white man now, white boy? ... We ain t gots to axe da white
man for nothin in dis class. Village Voice, 9/30/1997.
3. A black lawmaker and former principal has drafted a bill that
would prohibit Ebonics from being taught in a South Carolina
classroom or college. The Post and Courier, 1/4/1997.
4. School Board 24 in Western Queens last week became the first
in the city to officially ban Ebonics, or so-called black
English, from its classrooms. Board members voted
unanimously Thursday night to “reject any recognition of
Ebonics as a distinct and legitimate language” and compared
it to “unacceptable grammar” and a “decimation of the
English language.” Daily News, 1/27/1997.
5. California bill would bar Ebonics from classrooms. USA
Today, 1/27/1997. An explosive debate about how and whether
to use black English in public classrooms could lead Congress
to ban the use of federal funds for such instruction, Sen. Arlen
Specter (R., Pa.) said yesterday. The Philadelphia Inquirer,
1/24/1997.
6. Last Train from Oakland. Oakland’s attempt to link genes and
language was both racist and idiotic. Yesterday’s Senate
hearing underscored the plan’s weaknesses, and brought the
city’s superintendent under heavy attack. Outraged by the
city’s proposal, one Congressman even suggested restricting
Federal aid to the Oakland district. The New York Times,
1/24/1997.Postscript: Institutionalized mockery
On October 9, 1998, a distinctive quarter page advertisement appeared in
The New York Times. In it, an African American figure reminiscent of
Martin Luther King, Jr. stands with his back turned to a bold proclamation
in white print: “I HAS A DREAM.” The ad makes its case by appealing
directly to African Americans:
By now, you’ve probably heard about Ebonics (aka, Black English).
And if you think it’s become a controversy because white America
doesn’t want us messing with their precious language, don’t. White