeagleJesus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5daacb/32.png) [@BeagleJesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeagleJesus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838/61 "2020-07-24T11:51:53Z")
Oh my fucking god people this shit is not that damn hard! If you belong to a race or ethnic group that has a long history of fucking with other races or ethnicities (slavery, colonialism, holocausts, genocide (accidental or otherwise), Jim Crow…on down to things much more mundane) STOP EXPECTING PEOPLE OF OTHER RACES AND ETHNICITIES TO GIVE YOU THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT WHEN IT COMES TO QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR! The word negro coming out of the mouth of a black person is not going to be considered offensive 99+% of the time. The word negro coming out of the mouth of a white person _is_ going to be considered offensive a majority of the time. - No, your grandma doesn’t get a pass because she’s old. She’s had plenty of time to learn, but for some reason, has chosen not to. - Yes, you might get a pass if you’re quoting something written from a different time period but don’t be surprised if you don’t. - Yes, the term was once considered polite in black and white society. So was the word nigger. Why? History. Don’t like it? Neither do we but what choice do we really have? I swear, race relations in this country will never improve until white people stop constantly expecting and demanding the benefit of the doubt. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838/62 "2020-07-24T12:15:42Z")
Another solid post from you. Keep it up. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838/63 "2020-07-24T13:54:21Z")
@BeagleJesus: Damn straight! One of my friends on Facebook posted something that I hope I’m quoting correctly below. > White Privilege does not mean that your life is not hard. It means that the color of your skin is not what is making your life hard. I think that also should be something quite easy to understand. Apparently, **BeagleJesus** , you and I are wrong. The evidence is that it really is that hard for too many people to grasp. Personally, I think they’re purposely not grasping it. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838/64 "2020-07-24T14:45:31Z")
Thread like this are why I don’t think the Dope is nearly as liberal as some people claim. ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838/65 "2020-07-24T18:54:36Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Wait, I think I solved the problem. Why do we need boxes to put people in? How about a blank space… A free-form line would be more flexible, but it would be useless for categorization. Powers &8^] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-word-negro-a-slur/915838.md?page=3)