Ebonics = Ebony + Phonics?
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.