The Nigger in You : Challenging Dysfunctional Language, Engaging Leadership Moments

Inspiration for the award-winning film How Does It Feel to be a Problem? (2021)

A deeply poignant tapestry of personal stories, scholarship, and poetry, this book asks us to embrace our identity as leaders by engaging those who perpetrate dysfunctional language or behavior, thereby contributing to a world in which differences are respected and validated.

Dr. Wiley borrows the agency of nigger, arguably the quintessential, most universally known term of disparagement of those negatively considered the Other, to re-frame the word as no longer just a racial term but one that symbolizes many of the ways we disrespect or bully one another, are inconsiderate of one another, prejudge one another, and internalize our demonization. He defines the word in a way that demonstrates its equivalence to other dysfunctional language (retard, bitch, fag, trailer trash, etc.) that suggests that those so targeted are unworthy of consideration in our society. By creating a conversation around such language, Dr. Wiley challenges us to recognize that, when we give in to our prejudices and stereotypes, the “nigger in you” is what we are apt to see when we encounter those different from ourselves.

A timeless, invaluable text for scholars, students, and higher education professionals, this book stretches beyond the world of academia to earn a well-deserved place on every leader’s bookshelf. Accompanying online material includes photographs of Dr. Wiley keynoting the October 2014 Vermont National Guard’s “Leadership Day” and keynoting ILAM May 2018 Conference in Memphis, Tennessee, as well as a YouTube video capturing Dr. Wiley revealing the rationale behind the title of his book The NIGGER in You: Challenging Dysfunctional Leadership, Engaging Leadership Moments.