The n-word originated in the eighteenth century, and it was used as a derogatory slur against African American slaves. The slave masters called their slaves the n-word. Black people reclaimed this word as their own and use it (the n-word without the hard er ending) as a way to address their friends. By using it in this manner, they're taking away the power it has over them as a slur. Also, there is no equivalent of the n-word for White people. No word could give White people the same history of enslavement or trauma that Black people endured back then.
