Fox News and Black English - Ebonics

See Garrard McClendon and his book, Ax or Ask?: The African American Guide to Better English on Fox News Chicago.

Category:

Education

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[garrardmc]

Higher Learning. Think. Adapt. Focus. Code-Switch.

[garrardmc]

Great comments... keep them coming.



[garrardmc]

Over 600 comments and counting...thanks everyone.

[garrardmc]

Great comments everyone...

[biggestfoot2011]

As a culture, we Blacks in this country always find a way to feel victimized even when things are being done for our own benefit. It's ok to speak ebonocis with your friends but it's more important to be able to differentiate that from proper grammer. It's good to know how to speak appropriately when the right time arrives.

[leslieip1993112]

@garrardmc

lol.

[Arpeggiato]

Whether it's /æsk/ or /æks/ is irrelivent - the sounds are abitrary. What matters is when the richer socioeconomic group uses one and the poorer uses another. Anyone hoping to transcend these borders has to pronounce it the "right" way if they want to integrate into the "higher" group. Whether or not skin tone correlates to a class structure doesn't matter. Change class markers to change class. Skin isn't a definite class marker and can't be changed - language sure as hell is, and should be.

[dinnerandashow]

Almost every single intelligent and successful black has been disappointed at how defensive and selfish the black community is when they try to help them.

[AlexNewton1981]

BTW a lot of hate for "ebonics" does double duty as hate for Southern dialects in general, which goes back to the poorer working white folk, the majority in antebellum South. So not sure if the ax/ask is just a black thing, even if the (always fair and balanced) reporting makes it seem that way.

[LaenPvP]

I wish there were more guys like this trying to teach our youth. Sadly, I'm glad that this guy is black himself, simply because if it were a white guy trying to teach black students proper grammar, he or she would be heavily criticized and possibly deemed a racist.

It's not necessarily a race thing, It's more of a poverty problem with the lack of quality education. I'm Mexican and i grew up in the ghetto, very few Mexican, black, or white trailer kids spoke properly.

I commend this man.

[ederrick987]

While i understand the brother point, he need to frame the issue in a broader context. The social and cultural impact of white supremacy is the reason why there is a back lashed. Since we as black people do not control the economic and political power in the nation, we are force to capitulate to the dominate white culture. However, the way black people enunciate the English language is a result of a form of cultural resistance against white racism.

[zither74]

Exactly. I would never hire someone who came to a job interview and spoke like Eminem.