Should Ebonics Be Taught In Schools

African American Studies is a very complex subject. To confuse African American studies with black history is a common occurrence. African American studies is much deeper and more profound than just Black history alone. There are many unanswered and unasked questions among the Black American culture which causes confusion and misunderstanding in modern day society. In unit one there were many themes, concepts, and significant issues in the discipline of Africana studies. Both W.E.B Du Bois and Vivian V. Gordan touched on many concerns.

“The Black Studies Program: Strategy and Structure” was published Fall of 1972 in The Jounal of Negro Education. It’s contents are a relection on the years before when colleges and universitys were allowing African Americans to attend , but did not provide curriculum about or for African Americans.

Explain why you agree or disagree with this statement: We should allow students to use Ebonics in the classroom. Make sure you explain your answer well.

In America, we are told that it is the land where everything and anything is possible. For many years, it wasn’t like that for African American. With many hard work, strength, and courage African American manage to earn the right to an education. To the African American community education became more of a need than a want. We’ve learn that education is such a powerful asset that with it you are unstoppable. You can do so much if you put your time and energy to it. Having an education to African American is the one hope for a brighter and better

The aspect of African-American Studies is key to the lives of African-Americans and those involved with the welfare of the race. African-American Studies is the systematic and critical study of the multidimensional aspects of Black thought and practice in their current and historical unfolding (Karenga, 21). African-American Studies exposes students to the experiences of African-American people and others of African descent. It allows the promotion and sharing of the African-American culture. However, the concept of African-American Studies, like many other studies that focus on a specific group, gender, and/or creed, poses problems. Therefore, African-American Studies must overcome the obstacles in order to

In the article, Education and Schooling: You Can Have One Without the Other, Mwalimu J. Shujaa of the State University of New York discusses the importance of learning that there is a difference between schooling and education. Can education exist without schooling or vice versa? Shujaa’s article gives an insight into the conjunction of schooling and education and how they impact the culture of African Americans.

“Language is a product of society. As society changes, so does language.” Because of this, over time, English speakers all over the world have reinvented language and in some cases come up with their own very different ways of speaking. African American Vernacular English (AAVE), also referred to as Ebonics, is one of these variations of American English, most commonly spoken today by urban working-class and middle-class African Americans. Not only does Ebonics make up an immense part of African American social life and communication, but also it is heavily used in the music industry. Its use in the music industry today, particularly in the hip-hop industry, has definitely had an effect on society’s use of language, especially today’s youth. Although widely used by African Americans, many other ethnicities also use Ebonics as a way of communication. The use of Ebonics has steered many away from learning and/or using Standard English and unfortunately, this has lead to communication barriers between speakers of Ebonics and speakers of Standard English especially within academic environments. Due to this, it is extremely important for school systems to incorporate Ebonics as well as elements from the hip-hop culture into their curriculum to ensure the success of their students.

For generations African Americans have been disadvantaged in America and effects of these injustices have made a lasting impression. Education is one of the leading problems in the black community. Though there have many reforms in education over the years, racial injustices still exist because no attention in placed on how legislature affects people of color. I was raised in a middle-class family of educators. My entire life I’ve been told to “stay in school, get an education, and work hard so that you can beat the system.” Recognizing the structural forces in my life has helped me understand my place in society. Being able to “understand everyday life, not through personal circumstances but through the broader historical forces that

Incorporating topics of the violence and racial tension we see everyday can be difficult when it comes to certain class subjects. If a teacher is having trouble, Pitts takes the time to recommend various units teachers can use to inform students of what actually happened during times of trouble. This includes teaching about a revolutionary book in literature, what propelled the civil rights movement in history, and the black scientists who have contributed greatly to advance medical fields. Although the “black bodies have too often been used” and manipulated, she does not forget to acknowledge the fact that not all white people are bad and not all African Americans are saints. She asks educators to “be on guard against false narratives” and to teach about the white people who had

In fact, black educators like Richard Wright found support in the classics for racial equality; the study of the classics was a means to understanding the

Modern society has started a war against education’s support of free thoughts and differing opinions, attempting to reduce developing minds into clones of general normalcy. It has oppressed thoughts in students who contribute to the defiance of conforming to the populous status quo; unlike the status quo, education encourages eccentric opinions and allows students to develop their own voice. As the educational system emboldens free-thinking, it also allows society to repress those thoughts. African Americans role in society mirror this exact issue. Once they

Thus Black Studies argues for a number of far-reaching reforms. There should be a greater emphasis on student participation in the teaching/learning process, rather than the banking process where the teacher deposits knowledge into students’ heads and periodically (at exam time) makes withdrawals. ….. Finally, freedom, like effective education, is achieved most often when groups of human beings cooperate with each other, not when lone individuals compete against all others” (Cole, pg

When he actually did his own assignments, my subject was disturbed by how little African American history was taught, how much the African culture was ignored. “We spent half a semster on World War I and never talked about the black military units! I learned about the black efforts through my parents!”

Introduction to African American Studies was the class that I decided to take this summer because I am genuinely interested in learning more about the cultures and lifestyles of African Americans through out history and I want to further my knowledge beyond just learning about what was taught to me in secondary school. I do not know much about African American studies as I have not taken any courses on it or relating to it in the past but I hope that I can gain a lot of information on the topic through out this intellectual experience. I also hope to gain a better understanding of the history of Africans and African Americas and be able to dive deeper into this topic instead of just hitting the surface as I feel as though my previous experiences with this topic have covered. In just this first weeks lesson I have learned about the three great principles that characterize the “Black Intellectual Tradition” and how these three principles are used and perceived.

If a non-Ebonics speaking person hears Ebonics, a dialect of English with slang,they may assume the person is of low intelligence, and is a criminal or violent in nature. Ebonics is a language that is widely spoken among many African Americans as well as those from very southern states. For example, in my town we have what we call “Rednecks” who have their own language. I understand it but I have personally come into contact with people from up North who cannot understand a word of what that person is saying.