Nigger, Randall Kennedy
Nigger, Randall Kennedy
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Nigger
The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word - with a New Introduction by the Author

Author: Randall Kennedy

Narrator: Langston Darby

Unabridged: 5 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/08/2022


Synopsis

Nigger: it is arguably the most consequential social insult in American history, though, at the same time, a word that reminds us of “the ironies and dilemmas, tragedies and glories of the American experience.” In this tour de force, distinguished Harvard Law School professor Randall Kennedy—author of the highly acclaimed Race, Crime, and the Law— “put[s] a tracer on nigger,” to identify how it has been used and by whom, while analyzing the controversies to which it has given rise.

With unprecedented candor and insight Kennedy explores such questions as: How should nigger be defined? Is it, as some have declared, necessarily more hurtful than other racial epithets? Do blacks have a right to use nigger even as others do not? Should the law view nigger baiting as a provocation strong enough to reduce the culpability of a person who responds violently to it? Should a person be fired from his or her job for saying nigger? How might the destructiveness of nigger be assuaged?

To be ignorant of the meanings and effects of nigger, says Kennedy, is to render oneself vulnerable to all manner of peril. This book brilliantly and sensitively addresses that concern.

About The Author

RANDALL KENNEDY is the Michael R. Klein Professor at Harvard Law School, where he teaches courses on contracts, criminal law, and the regulation of race relations.  He is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia, the American Law Institute, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of seven books and lives in Deham, Massachusetts.


Reviews

AudiobooksNow review by Elder Dianna Devine Spencer on 2022-02-09 08:12:07

Previewed on MSNBC can't wait to read Intriguing

Goodreads review by Rod on March 23, 2022

I cannot resist a book with a provocative title, and there can't be many that top this. I was slightly disappointed to see that this was actually a 20th anniversary edition of a book originally released in 2002, fearing it would be out of date, but aside from multiple references to Bill Cosby as a re......more

Goodreads review by Scott on March 05, 2015

It is, inarguably, the most loathsome word in the English language. It has cost people jobs, sparked murders, and has been used to denigrate and oppress an entire race of people. Just seeing the word in print is enough to spark outrage in some people. Indeed, I am sure that some people will see the......more

Goodreads review by Brenda on August 17, 2016

Though I don't read much non-fiction nowadays, I put this book on my TBR a few years ago after reading several positive reviews. And, I am glad I did. The author, Randall Kennedy, explores the use of the N-word in American culture through personal experience, anecdotes, court cases, and many other so......more

Goodreads review by Emily on July 26, 2017

A book you're embarrassed to read in public: What could someone infer about me should they see me on a city bus reading a book with this title? Even as I write this review I'm trying to avoid referencing the title because I don't want to write out the word and I don't want to soften the intentions of......more

Goodreads review by Christopher on December 19, 2022

This book was everything. Informative, eye-opening, tough, and lastly great. As a POC this was not what I expected. I learned so much and everyone should read this book to gain this free knowledge. This one word can be used in so many ways this book showed me that. Do yourself a favor and read it.......more


Quotes

“Provocative. . . . engaging and informative.” —The New York Times

“Should be required reading. . . . This little book deserves to be read especially if we seek better understanding of ourselves and others.” –The Dallas Morning News

“Demonstrates a key truth about the N-word. . . . it tracks our racial history and stars in a slew of court decisions that reveal large truths about bigotry and free expression.”–Philadelphia Inquirer

“A detailed, well-researched book. . . . Kennedy boils centuries of usage–in conversation, literature, legal proceedings–down to the most pertinent and instructive.” –San Francisco Chronicle