17637. THE ‘N-WORD’. This paper explores the history of the use and meaning of the “n-word” (referring to “nigger” and its variants) from its long association with white racism through more contemporary uses of the term by young Black and African Americans. Argues that the term has an ingrained negativity and that Black and African Americans should avoid using this word to define themselves, and, furthermore, they should only use it when quoting historical texts or when referring to racism in its historical context. KEYWORDS: racism racist terms racist language n-word nigger nigga. Written 2005. MLA Style. 9 pages, 14 footnotes, 6 bibliographic sources. 2,151 words.