false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174871950m/449506.jpg 449506 2 A renowned cultural critic untangles the twisted history and future of racism through its most volatile word. <p>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. Asim pinpoints Thomas Jefferson as the source of our enduring image of th e 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-centur y then colluded with popular culture to amplify this slander. What began as false generalizations became institutionalized in every corner of our society: the arts and sciences, sports, the law, and on the streets. <p>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'sgrip on our national psyche. 503442 2007 The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't, and Why total:49|5:8|4:18|3:20|2:3| 49 178 112 11 5 0 false false Sat Jul 19 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Jul 16 14:49:07 -0700 2008 Sat Jul 19 12:22:50 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Dec 20 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 16 18:33:40 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 21 07:30:23 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Mon May 18 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 28 17:37:23 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 08:04:48 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 14:40:05 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 14:40:05 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat May 24 19:51:00 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 22 16:00:55 -0700 2008 Sat May 24 19:51:00 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Wed Oct 22 05:26:53 -0700 2008 Fri May 29 09:19:29 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Aug 19 08:46:25 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 19 08:47:29 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Wed Apr 04 09:45:43 -0700 2007 Wed Apr 04 09:46:16 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Wed Apr 16 19:01:46 -0700 2008 Sun Jan 27 10:17:23 -0800 2008 Sun Jan 27 10:17:23 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat May 24 18:29:08 -0700 2008 Sat May 24 18:30:07 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Wed Nov 12 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Apr 03 16:10:36 -0700 2008 Thu Apr 03 16:11:17 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Tue Oct 27 07:59:01 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 27 07:59:01 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Sep 30 11:45:48 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 30 11:45:48 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 07 15:58:16 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 07 15:58:16 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Aug 14 20:47:42 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 14 20:47:42 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 13 22:22:27 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 13 22:22:27 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jul 30 21:45:35 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 30 21:45:35 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Sun Jul 26 17:42:35 -0700 2009 Sun Jul 26 17:42:35 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Jul 07 16:14:01 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 16:14:01 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Tue Jul 07 14:47:58 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 07 14:48:09 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=449506