''The Nigger Bible'' is a book by Robert H. deCoy, originally self-published by deCoy and then reissued by

Holloway House Kensington Publishing Corp. is an American, New Yorkbased publishing house founded in 1974 by Walter Zacharius (1923–2011)Grimes, William''New York Times'' (MARCH 7, 2011). and Roberta Bender Grossman (1946–1992). Kensington is known as "Am ...

in 1967, and again in 1972 (). Described as a "key statement" in the Black Power movement, it is a social and linguistic analysis of the word "

nigger In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...

" and of the origins and contemporary circumstances of the

black people Black is a racial classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid- to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin and often additional phenotypical ...

s of America.

Analysis

The form is varied and might be described as a series of reflections. In the preface,

Dick Gregory Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, writer, activist and social critic. His books were bestsellers. Gregory became popular among the African-American communities in the southern U ...

(whose autobiography was entitled ''

Nigger In the English language, ''nigger'' is a racial slur directed at black people. Starting in the 1990s, references to ''nigger'' have been increasingly replaced by the euphemistic contraction , notably in cases where ''nigger'' is Use–menti ...

'') writes: "In abolishing and rejecting the Caucasian-Christian philosophical and literary forms while recording his 'Black Experiences,' this writer has removed himself from their double-standard, hypocritical frames of reference". It attempts to tease apart the cultural, philosophical, and scriptural origins of what the author calls an "Alabaster Man", one that experienced the conclusions and prejudices at the root of their oppression. It examines, among other texts, the Christian Bible and its terminology. The book explores the power of words, and reinterprets and critiques core western religious and philosophical constructs, including those that are central to much of the modern African-American religious experience. In one of the chapters, he discusses "the genealogy of Jody Grind"; Eugene B. Redmond remarks that deCoy is one of many African-American writers who "continues a tradition by seeking out folk epics and ballads as sources of poetry". DeCoy re-examines the word "nigger", demystifies it, and attempts to embed critical thinking skills about black personality types and categories. The author deconstructs the Christianity of "Niggers" (including, in his view,

Black Muslims Black Muslims and Black Islam denote any black people who are Muslims, Muslim. This term may be used in reference to: *African-American Muslims *Islam in Africa *Islam in the African diaspora Historically, the term was specifically used in refere ...

) as well as the values of the

New Left The New Left was a broad political movement that emerged from the counterculture of the 1960s and continued through the 1970s. It consisted of activists in the Western world who, in reaction to the era's liberal establishment, campaigned for freer ...

. The book contains an analysis of the cultural and racial significance of

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being ...

. DeCoy also published ''Cold Black Preach'' (1971, ). ''The Black Scholar'' summarized: "Noted author of the explosive best seller ''The Nigger Bible'' takes on the black preaching establishment".

References

Bibliography

* * * Nishikawa, Kinohi (2018). ''Street Players: Black Pulp Fiction and the Making of a Literary Underground''. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nigger Bible 1967 non-fiction books African-American literature Black studies publications Dick Gregory