Summary Of If Black English Isn T A Language
If you think about it, language is an extremely vital part of our daily routines. Without it we'd have no means by which to communicate with one another, and confusion would most likely reign or world as we know it. James Baldwin's “If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” exposes just how crucial language is when it comes to expressing ourselves and finding a place amidst the Earth's bountiful cultures. But even more importantly, how life's affairs have assembled and molded language as a whole. When reading the author's brief story, or sort of impatience and indignation is alive, almost overwhelming his words. Baldwin expresses that culture alters how language is applied, and how it grants us permission to differentiate ourselves …show more content…
I completely agree that language characterizes the entity that voices it, and that it leaves a powerful impression on him or her. Baldwin's inquiry on language is thought provoking, I'll give him that, but does he really expect for “Black English” to be accepted as legitimate or appropriate? Yes he makes a valid point when he mentions that “Black English” evolved the way it did because of slavery, but just because of that should today's African American community forget about speaking decent English? For example, the author writes “Blacks came to the United States chained to one another, but from different tribes.” If we inspect the past, it is civil to say that “Black English” was cultivated in the severely untaught hands of the slave whom the oppressor had no interest in educating. Thus, African Americans had almost no opportunity to supplement their language. Nowadays, it is more than safe to assume that African Americans have risen out of that state of oppression, and can now fiercely tackle their language and improve it due to equal opportunity. So what's the excuse this time? If they are “free” than why can't they clutch the never ending opportunities of education. Today in the United States, it is simply one's own choice to be ignorant, and Baldwin shouldn't put “Black English” on a pedestal even if it is a part of American heritage. If Baldwin really affirmed that sticking to “Black English” was in his best interest, than why has he gone on to practice a sharpened almost exceptional
James Baldwin's 'If Black English Isn' T A Language
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Summary Of Linda Sharples 'Black English'
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The Skin That We Speak Analysis
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How Does James Baldwin Use Ethos In A Talk To Teachers
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My Dungeon Shook By James Baldwin Analysis
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Analysis Of James Baldwin's Essay 'If Black English Isn' T A Language
338 Words | 2 PagesBaldwin stated that “Language is determined by the person that is speaking it.” The audience is anyone that doesn’t consider “Black English” a language, people that don’t use
The Myth Of The Negro Past Analysis
903 Words | 4 PagesIt was once believed that the languages that the Africans spoke varied drastically from region to region but in reality they were “local variations of a deeper-lying structural similarity” (Herkovits 79). This similarity allowed communicating in the New World to be easier than if the languages were all completely linguistically independent, “whether Negro speech employs English or French or Spanish or Portuguese vocabulary, the identical constructions found over all the New World can only be regarded as a reflection of the underlying similarities in grammar and idiom, which, in turn, are common to the West African Sudanese tongues” (80). Language then became an important part of African American culture, whether it be a “secret” language used to help slaves escape, or to tell stories and folklore to children to encourage and motivate them, or express African proverbs from generation to generation. There has been many times when other races seem not to understand what African Americans are saying because of the slang terms we create that then become popular terms, most recently has been the phrases “on fleek” and “twerking”, to name a few examples. Being proficient in verbal arts was prized in Africa and now a value has been placed on verbal expression in today’s culture through riddles and through preaching and teaching (Williams
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Rhetorical Analysis Of A Talk To Teachers
676 Words | 3 PagesBaldwin uses an advanced vocabulary throughout the essay, but only uses slang terms when referring to African Americans. By using phrases like “But if I was a "nigger" in your eyes”, he shows the audience what the words culturally imply such as stupidity and ignorance. Since this is
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504 Words | 3 PagesThe power of language We all have some form of language limitations, no matter where we come from and what our background is. “Mother tongue” by Amy Tan and “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua both share similar themes in their stories that demonstrate how they both deal with how different forms of the same language are portrayed in society. In both stories they speak about what society declares the right way of speech and having to face prejudgment, the two authors share their personal experiences of how they’ve dealt with it.
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1271 Words | 6 Pagespower” (Carter 28). Walter thus turns his back on White racist tradition boldly standing up to them. He has his traditions, race, pride and family behind him to carry on the struggle. The language used in The Drinking Gourd, a play set in the antebellum south also makes an interesting study.
Analysis Of 'If Black English Isn T A Language Then Tell Me What Is'
983 Words | 4 Pages“If Black English Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” In the essay “If Black Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is” (The New York Times, 1979) written by James Baldwin, the author asserts that the African American community has altered the English language into a new language during the last five centuries to accommodate the black experience in American history despite the white’s attempt to submerge it. To begin the essay he makes his argument clear by referencing the alterations the French made to their native language to describe how people will eventually “...evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances…”; furthermore he continues to analyze how the caucasian people of America have only accepted the black language when it came out of a white mouth; he ends the essay by reinforcing his position, elaborating on the racism black’s have faced when they were denied the right to an education unless it was for the white benefit. His liberal purpose is to bring light to the subtle racism that African Americans experience even after the Civil Rights movement and to acknowledge the cultural influence they have in America. His writing appears very personal and intimate like he’s voluntarily opening up to his audience by letting them know of his own struggles as an African American, targeting mostly minorities and people who feel oppressed by white America.
Racism In Claudia Rankine's Citizen: An American Lyric
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Summary Of Blueprint For Negro Writing By Richard Wright
982 Words | 4 PagesThe Harlem Renaissance was a development period that took place in Harlem, New York. The Renaissance lasted from 1910 to about the mid-1930s, this period is considered a golden age in African American culture. This Renaissance brought about masterful pieces of music, literature, art, and stage performance. The Harlem Renaissance brought about many prominent black writers such as Richard Wright. Richard Wright is a highly acclaimed writer, who stressed the importance of reading, writing, and words.
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