Why is the n-word such a bad word and what does it mean socially?

by LordXamon

I live in a small country in Europe. The word "nigger" is not used here and in fact I only know it on the internet and it seems one of the words with the largest racist conformations in the USA (and that recently generated many controversies), to the point that it is even censored and used n-word in its place.

I'm interested in knowing what it means, understanding its history, those things.

knoperope

Check out these previous threads while you're waiting:

How did the term "n*gger" become derogatory towards black people? by /u/Defengar and /u/LordHussyPants

when was it first suggested black racial slurs were offensive? by /u/caffarelli