Ebonics: African American Vernacular English

African American Vernacular English is the dialect of Black Americans, often referred to as Ebonics. In the article “What is Ebonics (African American English)?” John R. Rickford discusses the origin of the term Ebonics, how it's used, and how it is perceived among linguists. The word “ebonics” is the combination of the word “black” and “phonics.” As presented in the text, the term Ebonics was coined in 1973 by a group of blacks who did not subscribe to the negativity surrounding the term “Nonstandard Negro English.” Some linguists (who actually preferred to use the term Ebonics when referencing black speech) wanted to highlight the African roots immersed throughout the dialect. What this says to me is that there were some non-blacks who were

In Oakland, California the school board actually considered taking into account African Americans use of Ebonics in order for teachers to better assist with the students learning Standard English in school. This was controversial because Ebonics was not widely accepted by the public or by linguists. Its lack of popularity among the masses is what continues to make it hard to be recognized as a dialect by some whites and blacks alike. Furthermore, it is a contributing factor for its appropriation among non-blacks. This dialect is denoted as “cool” by popular culture, while being refuted largely by white America. The overuse of African-American Vernacular English among some white teens and young adults has also been used to make a mockery out of the the black people who speak it and as a way to “relate” or communicate with blacks. The cultural appropriation of language is widely offensive to blacks, because it suggest that some white people feel the need to lower themselves in order to converse with those who are a part of the African Diaspora. This is not to say that blacks are not intelligent. This is to say that no one, irrespective of race, should believe that someone is unable to speak in Standard English and hold intelligent and meaningful conversations, as a result of their skin color. I do understand, however, that this is mainly done (language appropriation and stereotyping),

Words like “getting” and “playing” become gettin’ and playin’. The “g” at the end of each word has been omitted. Something that I found really interesting in the article was that some linguist have found similarities between Ebonics and West African languages. I knew, from class discussions, that Ebonics was often related to Creole and Patois as a dialect, but to have it bare resemblance to West African origins further validates Ebonics as a dialect. For me this concept also means that Ebonics doesn’t necessarily stem from a horrific past, but that it is deeply rooted in a culture that I descend from. The possibility that African American Vernacular English is interwoven with the language of my ancestors puts added emphasis on the significance of language and how we are deeply connected to