1 9 6 7 , ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁( ). ▁Descri bed ▁as ▁a ▁" key ▁statement " ▁in ▁the ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁social ▁and ▁lingu istic ▁analysis ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁" n igger " ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁orig ins ▁and ▁contemporary ▁circumstances ▁of ▁the ▁black ▁pe op les ▁of ▁America . ▁ ▁Content ▁The ▁form ▁is ▁varied ▁and ▁might ▁be ▁described ▁as ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁ref lections . ▁In ▁the ▁pre face , ▁Dick ▁Gregory ▁( wh ose ▁aut obi ography ▁was ▁entitled ▁N igger ) ▁writes : ▁" In ▁abol ishing ▁and ▁reject ing ▁the ▁C au cas ian - Christ ian ▁philosoph ical ▁and ▁literary ▁forms ▁while ▁recording ▁his ▁' Black ▁Exper ien ces ,' ▁this ▁writer ▁has ▁removed ▁himself ▁from ▁their ▁double - standard , ▁hyp oc rit ical ▁frames ▁of ▁reference ". ▁ ▁It ▁attempts ▁to ▁te ase ▁apart ▁the ▁cultural , ▁philosoph ical , ▁and ▁script ural ▁orig ins ▁of ▁what ▁the ▁author ▁calls ▁an ▁" Al ab aster ▁Man ", ▁one ▁that ▁experienced ▁the ▁conclus ions ▁and ▁pre jud ices ▁at ▁the ▁root ▁of ▁their ▁opp ression . ▁ ▁It ▁exam ines , ▁among ▁other ▁texts , ▁the ▁Christian ▁b ible ▁and ▁its ▁termin ology . ▁the ▁book ▁expl ores ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁words , ▁and ▁re - inter pre ts ▁and ▁crit iques ▁core ▁western ▁religious ▁and ▁philosoph ical ▁construct s , ▁including ▁those ▁that ▁are ▁central ▁to ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁African - American ▁religious