Posted on 08/23/2002 9:22:20 AM PDT by mhking
According to some black academics and race warlords, "Ebonics" is derived from one of three potential sources: 1) an African language passed on among blacks, 2) a vocabulary derived from encounters between African slaves and Irish immigrants or 3) a new dialect created since the 1960s by young blacks to separate themselves from whites. No matter what the racial warlords may say, however, Ebonics is not a language. All it is is black slang. Ebonics somewhat parallels southern slang, probably because so many blacks migrated to other parts of the country from the south. But the race warlords and their intellectual footsoldiers are trying to elevate slang to the status of a language by dressing it up with psychobabble. Anyone who wants to find out more about the Ebonics debate should read the book by University of California-Berkeley Linguistics Professor John McWhorter, Word on the Street: Debunking the Myth of "Pure" Standard English. He closely examines the argument for Ebonics. He also touches on it in his book Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black America. In the latter book, McWhorter argues that educators who rely on Ebonics as a crutch for students to learn "the Queen's English" accomplish nothing more than leaving young minds further behind. Rather than wasting time using slang, teachers need to use Standard English, period. Students already have no problem understanding Standard English on television and in the movies. One reason why students are having problems in school these days is because educators are allowing distractions like Ebonics to become the focus of education as opposed to removing it from the classroom. Ebonics is a pillar of Afrocentrism. Through intimidation, violence and pseudoscholarship, Afrocentrists have dumbed down the education of our black children and kept white teachers from working with them. They deliberately cut off poor, black children from mainstream America. Afrocentrists such as George Washington University professor Robert Williams (who coined the term Ebonics in 1973) claim it is disrespectful for white teachers to correct black children. Professor Charles Coleman of the City University of New York's (CUNY) York College further argues that remedial education is harmful to black students. The result? At CUNY, remedial-level students can take college-level classes despite being only semiliterate. My wife and I insist that our children speak in Standard English. Our parents raised us the same way. My mother used to tell me, "I don't care what you say around your friends, but when you speak to me or any other adult, you will speak clearly and make yourself understood. Do you understand me?" Other middle-class black parents said much the same. Because my wife and I demand excellence and Standard English from our children, our children are succeeding academically in spite of the poor learning environment in today's schools. It all comes back to the lack of emphasis that many in the black community place on educational excellence. Substandard performance is accepted since doing well is perceived as "acting white." The racial warlords promote this idea, albeit in a somewhat covert way. It's not uncommon for middle-class blacks to sometimes "go ghetto" and use street slang. I freely admit to using slang. We all do to varying degrees. But, as a professional, I do not use slang in business settings. I know where slang is appropriate. Poor and working-class blacks with Afrocentric educators, however, do not have the opportunity to learn the Standard English necessary to succeed. They are stuck learning through Ebonics. What students aren't told is that, without Standard English, their employment prospects after leaving school are virtually zero. This could lead to chronic unemployment and, potentially, a life of crime. With educators teaching slang instead of Standard English, is it at all surprising that students are not prepared for standardized tests? Is it any wonder that many black students who go to college spend their freshman year in remedial classes, trying to learn skills and knowledge they should have gotten in high school? We need to leave slang in the streets, and return our classrooms to Standard English. This will help to give our children the opportunities they deserve. ###Ebonics Slang No Substitute for Standard English
By Michael King
A New Visions Commentary paper
published August 2002
by The National Center for Public Policy Research,
777 North Capitol Street NE #803,
Washington, D.C. 20002,
202/371-1400,
Fax 202/408-7773,
E-Mail Project21@nationalcenter.org,
Web http://www.project21.org.
Reprints permitted provided source is credited.
Michael King is a member of the African-American leadership network Project 21 and an Internet and radio broadcaster in Atlanta, Georgia. He can be reached at mhking@bellsouth.net and http://www.geocities.com/mhking1/.
A downloadable photo of Michael King is available at http://www.nationalcenter.org/StaffP21MHKingHead.jpg.
Note: New Visions Commentaries reflect the views of their author, and not necessarily those of Project 21.
Acco'din' t'some brother academics and race warlo'ds, "Ebonics" be derived fum one uh dree potential sources, dig dis: 1) an African language passed on among brothers, 2) some vocabulary derived fum encounters between African slaves and Irish immigrants o' 3) some new dialect created since da damn 1960s by yung brothers t'separate demselves fum honkys. No matta' whut de racial warlo'ds may say, however, Ebonics be not some language. All it be is brother slang. What it is, Mama! Ebonics somewhut parallels soudern slang, probably cuz' so many brothers migrated t'oda' parts uh de country fum de soud. But da damn race warlo'ds and deir intellectual footsoldiers is tryin' t'elevate slang t'de status uh a language by dressin' it down wid psychobabble.
Any sucka who wantsa find out mo'e about da damn Ebonics debate should eyeball de scribblin' by University of Califo'nia-Berkeley Lin'uistics Super honcho Raz'tus McWho'ter, Wo'd on de Street, dig dis: Debunkin' de Mah'd uh "Pure" Standard English. Lop some boogie. He closely 'esamines de argument fo' Ebonics. He also touches on it in his scribblin' Losin' de Race, dig dis: Self-Sabotage in Black America. WORD! In de latta' scribblin', McWho'ta' argues dat educato's who rely on Ebonics as some crutch fo' students t'learn "de Queen's English" accomplish nodin' mo'e dan leavin' yung minds furder behind. Rada' dan wuztin' time usin' slang, head homeboys need t'use Standard English, puh'iod. Students already gots no problem dig itin' Standard English on television and in de movies. One reason why students is havin' problems in farm dese days be a'cuz educato's is allowin' distracshuns likes Ebonics t'become da damn focus of educashun as opposed t'removin' it fum de classroom. WORD! Ebonics be a pillar uh Afrocentrism. WORD! Drough intimidashun, violence and pseudoscholarship, Afrocentrists gots dumbed waaay down de educashun uh our brother children and kep' honky head homeboys fum wo'kin' wid dem. WORD!
Dey deliberately cut off poo', brother children fum mainstream America. WORD! Afrocentrists such as Geo'ge Wuzhin'ton University super honcho Leroy Williams (who coined da damn term Ebonics in 1973) claim it be disrespectful fo' honky head homeboys t'co'rect brother children. 'S coo', bro. Super honcho Charles Coleman uh de City University uh New Yo'k's (CUNY) Yo'k College furda' argues dat remedial educashun be harmful t'black students. De result? At CUNY, remedial-level students kin snatch college-level classes despite bein' only semiliterate. Mah' mama and ah' insist dat our children rap in Standard English. Lop some boogie.
Our parents raised us de same way. Slap mah fro! Mah' moder used t'tell me, "I duzn't care whut ya' say around yo' homeys, but when ya' rap t'me o' any oda' adult, ya' gots'ta rap clearly and make yo'self understood. Do ya' dig it me?" Oda' middle-class brother parents said much de same. A'cuz mah' mama and ah' demand 'sellence and Standard English fum our children, our children is succeedin' academically in spite uh de poo' learnin' environment in today's farms. It all comes back t'de lack uh emphasis dat many in de brother community place on educashunal 'sellence.
Substandard puh'fo'mance be accepted since hangin' well be puh'ceived as "actin' honky." De racial warlo'ds promote dis idea, albeit in some somewhut covert way. Slap mah fro! It's not uncommon fo' middle-class brothers t'sometimes "go ghetto" and use street slang. What it is, Mama! ah' freely admit t'usin' slang. What it is, Mama! We all do t'varyin' degrees. But, as some professional, ah' do not use slang in business settin's. ah' know where slang be appropriate. Poo' and wo'kin'-class brothers wid Afrocentric educato's, however, do not gots de oppo'tunity t'learn de Standard English necessary t'succeed. Dey is stuck learnin' drough Ebonics. Whut students ain't told is dat, widout Standard English, deir employment prospects afta' leavin' farm is virtually zero. 'S coo', bro. Dis could lead to chronic unemployment and, potentially, some life uh crime.
Wid educato's teachin' slang instead uh Standard English, be it at all surprisin' dat students is not prepared fo' standardized tests? Is it any wonda' dat many brother students who go t'college spend deir freshman year in remedial classes, tryin' t'learn skills and knowledge dey should gots gotsten in high farm? We need t'leave slang in de streets, and return our classrooms t'Standard English. Lop some boogie. Dis gots'ta help t'cut our children de oppo'tunities dey deserve.
A relative of mine who was stationed in Alabama with the U.S. Army in the early 1960s was amazed at the dialects he heard down there. He said the black people spoke perfect English and the white people spoke some kind of "ebonics" like northern blacks.
. . . a vocabulary derived from encounters between African slaves and Irish immigrants.
LOL! I don't even want to go near that one -- "Top 'o da mornin' to ya, yo!"
No, wait, that was seabonics.
Interesting side note: My sister told me that the blacks in South Carolina where she now lives are more understandable than the whites.
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