House Negro

By Deane Barker • • tags: race, slang •

A slave in the antebellum South could be a “field negro” or a “house negro.” The former worked as a laborer in the fields, the latter worked as a servant in the house, and usually had an easier workload and better working conditions.

However, to work in the house, a slave had to be compliant and cooperative with their slaveowners. Defiant or combative slaves got sent out to the field.

So, a “house negro” is sometimes used as a pejorative to mean someone who has buckled or assimilated to their oppressors to ensure their own advantage.

Why I Looked It Up

I was walking in New York City behind a Black man dressed professionally. We both passed by another Black man who was panhandling.

This exchange occurred:

Panhandling Man: [said something, I assume asking for money]

Professional Man: [responded in some way, I assume rejecting the request]

Panhandling Man: “Fuck you! You house negros are part of the problem too!”

(Note: he did not use the word “negro”…)

Links from this – Antebellum May 3, 2023
This literally means “before war” in Latin. It’s most often used to discuss the period of Southern life prior to the American Civil War. Less known is the antonym “postbellum,” which means the period after a war.