John Rickford Ebonics

(Hook) In the midst of the debate surrounding Ebonics, sociolinguist John Rickford describes the African American vernacular language as, “not just slang, but an English dialect, sharing a lot with other English varieties, but with some pretty distinctive features of its own” (“Suite for Ebony and Phonics” 2). (Bridge) Rickford’s definition of Ebonics is distinguishing and stabilizing, and it allows for the Oakland School Board to propose a resolution establishing the language as the mother tongue of their African American students. (Divided Stasis/Thesis Statement) (Opponent’s claim informed by 3 scholarly sources) Although opponents of the Oakland School Board Resolution believe that the decision unnecessarily distracts from a productive …show more content…
(1) As civil rights leader Jesse Jackson puts it, "While we are fighting in California trying to extend affirmative action and fighting to teach our children so they become more qualified for jobs, in Oakland some madness has erupted over making slang talk a second language. You don't have to go to school to learn to talk garbage" (Times Wire Service 1). He contrasts the legitimate work he is doing with the resolution, implying he is trying to move forward while the Oakland school board is moving backwards. (2) Writer David Troutt argues that “Ebonics is not as much the language of blackness as it is the only dialect of persistently poor, racially segregated people...it is the dumbness against which all smartness is measured” (1). Troutt worries about the potential ostracization of students who speak AAVE and raises concerns about the linguistic integrity of the language. (3) Former Black Panther official Eldridge Cleaver complicates matters further when he contends that “the only place for Ebonics is the streets. We don't need it in the classroom; we need to rescue kids from Ebonics...African Americans are linguistically creative and have enriched the English language. But Ebonics is the opposite of creative” (1). (Refutation: Rhetor’s Main Claim + Support 1) But, proponents of the resolution support the role of Ebonics as a stepping stone in the classroom because they regard it as a valid language with a rich cultural and social history. (Toulmin Warrant) The dismissal of Ebonics as “slang” is disparaging and does not take into consideration the development of the language, standing the test of time throughout the eras of slavery and segregation. (1) Author James Baldwin asserts that “Black English is the creation of the black diaspora….if two black people...had been able to speak to each other, the

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