Summary

In Chapter 7, which is titled “Three Niggas,” the author revisits his considerations of the use and meaning of the word “nigga”. He begins with consideration of the specific sorts of blackness-defined haircuts and camaraderie that emerge from visiting black barbershops, and commentary on how there are some “white boys” (128) that he calls “down-ass” (128). Those boys, he says, have a familiarity and comfort with black people, but occasionally engage in what the author calls “performative blackness” (128) that, in turn, conceals lingering racism. He then offers an example of “the downest-ass white boy [he’s] ever known” (128), a man named Nickolas Booker.

He has known Nickolas, the author says, ever since they were of high school age, and on competing basketball teams. He describes how, even then, Nick was popular with, comfortable with, and accepted by the young black men that he hung around with...