We, Wade W. Nobles, Ph.D. and Thomas Parham, Ph.D., Co-Founder and Past Presidents of The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc., with Derek Wilson, Ph.D., as a designee, certify the following:
- The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, operating under the laws of the state of Maryland, is qualified to do business and is in good standing.
- Neither the articles of incorporation nor bylaws of the organization limit the power of the Board of Directors to pass the resolution below.
- The Secretary is authorized to sign this resolution.
The ABPsi N Word Resolution
“Condemnation and Use of the word, Nigger aka the N-word”
Resolution No. N-100 Date: August, 2024
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists (the ABPsi), recognizes, as did The Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that “There comes a time when silence is betrayal. That our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter,” and that the ABPsi can no longer be silent about the N-word.
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists (the ABPsi) was founded in San Francisco in 1968 by a number of Black Psychologists from across the country who, in exercising their authority and self-determined agency over their professional domains, collaborated to actively address traditional psychology’s pernicious assault on the humanity of African American people, as well as, the serious problems facing Black Psychologists and the larger Black community, and
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists recognizes and deplores Maafan experiences that contribute to the systematic denial of the humanity of African descent people, and
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists (the ABPsi) denounces white supremacy, racism, anti-blackness, exploitation, discrimination in all forms and any comments or gestures which are vulgar or obscene or which denigrate others on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, ethnic group, marital or parental status, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or any other unlawful consideration, and
WHEREAS, the word, Nigger is the linguistic term rooted in the untreated legacy of white supremacy, racism, and anti-blackness and supports the continuation of the unaddressed pathology of white supremacy, racism, and anti-blackness, and
WHEREAS, the word, Nigger has been established to be derogatory, degrading, demeaning, dehumanizing and is one of the most offensive words in history, and
WHEREAS, classical writers like Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Ian Fleming, Bram Stoker, Agatha Christie, Joseph Conrad, Harper Lee, and Rudyard Kipling, and others have all normalized the literary use the word, Nigger; and
WHEREAS, The seminal lexicographer Noah Webster referred to Negroes as “negers” and the Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines “nigger” as “usually offensive: a black person; member of socially disadvantaged class of persons…;” and has been used as a strongly negative term of contempt for a Black person since at least the 18th century. “Nigger” remains one of the most racially offensive words in the language and is now referred to as ‘the N-word,’ and
WHEREAS the demeaning terms like coon, tom, savage, picanniny, mammy, buck, sambo, jigaboo, buckwheat were replaced with the universal use of Nigger derivatives, i.e., Niggerish (acting in a lazy and irresponsible manner); Nigger lipping (wetting the end of a cigarette while smoking it); Nigger lover (derogatory term aimed at whites lacking in the necessary loathing of blacks); Nigger luck (exceptionally underserved good luck); Nigger-flicker (a small knife or razor with one side heavily taped to preserve the user’s finger); Nigger heaven (designated places, usually the balcony, where black people were forced to sit); Nigger knocker (Axe handle or weapon made from an axe handle); Nigger rich (deeply in debt but flamboyant); Nigger shooter (a slingshot); Nigger steak (a slice of liver or a cheap piece of meat); Nigger stick (police officer’s baton); Nigger tip (leaving a small tip or no tip in a restaurant); Nigger in the woodpile (a concealed motive or unknown factor affecting a situation in an adverse way); Nigger work (demeaning, menial tasks. Nigger-brown, Nigger-black: a dark shade of color); Nigger-breaker, Nigger-dealer, Nigger driver, Nigger-killer, Nigger-stealer, Nigger-worshipper, Nigger-baby, Nigger-boy, Nigger-girl, Nigger-mouth, Nigger-feet, Nigger-preacher, Nigger-job, Nigger-love, Nigger-culture, Nigger-college, Nigger–music: anything belonging to or linked to African Americans). Nigger was used to offend other ethnic groups. Jews are called white-niggers; Arabs, sandniggers; and Japanese, yellow-niggers. The term has served as a pernicious, pervasive and contagious infection delimiting the worth and value of Black people, and
WHEREAS, the adoption of the word nigger in the flora and fauna, eg, “Niggerhead cactus,” (for echineacea);”Niggerhead termite”(Nasutitermes graveolus); “Nigger toes” (Brazil nuts); “Nigger’s knackers” (Irish Prunes). Negerinnetetten or “Negress’s tits” (Belgium chocolates), Negerzoenen, “Negro kisses” (Holland chocolates), Negerbollar, “Negro balls” (Swedish treat), Nigger does not erase the historical and international contamination to the identity of Black people, and
WHEREAS, the use and acceptance of the word, Nigger in contemporary society has failed or intentionally omitted the understanding of the historical context of the word’s purpose to see African people as the epitome of negation, nullification, and the absolute worst type of being, and
WHEREAS, the lingering and popular utilization of the word, Nigger concretizes the semantics of domination, enslavement, oppression, privilege, power, superiority and inferiority needed to maintain the denigration, demeaning, and dehumanization of African (Black) people, and
WHEREAS, the use of nicknames to reduce the humanity of war enemies, eg “Kraut” (German people), “Jap” (Japanese people); “Cong” (Vietnamese people;) “Gook” (Korean people) was never carried over into everyday post-war life, impacting the people’s identity, and
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists recognize that the word, Nigger is used in popular culture including, movies, music, and media, and that there has been an attempt to mistakenly reclaim or erroneously re-appropriate the word into a term of endearment and as an expression of community to signify friendship, and that some falsely believe that by changing the spelling and pronunciation of Nigger to Niggah and any and all variants sanitizes its toxicity and erases its poisonous history, and
WHEREAS, many African (Black) American artists, writers, musicians, and lay folk have accepted the use of the word, Nigger by Black people as almost familial language and not intended to be offensive, and
WHEREAS, the word Nigger is too often freely and casually used by some individuals in popular media, literature, and general society with usage broadened across racial, ethnic, cultural and generational backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, the contagious use and acceptance of the denigrating, demeaning and dehumanizing word Nigger is being adopted by young and old people in Africa, China, Brazil, the West Indies, Australia, Sweden, and throughout the world as evidence of being hip or cool like Americans, and
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists remains acutely aware of the shackles of conceptual incarceration that symbolize the psychic scars African American artists and ordinary citizens alike are afflicted with when they utter the vulgar word Nigger, and
WHEREAS, race-based hate, harmful and bias incidents often originate with the word Nigger where non-Black students ironically and sadly give permission to non-Black peers or friends to use the word Nigger; and
WHEREAS, changing from using Nigger to using politically correct the N-word only serves to mentally recover the denigrating and dehumanizing meaning of Nigger that reinforces the universal disregard and disrespect for the human worth and dignity of Black people, and
WHEREAS, The Association of Black Psychologists recognizes that the word Nigger aka N- word is not only toxic, but is mentally corrosive and ultimately normalizes inhumanity as appropriate, especially with our children. Its pronouncement takes away agency and denies human value and authenticity to both the speaker and the spoken to, and
WHEREAS, the word Nigger aka the N-word supports the bi-polar false sense of White superiority and Black inferiority; unknowingly and intentionally continue the unabated denigration of Black people, foster relationships of disregard and disrespect; and create denigrating and even deadly conflict between people and groups in American society, and
WHEREAS, given the psychological damage and harm done to the sender and receiver of the denigrating use of the word Nigger aka the N-word, the word Nigger aka N-word should be designated as harmful and a mentally denigrating trigger to racial animus, hatred, and socio and psycho-pathology, and
WHEREAS, the stigma of this word embodies and invokes painful memories, intergenerational trauma, psychic terrorism and inhumane ill-will; the devastating impact of discrimination and white supremacy, racism, and anti-blackness can no longer be ignored or tolerated, and
WHEREAS, the degrading, demeaning and dehumanizing import of the N-word correlates with and gives license to the use and proliferation of the word Bitch (the B-word) and Whore (the W-word) that equally embody and invoke harmful hatred, animus, psychic debilitation and gender defined disregard and disrespect for the worth and dignity women,
WHEREAS, the goal of The Association of Black Psychologists is to address the significant social problems affecting the Black community and other segments of the population whose needs; society have not fulfilled and to have a positive impact upon the mental health of the national Black community
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The Association of Black Psychologists considers the word Nigger aka the N-word derogatory, dehumanizing, denigrating, damaging, demeaning, toxic, and therefore harmful to the mental health, human dignity, social safety and well-being of
African American persons, families, and communities; and, therein proclaim that the N-word, B-word and W-word should never be supported, encouraged, and/or uttered in any and all public settings; and, where appropriate take necessary steps in preventing the use of these words and the vigorous promotion of a culture of human dignity and worth that fosters unlimited possibility and potential for African people.
Posted by Sharon L. Bethea, Ph.D.
48th President, The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc.
2023-2025