Is the word "nappy" racist?

[Anonymous]

I have a screen name for a forum I frequent. The name includes the word "nappy" (e.g. NappyMD) My DD said that I should change it because the word "nappy" is racist. I used the word because it is a reference to a nickname we had for our dog. DD and I are both white. When I think of the the word nappy, I think of the British name for diapers.

Is the word racist?

[Anonymous]

So far has American drifted from British English.
Nappy means diaper.

[Anonymous]

Do you want every person who sees you post to wonder if you meant the name in the British or American way? Personally I would just change to one of the millions of possibilities that won't have people wondering how racist you are before they even meet you.

[Anonymous]

I would think you were an African American doctor making some kind of statement about natural hair.

[Anonymous]

Not really, but people will assume you’re a black person with natural hair. I’m white and wouldn’t use the word.

[Anonymous]

Based on your user name I would think you are AA living in Maryland or and AA phsycian. The word is not racist but could be taken the wrong way. A username is pretty harmless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would think you were an African American doctor making some kind of statement about natural hair.

+1

[Anonymous]

you should not use N-word.

[Anonymous]

Yes and No. Like all culture-specific words, there are rules.

Nappy means kinky hair. Add it to the list of words you can’t say unless you are of Afro descent. And even if you do, Black, yellow, brown or white — another of Afro descent may still check you for it.

You don’t remember the big controversy over the old sports commentator calling the WNBA player a “nappy headed ho”? That was racist.

That said, yes most all understand that a nappy is a diaper.

Context matters.

Maybe you can share that perspective.

Keep the screename if you want, but you may want to prepare for assumptions that are sure to be tossed your way.

Signed,
One of Afro descent

[Anonymous]

As someone from DC, to me my first association is with hair, specifically black hair. It's not inherently racist, but I bet the other folks in the forum would be surprised to find out you are white.

[Anonymous]

When your woke daughter rebuked you for your racist screen name, did everyone else on the bus applaud?

[Anonymous]

We are black and my spouse is a physician who grew up in the UK, so familiar with the British usage of nappy. Still, when in Rome--he doesn't use nappy that way.

IMO, it's too close to a pejorative term for very kinky hair that has been embraced by some, but is still not typically used outside the community.

[Anonymous]

If the forum is Fairfax Underground, you’re dead wrong.

[Anonymous]

There was a huge controversy many years ago about "Nappy Hair" and a rather famous book with that in the title. The teacher who assigned it for her kids to read received death threats from some parents.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/frompost/dec98/hair3.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/12/11/opinion/fallout-from-the-nappy-hair-furor.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So far has American drifted from British English.
Nappy means diaper.

British and American English started drifting apart hundreds of years ago and have evolved independently of each other since then. The word diaper predates nappy by a long shot. In any case, nappy is much more commonly used as an adjective in reference to hair texture in the US than as a noun, meaning a diaper.