If Black English Isn T A Language, By James Baldwin

In James Baldwin's “If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” and George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language” it is evident that both of these authors have their own interpretations, and understanding of language as a political instrument. In spite of their differences they also have a few similarities. For Baldwin language was a powerful tool giving blacks a voice, allowing them to express their uniqueness and empowering them, whereas for Orwell believed that language controlled thinking and writing. Both of these authors had different perspectives towards the topic of language but the same desires when it came to expressing their perspectives. They both believed that the powerful could use language, to control the powerlessness.

Today, racist sororities and fraternities on college campuses have grown to be a public crisis. Recently at the University of Oklahoma, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity released a video including racial slurs and lynching of African Americans (Glionna et al.). This activity shows that there is racism among Americans even in the twenty-first century. There are many other publicized cases involving racism in American society which proves that racism is not just an issue of the past. The past contains elements of racial misconduct that can be explained by James Baldwin and Brent Staples. Baldwin, a preacher and published writer, writes “Notes of a Native Son” to emphasize his experiences and actions towards racism of a different time (50-71). Staples, a reporter and columnist who wrote “Just Walk on By: Black Men in Public Spaces”, describes difficulties and stereotypes from the nation and how he suffered through, yet, another difficult time in American history (394-97). Both have a way with words in describing past racial issues. But in comparison of Baldwin and Staples, one can see that the type of racism they experience, their age and maturity, and their response to racism differ entirely by noting the different time eras of racism that each encounters.

Throughout his essay, Baldwin makes numerous use of italicize words or sentences to state a strong fact that he agrees with or deems important to readers. By italicizing that “Negroes want to be treated like men”, Baldwin clearly states his position. The extent, to which he uses this writing technique, signifies that he not only speaks for himself but also for his Community, Harlem. Aside from using italics Baldwin makes use of lengthy sentences, that are sustain with breaks such as hyphens and dashes, and a tone of sarcasm to affirm his position in the matter. He goes into hesitations when writing the lengthy sentences by including the dashes, which suggests that he is not only sustaining his position but also indicating that he has an experienced idea of what he is expressing. Baldwin`s degree of sarcasm in the opening paragraphs, is used to give an idea of how poorly their environment is but more over to show the insignificance that their environment has on others and their lack of attempt to “rehabilitate” it.

In “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me What Is” James Baldwin argues that black English provides a distinctive view of experience. Baldwin reveals the way language shapes and is formed by life’s circumstances. According to Baldwin, a language allows a group to define and express who they are from their own point of view, instead of having their reality expressed by another group. He used examples like how people in England talk makes sense to their own people and not everyone else to demonstrate his thought of why Black English is not recognized as a real language. Baldwin reveals how important a language either sets people apart or brings people together.

To begin with, Baldwin introduces his literary piece of writing in arguing that Black English should be considered a language. He goes on to say that Black English has heavily influenced the American culture and possibly would be different if Black English never existed. A language is an extension of one’s identity and the expression of who they are. By

With a background affected tremendously by the dark history of African Americans, language has become a significant problem to what the term Black English really means to different people. In If Black Language Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is, James Baldwin attempts to analyze what a language really means and how Black English evolved to fulfill an important role for Americans. Black English sounds proper to blacks, but to whites it may not be a proper use of language. Throughout this essay, Baldwin uses a specific tone and relates to his audience by opening his mind to both emotion and logic while still upholding his credibility. Baldwin tries to persuade the audience to respect the language of Black English using his personal experience. The history of different languages mentioned in the essay is used to help convince the audience of thinking about the term language from a new perspective. Whites and Blacks both may speak the same language, but that does not mean that they understand each other because the language can be spoken in different matters. As Baldwin states, “The white man could not possibly understand, and that, indeed, he cannot understand, until today”. A white man or black man had to be careful about the words they used in front of each other because some words would be considered offensive for one another. Baldwin uses African American language and culture to reveal the impact that the English language Americans use has created.

James Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, and social critic. In the article ''If Black English Isn't a language then tell me what is?'' James Baldwin's asserts an argument as how Language is like the ID of people, it can identify, as well as define people. Due to the characteristics it has it can be defined as a persuasive essay. It attempts to persuade the readers to be on the writer's side, or accept their point of view. The article is about the history of black slavery will always be a boundary between black and white people, as it can never be forgotten. This significant essay was written in the 1970s. It talks about how language is not merely used for communication, it can be used to classify people with different social backgrounds and class. He used examples like how people in England talk make sense to their own people and not everyone else to demonstrate his thought of why Black English is not recognized as a real language. The reason is that Black English is creation of the black diaspora. In addition, he thinks that white man never meant to teach the Blacks English, the sole purpose of it was for the blacks to understand with the white people are saying so they can serve the white people. That is also the reason why he thinks black child are lost is that children can't be taught by people who despise them. I find it to be an interesting idea. He talked about the origin of black people going back to slavery. The inability to interact with each other made them create black English. Which was their own means of communication. I think that this article has a lot to say about the impact that language has on African American people and his positive approach is supported with strong historical evidence, and the authors anger behind this writing makes it stronger. However, the assumption about education makes the article weak.

Baldwin says, “The time has come to realize that the interracial drama acted out on the American continent has not only created a new black man, it has created a new white man, too. (Baldwin 449) Baldwin believed that the time has come for Americans to open their eyes to the world around them and learn to embrace the new cultures constantly growing to be apart of what makes up America. As an African-American in the 50s Baldwin especially felt how important it was for there to be and end to the separation of cultures and race in America.

James Baldwin once said: “History is not the past. History is the present. We carry our history with us. To think otherwise is criminal”. This quote stated by James Baldwin perfectly summarizes the many problems that people are acquainted within society. Throughout history, people are bunched up into groups where they are labeled certain things which carries on into today’s world. People are not viewed as individuals with the certain choice making abilities but rather subjected to being grouped by irrelevant factors into certain groups. By doing this, other people are able to take advantage of these people that are classified into groups by exploiting them for their own benefit. This is the unfortunate system which history has allowed to

“I had never thought of myself as an essayist,” wrote James Baldwin, who was finishing his novel Giovanni’s Room while he worked on what would become one of the great American essays. Against a violent historical background, Baldwin recalls his deeply troubled relationship with his father and explores his growing awareness of himself as a black American. Some today may question the relevance of the essay in our brave new “post-racial” world, though Baldwin considered the essay still relevant in 1984 and, had he lived to see it, the election of Barak Obama may not have changed his mind. However you view the racial politics, the prose is undeniably hypnotic,

His use of repetition has a powerful effect because it stresses how one’s language forms their identity. He argues that African Americans are damned from the very moment that they open their mouths. And for what reason? Are African Americans not citizens who deserve to be treated the same as white Americans? According to Baldwin, “Negroes and whites” are “as American as any Texas G.I.” (“Discovery” 172). This suggests that Baldwin thinks that no matter what color your skin is, as long as you are an American, you deserve to be treated as an equal. There is no reason to use someone’s dialect as a way to justify treating someone differently when in reality; it is not “the language that is despised. It is his experience.” And it is these “experiences” that convince African Americans that “he can never become white.” (“Black English”652). This suggests that white people purposely choose to give African Americans a poor education so that they have an excuse to treat them as inferiors.

To begin with, Baldwin introduces his literary piece of writing in arguing that black English should be considered a language. He goes on to say that black English has heavily influenced the American culture, which possibly would be different if black English never existed. A language is an extension of

Miller states, “For him, a ‘good writer’ was a writer who was not content to pander to public taste or fame” (96-97). Even though he was under appreciated during his lifetime, he still fulfilled his goal of becoming an author. Today, he is greatly appreciated, his artistic style is exceptional. According to Miller, “Baldwin could not win in the eyes of his critics during his lifetime: he was trapped by the racial context for his writing and judged expectations, vacillating between strictly aesthetic and the strictly political, that were very much the products of a turbulent time. Baldwin found himself inhabiting neither place rather than both (104). Although he was neglected by critics during his lifetime, his works are being studied today because scholars have realized that they undermined his artistic abilities. Miller explains,“Baldwin’s previously neglected works, resulting in a work that represents the culmination of the recent trends in Baldwin studies. These works together indicate a willingness to read Baldwin thoroughly, to shed light on some of the works that had been critically dismissed, and to explore a plurality of contexts in order to recognize fully the accomplishments of this complex writer”(108). It’s wonderful that scholars are now more appreciative towards Baldwin’s work. According to Field, “Since 2001, nearly two hundred scholarly studies of Baldwin have appeared…” (1148). He deserves all the

I was struck by a strong emotional resonance while I was reading The Fact of Blackness by Frantz Fanon. “As long as the black man is among his own, he will have no occasion, except in minor internal conflicts, to experience his being through others,” Frantz Fanon writes, “In America, Negroes are segregated, whipped in the streets” where he describes how his social location was greatly affected by his racial class and how he was identified as supposed inferior group to the mainstream society.

In order to grasp a better understanding of the author’s craft, the student includes a portion of the author’s background. This may enable the student to further acknowledge the author’s purpose throughout the essay. Richard Wright was born on September 4, 1908 in Roxie, Mississippi and from the moment he was born, his life consisted of various struggles. He came to a world that refused to accept him on the basis of his skin color. Growing up African American (“Black“) was already hard enough, but growing up Black and in the South was practically a death sentence. Americans were strictly enforcing the Jim Crow Laws in the South and the Jim Crow Laws created a barrier between the Blacks and the Whites (Caucasian). These laws were instituted by Southerners after the Civil War because the southern lawmakers were unhappy that they had lost the war and did not want slavery to completely end. The Whites refused to see Blacks as socially equal. The Jim Crow Laws made Blacks inferior to the Whites in every situation. Therefore, any relationship between the Blacks and the Whites that purposed the slightest amount of equality among them, would not be tolerated and was punishable by law. For instance, a Black man could never offer to shake hands with a White male because it challenged the social equality between them. Additionally, a Black person could not eat with a White person, if this is the case, there would be a physical barrier between them. Wright’s Native Son depicts how the