Mention the word ebonics and you're sure to get a variety of responses ranging from a highly specialized language to slang. My purpose in writing this paper is to define ebonics, explain its history, and shed some light on the social and educational implications of this highly controversial subject. In doing so, I have been very selective in choosing my resources to provide accurate information and not simply opinion.
DEFINING EBONICS: The word ebonics is made up of two words. Ebony, which means black and phonics, which refers to sound. It is a systematic rule-governed natural speech that is consistent as any other language in sentence structure. This is referred to as syntax (Gray 1-3). What makes this speech pattern uniquely different to "so called" American Standard English is its verb tense or lack there of. An example of this can be seen in the sentence, "He is sick today." This same sentence translated in ebonics would read, "He sick today." As you can see the verb has been omitted. However, as earlier stated, this speech pattern is consistently used (Black English: Its history and role in education. 1-4). Major controversy has arisen whether or not ebonics is a separate language or simply a dialect. In doing my research I have found that most linguists take the position that ebonics is a dialect. What distinguishes dialect from language is that in dialect two speakers share most or some of the same vocabulary and is recognizable and understandable. In contrast, separate languages are present only when the inability to communicate verbally occurs (Rickford 1-3).
ARE EBONICS AND OTHER DIALECTS OF ENGLISH SIMPLY INCORRECT, SLOPPY SPEECH? American schools, particularly in the northern United States, have treated African American vernacular English or Black English as a form of language requiring remediation by speech pathologists or special-education teachers. Linguist have known for years that many non-standard dialects are consistent, legitimate varieties of language with rules, conventions, and exceptions, just like our standard English. However, these dialects do not carry the prestige of Standard English and makes them subject to condemnation and ridicule (Barron 2-3). A point that needs to be addressed is that ebonics is not slang, although slang does occurs within ebonics just as slang occurs in Standard English. This has become a confusing issue because much of the general public regards ebonics as slang and is unaware of its correct definition. Slang defined, are words or phases that are not permissible in formal or written language and used primarily in popular speech as we see with teenagers. An example, the word "howdy" is slang for hello in Standard English whereas "Yo" is slang for hello in ebonics. Once again, both dialects have consistent sentence structure and yet their own forms of slang (Smitherman 39-41).
ARE EBONICS ONLY FOR BLACKS? No. Not all African Americans speak ebonics, and not all ebonics speakers are African American. There are a significant number of whites, Hispanics, and Asian Americans who live and work closely together who speak dialects that can be characterized as Black English (Barron 4).
ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF EBONICS: The origin of what we call Ebonics has its beginnings in Africa during the beginning of the African slave trade industry. The slave traders came into western Africa and introduced English (British English) to African People. Once slaves were sold they weren't always shipped out right away. There were detention camps that future slaves had to live in until the traders decided to ship them off to Portugal, the Dominican Republic and the United States. During this time the slaves were carefully mixed up so that no particular tribe that spoke the same language would remain together. This was done to minimize the slave's ability to communicate with each other. With no way of distinct communication a simplified form of English emerged. This simplified version of English was called Pidgin language. This was a mixture of English and African languages that slave traders could somewhat decipher and allowed the slaves to communicate with some common tongue. Pidgin language is defined as a language of transition that attempts to fit the words and sounds of a new language into the structure of the speaker's native tongue ( Dillard 73-86). Soon after, a West African Creole language developed as a direct offshoot of the pidgin language. In fact, Creole is spoken in many parts of West Africa today. Due to the separation of slaves from fellow tribesmen, the demise of their native tongue was inevitable. After years and years of separation of the African people from their native culture and language, they began to stop speaking their native tongues in favor of Pidgin English. This Pidgin English was called everything from jibberish to slave babble by whites in the south, because they could only understand a limited amount of the African Pidgin language the slaves spoke. Slaves wanted to put as much distance between themselves and their slavemasters as possible. After being brutally stripped or their culture and religion, the language was all that they had left. It has been theorized that the slaves took comfort in being able to speak a language without the slavemaster knowing their every thought (Stoller 19-30). Dr. Howard Linsey, Director of DePaul University for the Center of African American research proposed a very interesting point in saying: "The African people have changed every language that they have been exposed to in this hemisphere. Think about it. They changed Spanish in the Dominican Republic, Portuguese in Brazil, French in Africa, and now English in America (Origin and history of ebonics 2).
THE EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF EBONICS:
Never has there been such fuss over verb tense and sentence structure as there was in December 1997. This is when the Oakland, California school board decided it would like to use federal funds to help improve the English test scores of some of its black students. This proposal was made because Oakland has many poor black students that come from homes that speak ebonics. What they were asking for was federal funding based on the fact that ebonics was a separate language and therefore would qualify for bi-lingual federal funding. When the media got hold of this it turned the Oakland scenario into a circus. Jokes from talk show hosts to cartoons depicting southern schools being taught a hillbilly-like language (Ebonics in Oakland schools 1-4). The public was far from quiet either. Many voiced their opinions opposing ebonics and federal funding. Jesse Jackson was quoted saying; "The move toward eboincs was an unacceptable surrender, borderlining on disgrace". He later retracted that quote saying that he spoke out to soon without knowing the full extent of the Oakland proposal (Education secretary 1-2). This became a case of not just education, but race and social class. This was due to ignorance about ebonics and what the Oakland schools were really trying to accomplish. Many people were upset because they thought that Oakland was saying it was ok to teach ebonics and not Standard English. This could not have been farther from the truth. Their goal was and still is to teach Standard English, but do so in a way that recognizes ebonics as culturally important. In doing so they took away the derogatory implications that what they speak is "trash" or "gutter talk" and in turn built up their self-esteem. Teachers at Oakland have learned that when their attitudes and methods of teaching changed they built a bridge making the transition from ebonics to Standard English highly successful (Kollerer 1-6). A 1989 study by linguist Hanni Taylor found that Black English speaking students who were taught for three months by teachers trained in the structure of ebonics showed a 60 percent reduction in the use of ebonics and an increase in writing skills of Standard English (Cole 4). As it stands now the Federal Government has taken the position that ebonics is not a separate language and is not eligible for federal funding. However, Oakland continues to seek federal funds and recognize ebonics as culturally and significantly important in teaching students Standard English (Barron 1-2).
In concluding my research I have learned not just the history of ebonics, but that the controversy is far from over. For many it remains a battle over race and power. If we are ever to become a society of Standard English speaking people we have to acknowledge ebonics and hold ourselves accountable for the type of society we create. Insults, ridicule and condemnation only further the separation between people. As I have learned in my history class separatism does not work. We are so caught up in this political game of semantics. Call it Eboincs, Black English, a dialect, a specialized language, or whatever you want. The truth of the matter is it exists. In order for change to occur we need to recognize the importance of education and that education should not be dependent upon the terminology the government sees fit to set limits for federally used funds.
WORKS CITED
Barron, Dennis. Ebonics Essay: The chronicle of higher learner. Jan, 1997.
http://129.79.254.195/urs/local/www.hyplar/port/teach/3061ebonics. (Nov, 1998)
Cole, Kenneth and James Tobin. Linguists come to California school
District's defense. The Detroit News. Jan, 1997. http://detnew.com/96/nation/9701/19/01190035.html (Nov, 1998)
Dillard L.J. Black English. New York: Random House, 1972.
Kollerer, Doret. In Praise of the Oakland School Boards Position on
Ebonics. Feb, 1997. http: //www.sonic.netdoretk/issues/97-02Feb/oakschool.
Html (Nov, 1998)
Gray, R. La`Keisha. Daily Egyptian: Ebonics debate defined. Vol.82, #83.
Jan, 1996. http//www.dailyegyptian.com/spring97/012897/
debate.html (Nov, 1998)
Rickford, R. John. Suite for Ebony and Phonics: Discovery magazine. Dec,
1997. www.stanford.edu/~rickford/papers/suitefor ebonyandphonics.
html (Nov, 1998)
Smitherman,Geneva. Black Talk. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.
Stoller, Paul. Black American English. New York: Del Publishing Co,
Inc. 1975.
Black English: Its History and role in Education. http://www.pricnton
/%7Ebclewis/blacktalk.html (Nov, 1998)
Ebonics in Oakland Schools: The American Gazette. http://www.geocities.
Com/CollegePark/9190 (Nov, 1998)
Education Secretary: No federal funds for "Black English." Washington
CNN News. Dec, 1997. http://www.eurole.cnn/US/9612124/briefs.
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