The word “Nigga” evolved from the derogative term “Nigger,” a word that originated as a term used in a derogatory social context to refer to black people, as a variation of the Spanish/ Portuguese noun “Negro” (a descendant of the Latin adjective Niger, meaning the color “Black”). However, I understand that the word “Nigga” has very specific and often contradicting overtones in today’s society. For example, in considering race as a basic feature of social organization, it is helpful to review the report called “The Social Construction of Whiteness: Racism by Intent, Racism by Consequence” by Teresa J. Guess (University of Missouri-St. Louis). In her research on the social construction of whiteness there was reference made to the Berger and Luckmann’s (1966) thesis on social construction. Guess stated that, “In their treatise on the sociology of knowledge, the authors argue that, “Reality is socially defined.” But the definitions are always embodied, that is, concrete individuals and groups of individuals serve as definers of reality.”
As part of a socially constructed and symbolic universe, American “race” relations represent “historical products of human activity... brought about by the concrete actions of human beings.” Following Berger and Luckmann’s (1966) logic, the notions of “race” and whiteness may be regarded as the conceptual machineries of universe-maintenance for American “race” relations. According to Berger and Luckmann, “the success of particular conceptual machineries is related to the power possessed by those who operate them.” Such legit- imitations “. . . are learned by the new generation during the same process that socializes them into the institutional order.” Thus, the terms “blackness” and “whiteness” (or nigga/nigger) represent conceptual machineries of universe-maintenance relative to the concept, “race.””