Ebonics

There are many famous authors who have written many award winning books for their writings using "Negro dialect" or what we commonly call ebonics in today's world. Alice Walker used Negro dialect in The Color Purple; Zora Neal Hurston used Negro dialect in all of her works. It gave those books an authenticity of the speech patterns used, and it fit the time period. Currently, there are still variations of speech/dialect used by some black folks - sometimes ONLY in informal settings, other times - that is just the way folks talk. Linguists have termed this speech "ebonics". In fact, they have traced some distinct patterns of English dialect (linguistic features) spoken by some Black people to West African languages.

In US classrooms today, many Black children speak using some variation of "standard English". I believe that teachers should validate the childs language patterns, while simultaneously teaching them standard English. I don't feel teachers should "put down" or discredit the way children may speak, but instead should model the standard form. These children are bi-cultural and there are places and times where these informal speech patterns/slang speech/ebonics...can be used without judgment; in fact, they are more adaptable and have greater ease to move between the two worlds Black folks often see themselves in. Yet, often middle class Black folks detest the use of slang speech or ebonics - and feel it is limiting and demeaning to us as a people. I personally disagree. As am educated woman, with excellent command of standard english; I still am comfortable code switching - and speaking informally with peers using slang/ebonics. I know the difference between the two.

So, even though many "learned" folks detest the use of it - the establishment still recognizes negro dialect/ebonics as a valuable literary contribution and bestowed the Pulitzer Prize to Alice Walker for such a contribution.

What do you think?