Your text acknowledges that most people attempt to avoid overt racial slurs, but there are more subtle manifestations of racist language. Recently attention has been drawn to the use of the word “thug” to describe African American males. Analyze this word in terms of its denotation, connotation, and power, and examine its function as racist language.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Although the denotation of the word “thug” likely relates simply to a person who looks like they engage in physical violence, the connotation includes descriptions like stupid, dangerous, and unpredictable. It is often used to describe African American males who have some sort of run in with police, and often it is used to justify use of force against a person by indicating that this person’s physical appearance indicated a threat. In this way, the word is used to maintain a power dynamic that places police at the top and African Americans at the bottom. It functions to perpetuate the idea that African American males are inherently criminal by describing them as “thugs.”