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PaperclipPerfector  15d ago (text post)   3496 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 21, 2024

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If you attended an American high school, did you read the n-word aloud in English class? I’m curious. We did in like 2012 in NYC, I’m wondering if that was the cutoff point.

High school graduate 1986, never did but this was Alabama. Then again Huck Finn and the like came considerably earlier and I vaguely remember my elementary school teacher (white, Mrs. Fletcher) doing so. But memory deceives. I honestly don't remember being exposed to other works in school with that word, at least in class.

Edit: slightly related, once this same teacher was talking about Brazil Nuts for some reason and--again this was a long time ago, how many caveats do I need, hmm--she was hesitant to say out loud the colloquial term (among whom I have no idea) for said seed, and elicited this term from the class, zeroing in apologetically on Steve, one of two black guys in my elementary school class at the time. He said he didn't know, nor did anyone else. Just as she had given up Steve blurted out happily, "Oh, nigger toes!"

I do not recall the general reaction but for me at least it was a pretty weird moment.

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