The words Negro, nigger and nigga have always been a sensitive subject, but it is one that must be discussed in light of the more common use of its vernacular. One word is used to describe a color, while the others are used to define a people. The negative connotation these words carry is very clear to many, but where do these words come from? Furthermore, is there a difference between the words negro and negro; and why do African Americans now use the word nigger to degrade each other in today's society? These words, despite their spelling, still have the same degrading power as during the era of slavery, and they are still spoken out of cruelty and ignorance, but who is to blame? Can we still blame the Spanish for considering people with darker skin – black people? Can we blame Europeans for perpetuating their hatred and ignorance of superiority over a race of people to the point that they felt it was permissible to define and dehumanize them? Or does the fault lie with the African American race, because we use this degrading labeling on our own species, thus becoming the victimizers. Either way, nigger or negro are words that should be eliminated from every human being's vocabulary. According to Anthony T. Browder in The Browder File: 22 Essays on the African-American Experience, “The Portuguese were the first to enslave the Afrikans and they were the first to call them negroes. When the Spanish became involved in the slave trade, they also used the word "negro" to describe Afrikans. The word Negro is an adjective to describe the color black in Portuguese and Spanish, but during the slave trade it became a noun used to describe a race of people” (quoted in Trinicenter, par. 1). It is ironic that the word Negro... middle of paper ... that the words Negro, nigger and nigger should have been banned from the vernacular of all humans at the end of slavery. I also believe that due to ignorance, many African Americans are trapped in a slave mentality. Younger generations of African Americans are behaving the way they have been projected. They don't seek anything more because all they see is the culture they have created for themselves, which is far from who they are and what they can achieve. Although ignorance has played a role in the identity and history of the African American race, it can no longer be an excuse with all the available resources we have today. Works Cited Bennett, Jr., Lerone. “What’s in a name?” Ebony Magazine November 1967: 46+. Internet. February 19, 2014. Nantambu, Dr. Kwame. “Origin of the terms “Negro” and Afrika. » Trinicenter 2007. Web. February 19. 2014