Temple prof continues Ebonics debate

Temple University African American Studies Professor Molefi Asante continued the Ebonics debate yesterday as he spoke on African American inventions and their impact on the perception of African Americans in the United States. Asante, a self-described "strong militant" supporter of Ebonics, argued in his lecture -- entitled "A Discussion with Dr. Molefi Asante" -- that Ebonics should be taught to African Americans in schools. "Ebonics is just like any other language," he said. In his course at Temple, Asante says Ebonics is no less a language than Spanish or English. "Africans are just told that they only speak dialect, not an actual language and this is not true," he added. Noting that there are differences among Ebonics, hip-hop and slang, Asante said the former is a combination of various languages. Top linguists from all over the world have categorized Ebonics as an actual language which uses correct grammar and sentence structure, Asante said. He noted that the language has two verbs in each sentence -- a usage that "makes sense" and is common in other languages. Asante, however, emphasized characteristics that distinguish Ebonics from standard English. "If you listen to the way African Americans speak and then listen to a white American, you will hear a tonal difference," said Asante, citing the example of the word "long." In Ebonics, "long" is drawn out to emphasize its size, as opposed to saying "very long" in standard English. Asante said passing a law to remove Ebonics would deny African Americans their culture and heritage. He added that English and Ebonics -- as well as any other language -- should be taught to children in schools. "We should be aware of our roots," he said. "We should not lose sight of what we are and represent. There is a multiplicity of cultural languages and they are all valid." Asante concluded the discussion by speaking on the different contributions African Americans have made that stretch as far back as the building of the pyramids in Egypt. He mentioned the various African American pioneers who have made significant contributions to America -- and the lack of recognition they received for their achievements. Asante teaches courses at Temple on Afro-centrism, Ancient Egyptian studies and Ebonics. The Penn Women's Center, the African American Resources Center and the African American Studies Department sponsored the discussion.