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What is Ebonics?

But Why?

Ebonics has been around for centuries, it has gone through many different names such as Standard Black English and African-American English. The word Ebonics was created by a group of black scholars and was derived from the words 'ebony' and 'phonics'.

These scholars also gave it a formal definition. Ebonics is a form of English that is spoken among black communities, often those in inner cities. It is English mixed with elements of passed African languages.

Ebonics has its own set of linguistic rules, making it a language rather than a dialect.

Why Did They Do This?

So What?

Throughout the discussion on Ebonics and the countless public forums and scholarly debates, it all boiled down to one thing. Race. People were afraid of Ebonics becoming a legitimate language and being introduced into schools strictly because of the institutionalized racism of the time.

The reason that people didn't like the name was because black scholars had created it. For decades white linguists had been naming it and there was never a debate, but as soon as a group of black scholars took responsibility for it, people went up in arms.

One man in the video said it very well: He said that if a small white community incorporated something into schools to try and help their students achieve more, they would be praised. But when it was the black community that tried it, everyone had something to say.

The Schools District's goal was to use the language that students were speaking at home to try and bridge the achievement gap that African American students were facing in all areas of school.

I chose to watch this documentary because of the linguistic aspect of it. The grammar rules that work within Ebonics are so interesting and I can really see how it would beneficial for students to see in conjunction with the grammar rules of Standard American English. This is something that was proven to work and people didn't like it because of racism and they though it was promoting something, when it really wasn't. We have been discussing using other languages in class to help our students, and this is the same thing. Ebonics is a different language it deserves just as much respect. When students wee their home language being valued then they will feel valued.

Controversy Continued

What Happened?

Celebrities and other scholars were all joining the argument on Ebonics and whether it should be considered a language and used in schools, but most of these people were not educators or linguists. They were simply people with loud voices and strong opinions, they gave the resolution a bad name and perpetuated a belief about it that was false.

What They Did

In December 1996 the Unified Oakland School District in California introduced an 'Ebonics Resolution'. This resolution claimed to use African-American Children's 'Primary' language, called Ebonics, to teach them Standard American English. Within 36 days of the resolution's release controversy had spread through the whole country.

The goal of the Unified Oakland School District was very conservative in nature and was all about their students. They wanted to take what the students already knew, validating it, and then teaching them how to use it to learn the language that would help them succeed.

After they implemented these programs into the schools, students began to excel in all areas, not just in language.

The district soon learned that these skills would help all of their students, not just their African american students, and they began incorporating aspects of it throughout the school.

Where Did the Controversy Come From?

The first thing that people had an issue with was the name. They didn't like that this language was given a formal name and called a language. Many people, mostly white linguists, considered a 'dirty' English or 'slang' English. They didn't think it should be given language status.

The other aspect of controversy was derived completely from misunderstanding. The media and the public took the Resolution and twisted the words around to confuse people who didn't understand it. People thought that they were going to be teaching children how to speak in Ebonics, and that they were going to get rid of Standard American English, which was the opposite of what they planned on doing.

The E Word: Ebonics, Race, and Language Politics

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