GUEST COLUMNIST: Cultivating self-worth in children

From: Jamil Smith's, "Guest Columnist," Fall '97 From: Jamil Smith's, "Guest Columnist," Fall '97 On January 12, the Oakland Unified School District believed they had clarified the Ebonics issue for everyone. They revised their policy to minimize future misinterpretations regarding their use of Ebonics (or what is popularly known as "Black English") in their curriculum. The hope was people would understand that they do not assert Ebonics is genetically based, but is a direct descendant of the languages enslaved Africans brought with them to the United States. As we discuss the interest of those black children, let's explore why Ebonics is being implemented in the first place. Ebonics -- a word that is a combination of the words "ebony" and "phonics," -- is replacing the outdated ideal of compensatory education. This strategy, which is advocated by "verbal deficit" theorists, believes if a child has a problem learning a particular language, the deficiency lies within the child and not with the educational policy. Disadvantaged children across the nation are made to feel as if there's something wrong with them if they don't know standard English or have problems learning it. Schools avoid the blame and place it directly on the shoulders of the parents, the media and the entertainment industry. Oakland school officials like Toni Cook, one of the original drafters of the Ebonics mission statement, have recognized it is their responsibility to make their students understand they're not stupid. Ridiculous? No, not really. Take into account that these children are told by their teachers their speech isn't wrong -- it's just different. Not only is it different, but it is a separate language. When the children understand this, their whole mindset is reversed. Rather than being made to feel as if their speech patterns (and the people in their lives who use the same speech) are not acceptable, they are taught to respect their own background. Through this they learn vital language skills that will help them to navigate their way through the predominantly white professional America that awaits them. Some critics claim Ebonics inhibits children's learning -- that it is "broken" English, filled with trendy slang and incorrect grammar. I do not claim to be a linguist, but there are undeniable indications that Ebonics is not slang at all. English words in Black English tend to lose a "d" following a vowel, so "good" becomes "goo," and the final "th" is sometime is replaced with "f," so "with" becomes "wif." Also, as Michigan State University professor Geneva Smitherman's findings indicate, Black English possesses structures and verb patterns making it distinct from standard English. Smitherman, a noted linguist, stated Ebonics' verbs convey "aspect, or habitual activity." Sentences such as "She be here" can mean the person is here occasionally and not that she is here. Smitherman asserts structures such as these are directly related to that of Niger-Congo languages. This prompts one to ask the reason why scholars like Smitherman weren't consulted by popular media when the issue of Ebonics blew up on the national scene. Educated but uninformed people like Angelou, Mfume and Jackson were the first to be solicited for their opinions. Meanwhile, distinguished Temple University professor Molefi Asante was forced to take his scholarship to his radio show, where he was not only more eloquent but more knowledgeable. Jackson earlier issued a harsh statement against the Oakland schools' initiative, saying "you don't have to go to school to learn to talk garbage." Later, after he had met with several linguists, he hastily retracted his statement and endorsed the use of Ebonics. Opponents believe young black students should forget their Ebonics so they might speak standard English exclusively. In an age when black people are made to feel ashamed of everything related to their ancestors' enslaved past -- spirituals, hairstyles, dress, and instruments -- it is refreshing and inspiring to see a group of educators embrace it. In that embrace, they have discovered how they might employ that past in today's America. Perhaps this strategy will aid the black family, currently in a state of crisis. Perhaps, young black children whose parents speak Ebonics won't think they are unintelligent. Perhaps this will generate a new respect for their parents. Of course, much work and research remains to be done. Presently, the Oakland school board and scholars like Smitherman and Asante recognize standard English is necessary to be understood in mainstream America. Does this mean black Americans who speak Ebonics should abandon that language? I say no.