And tell ‘em I said “Wattup, my niggas!” LOL.

I hate how that word has become inseparable from Hip Hop. Nigger, nigga, nigguh, and all it’s different forms – I think it’s all the same.

And while I may listen to the occasional song that contains the word, the unintelligent usage of it in the gen pop is really outta control right now. Casual usage of it by Whites is especially skull numbing.

This story about the store called “Niggers” in Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa has been floating around the internet for a minute. But since it’s only been on the internet and not on more “credible” television news sources (yeah, like Fox) some folks may think this another urban legend.

Adding to the mystery behind this supposed “Niggers” store, is the fact that the writer of the story’s website is no longer there, as of this writing. It may be temporarily down, but this is the site where the story originated. **UPDATE – 12-31-2006: The site is back up**

I visited this website some months ago after the story broke, and read more about David Sylvester, the man who wrote the story. On his website he said was on a bike trek across Africa to raise money for a friend of his who was killed in the World Trade Center on 911 when he came across the “Niggers” store, with one of the store workers (so stereotypically!) sleeping on the job.

Meanwhile, the one in the chair is mean-muggin, and looks like he’s rollin’ a L.

I believe, if memory serves me correctly and since the site is down now, that the money he wants to raise is for his friend’s family. Here’s pic of David Sylvester below.

David Sylvester was flabbergasted by what he saw, to say the least. He was even more distraught to hear the store owners say, in response to his query about the store’s title, “P-Diddy New York City! We are the niggers!”

Now that’s “Heavy Mental”!

The picture of the store above was also on his website, but fortunately that picture is still available on the few websites that covered this story.

Intrigued by this story, and wanting to find out more…if this was really true…as many people think the first picture was a Photoshop job…I searched for more photographic evidence of this store, and found some on the blog of a woman named Geeta who was in Malawi temporarily.

Geeta says she has passed by this store “many, many times. Though it is small and tucked away on the side of a busy road, it is impossible not to notice.”

The phone numbers on the oh so quaint Niggers Store planter are different than the one on the tent, but the number could have just changed, obviously from the time David took his pic to when Geeta took hers. And they could just stick some more stickers on their tent and it’s a wrap. Bam, new number.

I hope this other photo makes this story more “real” in the minds of those who were skeptical about this. And I hope this story makes people think twice before casually using such a loaded word.

As someone said so eloquently near the bottom of the comments in a Davey D forum about the store…which I can’t find the link to right now…but someone said “It is easier to teach a child the right way than to reteach adults”. Word.

I know one thing. I’d hate to see my three beautiful children some day running around calling each other “nigga”. But I won’t ever see that. Because they all know their momma won’t stand for that shit.

I will follow up on this story in a few days. I’m going to reach out to Geeta and ask her more about this store, and if she can hook me up with some skinfolk in Malawi who might be willing to talk to me about the casual use of the word in Malawi and other African countries.

In the meantime you may also want to check out this piece about the historical context behind the store, by someone whose parents are from Malawi.

**UPDATE – 01.02.2007 – The Niggers store is now closed. This post remains up as proof that the store existed. And to give people some food for thought on the global cultural influence of African-Americans.**global

Filed Under: niggers, nigga, n-word, race, david sylvester, niggers clothing store, African Americans, hip hop, hip-hop