As a lover of reading, writing and not arithmetic I found the power of words and the impact it has on every aspect of our lives fascinating. I became inspired to draft this article after hearing music artist Lizzo, saying the word bitch is not only her favorite word, but the title of her latest music project.
Her revelation resonated with me negatively because bitch is the word I heard from Mean Girls in school who berated me for the length of my hair, for the attention I would get from boys, but specifically for the way that I spoke. They would say I talked like a white girl, an insult that instilled a silent rage as I refused justify self-hatred. I refused to allow ignorance to elevate supremacy to a race that denied our ancestors the right to read, and the right to freedom, nor would I allow myself or my family to be ridiculed for speaking the English language in the manner that is meant to be spoken.
The word bitch was the word my narcissistic, often abusive boyfriend would call me during his random acts of jealous rage. He became insanely
jealous when I would unwantedly receive attention from other men. Instead of confronting the other man he would chastise me often publicly asking the question, “so you like attention?” followed by yelling, “just get in the car bitch!” With every occurrence, I had no idea that someone in the room or on the street was flirting with me, staring at me, or trying to get my attention.
It was the word used as I am passing men standing on the street who would heckle me with phrases such as “hey baby what’s your name? Can I have your number?” Do you have a couple of dollars?” I had two options at that point, I could politely say no sorry or keep walking as if I had not heard the questions, either way the next comment I heard would be, “forget you bitch!”
As communication shifts toward digital advances, losing its power to facilitate human interaction while diminishing the power to use our brain to speak and write efficiently and effectively, we can also expect definition changes of certain words or expect that some words could be omitted entirely.
The B-word has not only evolved but has taken on the same connotation as the N word. Both words have manifested and awarded the power to propagate a word that was meant to denigrate, disparage, abuse, and berate us.
The concept of taking the intended hateful meaning of a word and turn it into a term of endearment is an absolute insult to slaves who were beaten and hanged, to civil rights activist who were attacked and killed for protesting, to Emmitt Till whom while being beating heard the N word repeatedly until he could no long hear or breathe.
It is an absolute insult to women who identify with Queen Latifah’s song UNITY, whose lyrics ask the question, “who you calling a bitch?”
That derogatory word often evoked in anger would become fighting words following
or leading up to an altercation with a woman or a man.
My outrage stems from the misuse of words that evoke feelings of pain, despair, and abusive behavior at the hands of someone who intentionally uses threatening language to intimidate and perpetuate threats of
physical and emotional violence.
The usage of words can evolve over time; however, the impact of hateful or harmful words, cannot erase the trauma inflicted on the human mind and body. While the damage imposed may leave permanent scars, whether seen or unseen, they will always be there.
