P3+Why+is+the+negative+term+nigger+such+a+commonly+used+word+throughout+the+city+of+Odessa?

-Ashley Doty
 * 1) The term nigger is so commonly used in Odessa because the people in the town feel like it’s no big deal. “ The word poured out in Odessa as easily as the torrents of rain that ran down the streets after an occasional storm…”(Bissinger 89). The word nigger is what people use to call black people by. It has been around for centuries, in the time when slavery was still going on and when there was desegregation. Because the down of Odessa was so desegregated by blacks and white, the term was constantly used in the citizens’ everyday lives. Some whites in Odessa thought that the word was offensive. According to Lanita Akins, “ The most amazing thing to me is the shock on people’s faces that I’m offended by the word //nigger,// they are truly shocked that not only am I shocked, but I have friends who are black”(92). Nowadays most people are offended by the word. But most teenagers use the word like how the people in the town of Odessa used to by in the day.

6. The social practices of the general population United States have evolved, slowly in comparison to civilized Europe, but left behind in the ways of the old are isolated owns much like Odessa, Texas. Desegregation is still something that is preferred in this town. When describing the term //nigger//, author of //Friday Night Lights//, H. G. Bissinger states, “the word poured out in Odessa as easily as the torrents of rain that ran down the streets after an occasional storm” (89). The term was ridiculously acceptable in their culture. The white people living in the town didn’t trust the minorities. They felt as if the black community was unproductive and whiny, except for a select few. Even though the legal boundaries between blacks and whites were federally abolished, the physical ones still exist because of monetary and social boundaries. For instance, the whites tend to live north of the railroad tracks, while the minorities live south. These old ideas of segregation were still alive and well in Odessa. - Justin Silva

6. The negative term nigger is commonly used throughout the city of Odessa because no one thought it was a big deal. The term nigger was just another term to describe someone. “Like a household cleanser, the term had a dozen different uses in Odessa. People said it in casual conversation. They also said it publicly, as just another descriptive adjective. Some people looked tall, some looked short, and some looked nigger” (Bissinger 89). The term nigger was commonly thrown around and used to describe an African American person. The term was used to describe African Americans who were loud, lazy, and stole. The word nigger was used to describe a person to someone like you would say he’s tall, he’s short, and he looked nigger. To some people in Odessa the word nigger had a certain description of a person, to describe their lifestyle and personality. “And then there were the loud ones, the lazy ones who stole or lived off welfare or spent their whole lives trying to get by without a lick of work, who every time they were challenged to do something claimed they were the helpless victim of white racism. They don’t deserve to be called black, because they weren’t” (Bissinger 90). This quote describe a definition of the term nigger and who is considered a nigger or who is considered to be called black, and who is categorized under the term. -Terra Smith

6. The negative term "nigger" is such a common term in Odessa because their place in society has been set, and while the rest of the country was slowly forgetting of segregation, Odessa was stuck in a time where whites were superior, and that blacks were good at nothing but football. If they didn't play football, they would just be seen as "a big ol' dumb nigger" (Bissinger 67). This shows that in the eyes of Odessa, blacks had no place in society, other than on the football field. However, there were those who believed otherwise. H.G. Bissinger quotes a man who believes, "People say that you can't win without the blacks, but we did" (Bissinger 94). This man believed that Permian's loss of the essence of Mojo was caused by the niggers, who were lazy, and destroyed what he believed football was all about. Regardless of why each person saw blacks as lesser than, it is evident that Odessa believed niggers had no place in society, they either belonged on the football field, or back in Africa. -Jordan McMahon

6. The term nigger was used in the book //Friday Night Lights// was a derogatory term used to describe a certain type of African American in the town of Odessa. In the book the white Americans had different ways of classifying other citizens of Odessa. According to H.G. Bissinger in the book //Friday Night Lights//, “there were hardworking ones who were easy to get along with and didn’t try to cut corners and melded in quite nicely. They deserved the title //black// ”(88). In this part of the book Bissinger is describing how the people of Odessa had thought about the African American race. The people of Odessa who were not of African American thought of two different people when the word nigger or black was used. The white people of Odessa thought that if the word black was used instead of a nigger they had given respect to the person who they were referring to. The towns people referred often to blacks as niggers because the town was little and not as well included in the world moving at a slower pace so the people stayed with the old ways. That’s why the term Nigger was used so often in the book //Friday Night Lights//. -Jacob Croft

6. The term "nigger" was that was used in Friday Night Lights was not meant to be racist. Back then, that word was just another name to call a black person. It was not meant in a bad way. The white people just were so use being the only people in the town and weren't use to much black people. The term "nigger" was not meant to be mean, it was just what they called black people. As Bissinger says in this quote "a big ol' dumb nigger" (67) shows that it was used as kind of like a nick name. The term has gone a long way ever since the old days. But even today, "nigger" is used by lots of people like it is no problem at all. -Ryan Bentley

6. The term nigger is so openly used in Odessa because its what the people in town feel comfortable with. Because the down of Odessa was so desegregated by blacks and white, the term was constantly used. It seemed to be part of the nature. It was just what the people said. Some whites in Odessa thought that the word was offensive. H. G. Bissinger said, “the word poured out in Odessa as easily as the torrents of rain that ran down the streets after an occasional storm” (89). The white people living in the town didn’t trust the minorities. The word nigger was just another way to describe some of the people there. The people of Odessa who were not black thought of two completely different people when the word nigger or black was used. The white people of Odessa thought that if the word black was used instead of a nigger they had given respect to the person who they were referring to. -Shakarra Dickert

6. The term "nigger" is commonly used in Odessa because it is a racist town and a lot of whites use that term to offend African Americans. In //Friday Night Lights// the whites have been jealous of the minorities because they started taking their jobs, so they starting calling them names to try and make them leave. Back the the town of Odessa was really racist but now it isn't as bad because there aren't as many whites. " If they didn't play football, they would just be seen as a big ol' dumb nigger" (Bissinger 67). This explains why people that were different races on the football team got along with each other because they were demanded too. It kind of started a time period of racial interest and conflicts because once the name calling started then the hate crimes and everything else occurred. When the crowd comes to watch the game there are families who don't like each other when they're not around they call them niggers but at the game they don't care. This is why the term "nigger" is commonly used in the town of Odessa. -Justin Newkirk

6. The term nigger in Odessa wasn't used in an offensive way. People said it on a regular basis just to describe ones color. It was not meant in a negative way. "The word pured out in Odessa as easily as the torrents of rain that ran down the streets after an occasional storm" (Bissinger 89). Nobody looked at it in a way that would seem to them as discrimination. Some parts of town, or some families who join games feel the word is disrepectful and wish it would not be said. This term, so commonly used, soon created conflict and then hate crimes. This is why people in Odessa so comfortably used the term "nigger". -Amber Anders

6.) (Response) I agree with all the responses because it was not really a racial slur. The citizens of Odessa just called them that because it was normal to them. Odessa was a racist place, but when they called black people niggers they were not just trying to be mean and come a crossed as jerks. The citizens of Odessa were as nice as possible to this type of group, because they were there only chance at being a successful football team. The blacks were the ones who were great when it came to the Friday Night Lights. According to the people of Odessa" If they didn't play football, they would just be seen as a big ol' dumb nigger" (Bissinger 67). People loved watching them, but they spent all their time practicing football, and not working hard in the classrooms all the teachers seemed to take it easy on them, so that they would be eligible for the upcoming game. -David Waller

6.Nigger was one of the most common words said in the city of Odessa, Texas. The people used it so much because that's what they believed black people were and who they were. They didn't mean it in an offensive way they were just so used to using it, it came natural to them. According the H.G. Bissinger  “ The word poured out in Odessa as easily as the torrents of rain that ran down the streets after an occasional storm…”(Bissinger 89). In some parts of the town the people believed that it was disrespectful and hated it when people said it. Some of the people in Odessa believed that they only way for these "niggers" could get a good education and actually do something with their lives was to play football. According the people of Odessa, "If they didn't play football, they would just be seen as a big ol' dumb nigger" (Bissinger 67). The term got out of hand when people used it to offend other people that they did not like. This is why the term is so commonly used in Odessa Texas. -Joel Wright