Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: desertsolitaire

Dr. Robert Williams, an African-American social psychologist, coined the term Ebonics in 1973. His goal was to combine the words “ebony” with “phonics” to refer to “black sounds.”Williams and several other African-American social scientists had gathered that year at a conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to discuss the psychological development of black children. Williams and his associates had been displeased with the term Black English and began to ponder the alternatives.

Williams recounted the creation of Ebonics as follows:

“We need to define what we speak. We need to give a clear definition to our language...We know that ebony means black and that phonics refers to speech sounds or the science of sounds. Thus, we are really talking about the science of black speech sounds or language.”

https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/AAVE/ebonics/


107 posted on 07/07/2026 5:50:07 PM PDT by God luvs America
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 99 | View Replies ]


To: God luvs America

Funny how real Africans can master English and speak it better than many Whites....yet brothas and sistas born here in the best country on earth simply refuse to do so.


112 posted on 07/07/2026 6:22:29 PM PDT by ealgeone
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies ]

To: God luvs America

That is the most positive context i have ever seen Ebonics discussed in. Thanks for detailed info.


119 posted on 07/07/2026 7:13:51 PM PDT by desertsolitaire (w)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 107 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson