I, too, grew up on my aunt’s farm, and her neighbors were a very pleasant extended black family. My Uncle Tom, yes that’s his real name, used to say, “They are some of the finest negroes I’ve ever met,” and he would often tell James, the eldest black man in the family, “You, sir, are a fine negro, and I am proud to know you.” It was never seen or taken as an affront or offense.
On the other hand, the inbred hillbillies up the road from the farm couldn’t differentiate a cow from a sow and often referred to the very successful black family farm disparagingly, and we understood to never use the “n word” for any reason. Negro, however, was acceptable, and it was only until I was older and actually learned Latin and studied anthropology that I understood where it came from as a racial classification.
I don't know much else.
The black tenant worker family on a white's farm was also classified as a "nigra" or "n word" depending on the perception of their behaviour.
A hard working tenant farmer was a good "nigra" - a layabout black tenant farmer was useless to the farm and were called "n words" for their lack of a strong work ethic; the strong work ethic black was a "nigra" and was considered as family and friends, from my experience on the farm.
My white grandfather farmer loved chitlins (Chitterlings!). My grandmother never cooked them because of the smell.
One Christmas, one of the "nigras" made chitlins for my grandfather because she knew he loved them. She braided them and put red and green peppers through out to celebrate Christmas!
My grandfather counted that as one of the best Christmas gifts ever!
I miss the farm living - how about you, rarestia? Good times for me!