Slaves who first spoke Black English led very limited lives -- doing basically the same kind of work everyday; not being allowed to have a life outside the plantation; legally kept from learning to read, write, or count; and forbidden to socialize with anyone beyond slave owners, overseers, and fellow plantation slaves.
This past weekend thousands of Americans gathered in Washingtonjoined in spirit, no doubt, by millions of their compatriots throughout the countryto celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the historic March on Washington that occurred August 28, 1963.
The moment that California Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante said he would toss his name in as a replacement candidate in the recall race, the buzz among Blacks was that he was the guy who used the N word. In a speech in February, 2001 to a group of Black trade unionists Bustamante purportedly slipped and uttered the dreaded N-word.
There was a connection between the freeing of the slaves and the ancient African concept of death and resurrection. Based on the god-man story of Osiris, this African savior-god made men and women to be born again. As a god-man, he suffered, he died, rose again, and reigned eternally in heaven.