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Revision as of 18:07, 2 October 2011 edit72.181.156.123 (talk)No edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 16:33, 2 January 2025 edit undoGunnar.Kaestle (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users2,606 edits Actually it was "negro ..." but not using the N-word. 
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{{short description|Former name of items and places}}
{{ref improve|date=October 2011}}
{{other uses}}
⚫ {{Wiktionary|niggerhead|nigger head}}
{{pp-pc|small=yes}}
In several English-speaking countries, '''Niggerhead''' or '''nigger head''' is a mostly no longer current name for several things thought to resemble a black person ("]")'s head.
]
{{italic title}}
"'''Niggerhead'''" or "'''nigger head'''" is a term that has been used in English-speaking countries with things associated with the head of a ].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Koch|first1=Harold|last2=Hercus|first2=Luise|title=Aboriginal Placenames: Naming and Re-Naming the Australian Landscape |year=2009|publisher=ANU E Press|location=Canberra|isbn=978-1-921666-08-7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HyHh-OrnRGoC&dq=Niggerhead&pg=PA199|page=200}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Whitney|first1=William Dwight|last2=Smith|first2=Benjamin Eli|title=The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia|year=1911|publisher=The Century co|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dhTpAAAAMAAJ&dq=Niggerhead&pg=PA4335|page=4335}}</ref> Like the word "]", the name is now considered taboo in normal usage.


The term was once widely used for all sorts of things, including nautical ]s<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/surfskill-a.htm |title=Skill in the Surf – A Landing Boat Manual |publisher=Accessed via ] |date=February 1945 |accessdate=2013-01-05 |archive-date=2013-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130131230855/http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/surfskill-a.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/niggerhead |title=English Dictionary – Definition of "niggerhead" |publisher=Collins |accessdate=2013-10-05 |archive-date=2014-03-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140310000341/http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/niggerhead |url-status=live }}</ref> and consumer products including soap, ], ], canned ] and ], golf tees, and toy ]s, among others. It was often used for geographic features such as hills and rocks and geological objects such as ]s.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mordoh|first=Alice|title=The Old Traditional Way of Life|year=1989|publisher=Trickster Press|location=Indiana University Folklore Institute|isbn=0-915305-02-X|pages=99}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Wallace|first=Samuel|title=The American Journal of Science and Arts VolXV|year=1878|publisher=New Haven|pages=366}}</ref> The term appears in several US patents for mechanical devices prior to about 1950.<ref>{{ cite patent | country = US | number = 2157153 | status = patent | title = Niggerhead | pubdate = 1939-05-09 | gdate = | fdate = 1936-08-13 | pridate = 1936-08-13 | inventor = Herman J Toche | assign1 = American Coach And Body Company }}</ref><ref>{{ cite patent | country = US | number = 2585991 | status = patent | title = Niggerhead | pubdate = 1952-02-19 | gdate = | fdate = 1949-08-24 | pridate = 1949-08-24 | inventor = John Balmer | assign1 = John Balmer}}</ref>
⚫ The term was once widely used for all sorts of things, including products such as soap and chewing tobacco, but most often for geographic features such as hills and rocks.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} In the U.S., more than hundred "Niggerheads" and other place names now considered racially offensive were changed in 1962 by the ], but many local names remained unchanged.<ref name="Washington Post 2 October 2011">{{cite news|last=McCrummen|first=Stephanie|title=At Rick Perry’s Texas hunting spot, camp’s old racially charged name lingered|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rick-perry-familys-hunting-camp-still-known-to-many-by-old-racially-charged-name/2011/10/01/gIQAOhY5DL_story.html|accessdate=2 October 2011|newspaper=]|date=2 October 2011}}</ref>


⚫ In 1955, the Aughinbaugh Canning Company of ] renamed its "Nigger Head Brand" oysters to "] Head Brand" following pressure from the ] (NAACP).<ref>{{cite journal|author=Johnson Publishing Company|title=Jet|journal=Jet|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vrEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA28|accessdate=2013-05-01|date=18 August 1955|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|page=28|issn=0021-5996}}</ref> More than a hundred "Niggerheads", and other place names now considered racially offensive, were changed in 1962 by the ], but many local names remained unchanged.<ref name="Washington Post 2 October 2011">{{cite news|last=McCrummen|first=Stephanie|title=At Rick Perry's Texas hunting spot, camp's old racially charged name lingered|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rick-perry-familys-hunting-camp-still-known-to-many-by-old-racially-charged-name/2011/10/01/gIQAOhY5DL_story.html|accessdate=2 October 2011|newspaper=]|date=2 October 2011|archive-date=3 October 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111003184717/http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/rick-perry-familys-hunting-camp-still-known-to-many-by-old-racially-charged-name/2011/10/01/gIQAOhY5DL_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==As a technical term==
"Niggerhead" was, among others:
* a former British term for a black iron post for mooring ships, made from an old cannon partially buried muzzle upward, with a slightly oversize black cannonball covering the hole
* a former sailors' term for an isolated ] head, notorious as navigation hazards
* among some American ]s, a term for a large smoothly rounded stone
*an antiquated term for a large round rock sticking up from the surface of a logging road, used by loggers and log truck drivers in the Pacific Northwest
* an old U.S. Navy term for a small winch, a ]
* a ]'s term for blackish ] nodular rock occurring at the top of the coal seams, often visible in coal mine roofs. Because of their density, they can fall from the roofs, injuring or killing the miners below
* an archaic term for the striking weight on a ]
* a term for a steam manifold, fountain, turret or header on a boiler, particularly that of a locomotive.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}
* Niggerhead was once the official name of the hunting ranch which has been leased by the family of Texas Governer and 2012 Presidential candidate ] since the 1980s. The "Niggerhead" sign on the Perry property was a private sign at the front gate, painted in large letters on a large rock that was simply turned over (possibly painted over as well) in 1983 or 1984. News of the use of Niggerhead by the Perry family was first widely reported on by media in the context of Perry's presidential candidacy.<ref name="Washington Post 2 October 2011" />


In October 2011, while ] was ], controversial reports that his family leased a hunting camp once called "Niggerhead" caused his record on racial issues to be scrutinized.<ref name="Washington Post 2 October 2011" />
==Plants and animals==
"Niggerhead" is or was a ] for:
*'']'', a tussock grass in New Zealand
*'']'', the niggerhead cactus, native to California and Arizona
*'']'', or coneflower, colloquially called "Kansas niggerhead" or "wild niggerhead"
* '']'', the niggerhead termite, native to Australia
*'']'', a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae
*hard ] in the tundra, esp. in Alaska.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}


In August 2021, a large boulder at ] was removed after protests by students. The ] petitioned the university to remove the rock because it had once been described in a 1925 ] article as a "niggerhead."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tomei|first=Savannah|date=2021-08-06|title=UW-Madison moves 42-ton boulder after effort from students of color|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/08/06/chamberlin-rock-moved|access-date=2021-08-24|website=spectrumnews1.com|language=en|archive-date=2021-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824155329/https://spectrumnews1.com/wi/milwaukee/news/2021/08/06/chamberlin-rock-moved|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Erickson|first=Doug|date=2021-08-06|title=No longer a memorial, rock removed from campus|url=https://news.wisc.edu/no-longer-a-memorial-rock-removed-from-campus/|access-date=2021-08-24|website=news.wisc.edu|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824195305/https://news.wisc.edu/no-longer-a-memorial-rock-removed-from-campus/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Gretzinger|first=Erin|date=2021-08-08|title=Watch now: Boulder that provoked controversy removed from UW-Madison campus|url=https://madison.com/news/local/watch-now-boulder-that-provoked-controversy-removed-from-uw-madison-campus/article_76141a66-d3e6-5154-b2bc-c63aa31b42d6.html|access-date=2021-08-24|website=madison.com|language=en|archive-date=2023-01-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20230124000536/https://madison.com/news/local/watch-now-boulder-that-provoked-controversy-removed-from-uw-madison-campus/article_76141a66-d3e6-5154-b2bc-c63aa31b42d6.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=PYRE|first=RUSSELL B.|title=Read the Wisconsin State Journal's original article on Chamberlin Rock (1925)|url=https://madison.com/news/local/read-the-wisconsin-state-journals-original-article-on-chamberlin-rock-1925/article_e4cfcb52-774c-53ab-8b46-34009a0aeb64.html|access-date=2021-08-24|website=madison.com|date=9 August 2021|language=en|archive-date=2021-08-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824155329/https://madison.com/news/local/read-the-wisconsin-state-journals-original-article-on-chamberlin-rock-1925/article_e4cfcb52-774c-53ab-8b46-34009a0aeb64.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Places==

{{incomplete list|date=October 2011}}
==See also==
"Niggerhead" is part of the name of:
*]
* ], an island in North Queensland, Australia.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}}
*]
* Niggerhead hunting camp, the former name of a hunting camp of Texas governor ], renamed to "North Camp Pasture" in about 2006 though it has been in the Perry family since the early 1980's.<ref name="Washington Post 2 October 2011" />


==References== ==References==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
⚫ *{{Wiktionary-inline|niggerhead|nigger head}}

]
]
]

Latest revision as of 16:33, 2 January 2025

Former name of items and places For other uses, see Niggerhead (disambiguation).

Nigger Head Tobacco trading cards from the United States featuring racist stereotype caricatures of African Americans; late 19th century.

"Niggerhead" or "nigger head" is a term that has been used in English-speaking countries with things associated with the head of a black person. Like the word "nigger", the name is now considered taboo in normal usage.

The term was once widely used for all sorts of things, including nautical bollards and consumer products including soap, chewing tobacco, stove polish, canned oysters and shrimp, golf tees, and toy cap pistols, among others. It was often used for geographic features such as hills and rocks and geological objects such as geodes. The term appears in several US patents for mechanical devices prior to about 1950.

In 1955, the Aughinbaugh Canning Company of Mississippi renamed its "Nigger Head Brand" oysters to "Negro Head Brand" following pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). More than a hundred "Niggerheads", and other place names now considered racially offensive, were changed in 1962 by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, but many local names remained unchanged.

In October 2011, while Rick Perry was running for president of the United States, controversial reports that his family leased a hunting camp once called "Niggerhead" caused his record on racial issues to be scrutinized.

In August 2021, a large boulder at University of Wisconsin–Madison was removed after protests by students. The Black Student Union petitioned the university to remove the rock because it had once been described in a 1925 Wisconsin State Journal article as a "niggerhead."

See also

References

  1. Koch, Harold; Hercus, Luise (2009). Aboriginal Placenames: Naming and Re-Naming the Australian Landscape. Canberra: ANU E Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-1-921666-08-7.
  2. Whitney, William Dwight; Smith, Benjamin Eli (1911). The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. The Century co. p. 4335.
  3. "Skill in the Surf – A Landing Boat Manual". Accessed via Naval History & Heritage Command. February 1945. Archived from the original on 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
  4. "English Dictionary – Definition of "niggerhead"". Collins. Archived from the original on 2014-03-10. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  5. Mordoh, Alice (1989). The Old Traditional Way of Life. Indiana University Folklore Institute: Trickster Press. p. 99. ISBN 0-915305-02-X.
  6. Wallace, Samuel (1878). The American Journal of Science and Arts VolXV. New Haven. p. 366.
  7. US patent 2157153, Herman J Toche, "Niggerhead", published 1939-05-09, assigned to American Coach And Body Company 
  8. US patent 2585991, John Balmer, "Niggerhead", published 1952-02-19, assigned to John Balmer 
  9. Johnson Publishing Company (18 August 1955). "Jet". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company: 28. ISSN 0021-5996. Retrieved 2013-05-01.
  10. ^ McCrummen, Stephanie (2 October 2011). "At Rick Perry's Texas hunting spot, camp's old racially charged name lingered". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  11. Tomei, Savannah (2021-08-06). "UW-Madison moves 42-ton boulder after effort from students of color". spectrumnews1.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  12. Erickson, Doug (2021-08-06). "No longer a memorial, rock removed from campus". news.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  13. Gretzinger, Erin (2021-08-08). "Watch now: Boulder that provoked controversy removed from UW-Madison campus". madison.com. Archived from the original on 2023-01-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
  14. PYRE, RUSSELL B. (9 August 2021). "Read the Wisconsin State Journal's original article on Chamberlin Rock (1925)". madison.com. Archived from the original on 2021-08-24. Retrieved 2021-08-24.

External links

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