Date: Sat, 4 Jan 1997 11:50:32 -0500 From: dhenwood-AT-panix.com (Doug Henwood) Subject: Re: M-I: Ebonics At 2:38 AM 1/4/97, rakesh bhandari wrote: >This program seems to be suggesting that the problem of Black students is >Black culture or, more precisely, the maintainence of an Ebonics language. >The problem is specified as the absence of cultural assimilation over the >last 400 years as students putatively maintain a West African syntax which >prevents them from reasoning in standard English or understanding their >middle class teachers. For what it's worth, the New York Times quoted a linguist the other day who said that many of the characteristic features of "Ebonics" are of post-World War II origin - notably the use of the unconjugated "be." That would rather seriously undermine the African origins claim. I have no idea whether the Times's linguist is right, or if anyone knows. But does anyone have a sense of the linguistic scholarship on the origins of "Black English"? It's very interesting to watch the class angle here. Many middle- and upper-class African-Americans are deeply embarrassed by, and critical of the indulgence of Ebonics. The NY Times editorialist Brent Staples weighs in today (Saturday), harshly critical of the Ebonics party - predictable, for sure. Perhaps more suprising is the critical stance of Utrice Lied, the former publisher of Brooklyn-based black nationalist paper, The City Sun, and now a talk show host on WBAI (where I do my show). One point: why did the Oakland school board speak of the "genetic" origins of Ebonics? Doug -- Doug Henwood Left Business Observer 250 W 85 St New York NY 10024-3217 USA +1-212-874-4020 voice +1-212-874-3137 fax email: <dhenwood-AT-panix.com> web: <http://www.panix.com/~dhenwood/LBO_home.html> --- from list marxism-international-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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