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Ebonics Slang No Substitute for Standard English
Project 21 ^ | 8.23.02 | Michael King

Posted on 08/23/2002 9:22:20 AM PDT by mhking

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.

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.

###
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.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
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I need to get my Journal (http://mhking.blogspot.com/) site up and on P21's site, and in their releases...
1 posted on 08/23/2002 9:22:20 AM PDT by mhking
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To: 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.

Ebonics = Ebony + Phonics?

2 posted on 08/23/2002 9:25:35 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: mhking
"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."

This is exactly what the Dimocrats want! Criminals are becoming their largest constituency group.

3 posted on 08/23/2002 9:26:24 AM PDT by Destructor
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To: rdb3; Khepera; elwoodp; MAKnight; condolinda; mafree; Trueblackman; FRlurker; Teacher317; ...
Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

4 posted on 08/23/2002 9:28:36 AM PDT by mhking
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To: Destructor
"Criminals are becoming their largest constituency group."

No, that would be idiots!!!!!!
5 posted on 08/23/2002 9:29:41 AM PDT by madvlad
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To: Destructor
"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."

C'mon man! Do it right!

"Poor an' working-class blacks wiff Afrocentric educators, however, do not gots da opportunity ta learn da Standard English necessary ta succeed. They iz stuck learning through Ebonics. What students aren't told iz dat, without Standard English, they employment prospects afta leaving skoo iz virtually zero. This could lead ta chronic unemployment an', potentially, uh life o' crime." don't make me shank ya!

6 posted on 08/23/2002 9:29:51 AM PDT by Michael Barnes
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
ebonics=bad policy + bad grammar skills
7 posted on 08/23/2002 9:31:32 AM PDT by DancesWithTrout
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
No.

Ebonics = Ebony + Moronics

Mad Vlad
8 posted on 08/23/2002 9:31:32 AM PDT by madvlad
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To: Paul Atreides
Ping, to myself, for later.
9 posted on 08/23/2002 9:31:57 AM PDT by Paul Atreides
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To: mhking
Great journal! I'd love to be added to your "ping" list if you don't mind.
10 posted on 08/23/2002 9:34:05 AM PDT by Lamont Cranston
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To: mhking
return our classrooms to Standard English

Col' got to be! Yo!

11 posted on 08/23/2002 9:35:08 AM PDT by Pistias
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To: madvlad
""Criminals are becoming their largest constituency group."

"No, that would be idiots!!!!!!"

Right you are, Sir. I stand corrected!

12 posted on 08/23/2002 9:35:16 AM PDT by Destructor
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To: mhking
Funny....one of my most memorable, and best, English teachers was a black woman (who also was handicapped by today's standards - polio of arm).....The QUEENS English was a REQUIREMENT in her class!
13 posted on 08/23/2002 9:36:00 AM PDT by goodnesswins
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To: mhking
Ebonics is a fraud directed at black students, just as bilingual education is a fraud directed at all students whose families speak a language other than English at home. Would it make sense to break the ankles of every black and immigrant child in public schools, and then ask them to run a race? It makes equal sense to teach them a language other than standard English and then ask them to compete in society, for jobs, higher education, or any other benefit.

Did I miss anything?

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest column: "The Truth of a Gravel Road."

Click for latest book: "to Restore Trust in America"

14 posted on 08/23/2002 9:36:05 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
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To: unix
Cease fire, man! Don' make me git mi gat!
15 posted on 08/23/2002 9:38:56 AM PDT by Destructor
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To: unix
""Poor an' working-class blacks wiff Afrocentric educators, however, do not gots da opportunity ta learn da Standard English necessary ta succeed. They iz stuck learning through Ebonics. What students aren't told iz dat, without Standard English, they employment prospects afta leaving skoo iz virtually zero. This could lead ta chronic unemployment an', potentially, uh life o' crime." don't make me shank ya!"

You beat me to it. I was planning on running the whole thing thru The Dialecticizer (mode=jive) but a paragraph is all you really need. Good work.

Michael

16 posted on 08/23/2002 9:39:14 AM PDT by Wright is right!
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To: mhking
Here's a glimpse of the future. The Latin inscription on the seal of the College of Ebonics reads: "Ebonicus Significadus Nunca"
17 posted on 08/23/2002 9:42:05 AM PDT by Destructor
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To: unix
"Po' an' working-class blacks wiff Afrocentric educators, however, do not gits da opportunity ta learn da Standa'd English necessary ta succeed. They iz stuck learning through Ebonics. What students ain't told iz dat, wit'out Standa'd English, they employment prospects afta day leaves skoo iz virtually zero. This could lead ta chronic unemployment an', potentially, uh life o' crime." don't make me shank ya!

Dese be correkshuns to da original passage.
Yous be required to repeat Ebonics 101
cuz yous is dum!

Mad Vlad
18 posted on 08/23/2002 9:42:54 AM PDT by madvlad
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To: mhking
Thank you very much. Excellent work. Someone observed (was it Bill Cosby), that the KKK couldn't have come up with a more effective way of keeping Blacks oppressed than ebonics.

Those who are interested in the general lack of standards in English education and the implications thereof might enjoy -- so the speak -- work by Richard Mitchell. "Less Than Words Can Say," and "The Leaning Tower of Babel."

19 posted on 08/23/2002 9:44:06 AM PDT by Gumlegs
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To: mhking
Great article Mike! As a white guy who grew up in the seventies and eighties who attended racially mixed Topeka High School, slang of ALL types has always influenced my use of language. Most of the seventies "hippie slang" that my English is still marred by, has probably had an effect regarding people's opinion of me. I have made an effort to get rid of trite "slangy" expressions in my professional life and am making an effort that my kids understand that people judge them by the way they speak.
20 posted on 08/23/2002 9:44:36 AM PDT by AdA$tra
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