Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 09:36:27 +0100 (MET)
Subject: M-G: Re: M-I: Ebonics


>Quite frankly i believe much of this discussion of "ebonics" is quite silly.
> It seems to me after a few weeks, at most, any teacher, white or black, will
>learn enough "ebonics" to understand the students.  Much of what is
>classified as "ebonics" is common to most "popular" speech habits (that is
>"bad" English):  dropping "g"s, failing to match singular/plural verbs and
>nouns, subject/object confusions, etc.  Others are constantly changing slang
>terms distinct to Blacks.  then there is a unique way of dealing with the
>verb "to be".  The latter appears to be a relatively recent deviation and
>thus unlikely to be rooted in some African dialect.
>
>Language, whether we like it or not, stigmatizes people.  It both reflects
>the isolation of a group and reinforces this isolation.  So what is to be
>done?
>
>We can believe that there is some nationalist advantage to reinforcing
>"ghettoization" through promoting "ebonics" or we can suggest ways for Black
>youth to break through and learn "standard" English as a method of breaking
>out of poverty and their ghetto environment.  Clearly the Oakland school
>board is of two minds on this matter.
>
>The question is not whether "standard" English is better than  "ebonics".  It
>is that it is the standard and therefore it is necessary to master if one
>wishes access to jobs and aspects of life outside of the ghetto. 
>
>To be really contrary I will suggest that "ebonics" may very well be
>inferior: by not declining the verb to be ( and generally ignoring a number
>of tenses, such as past perfect, as well as the above mentioned confusions)
>it is a limited English variant which can in turn restrict the thinking of
>its users.  It reflects a restricted environment where reading is limited or
>non-existent  and abstract thought by no means encouraged.  We can idealize
>such an environment or we can recognize that it stinks and is imposed upon
>people by poverty reinforced by racism.
>
>Can we have it both ways?

Tony! who claimed he was going to "play the devils advocate" on Ebonics in 
his first letter has gone from devils advocate to attacking Ebonics as 
"inferior", "reverse racism" and spokeman for ghetto people in how to get a 
better job.

Carrol Cox who i seldom agree with has got your number Tony. I hope he 
really takes you down. Because in fact i think you are getting very close if 
not beyond the arguements of the white middle class.

In fact communists and socialists should be the spokesman in defense of ebonics
as a tool to reach children who because of the historical rascism in 
American society find themselves in a position outside of any "normal" 
education system. 

Since when is black racism  just as bad as white rascism?

It would be extremely interesting to hear your views on the horrors of black 
rascism.
What did you expect black people to kiss you or turn the other cheek? 
Lacking a revolutionary multi-race vanguard there is always going to be some 
very strange expressions by people who historically have had the boot-heel 
on their necks. And parroting the middleclass on this reverse rascism is a 
scandal.

The only real way to fight rascism is to build a workers party which becomes 
the cjhampions of all of the poor and working class people and their 
interests. And despite the in a sense classless character of Ebonics (just 
as on the sex debate) communists should be at the front of the line in 
defending this stuff against the ruling class and racists, (but also the 
more desperate middle class) who use this stuff. just like they are using 
the affirmative action stuff to crush these small reforms that meant a lot 
to just the minorities. There main arguement is about the same as your 
"Reverse racism" above.

Why it wouldn't surprise me Tony if you argued that the "Welfare" reform by 
the DEms and Pubs ultimately is a "good" thing. Christ it will give these 
people a chance to go find a job!

Bob Malecki








     --- from list marxism-general-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---