A discussion vlog: Carl Schroeer explains how African-American people denied the Oakland School Board's decision to recognize Ebonics as a valid linguistic system in 1996. Ebonics was not in a dictionary, they said. There exists striking similarities between rejecting Ebonics and denying American Sign Language: hostile criticism, misinformation, and avoidance.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
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4 comments:
While I am not versed in sign language, I fully agree that "Ebonics"--or African-American English (AAE)--is here to stay. Public schools across the country need to be linguistically and culturally responsive to all students. This does not mean teaching those languages or dialects but neutrally accepting and working with them.
http://readingupsidedown.wordpress.com/
http://readingrightsideup.wordpress.com/
There are few good books to read.
"Sounds Like Home" it is about a story of growing up Black and Deaf in the South.
Also, great book called “Ebonics in ASL: Stylistic Variation in African American Signers"
I was trying to remember another book but I can't seem to think....
Anyway, that book was very good and powerful.
I remember that debate over Ebonics very well. And yes, it is a definite and clear parallel between that and how people perceive ASL/English Bilingual education, as well as other issues in our Deaf community.
Actor Bill Crosby and other prominent African Americans oppose the existence of "Ebonics".
I somewhat agree with Crosby and others about the question of "Ebonics" which greatly seperate the lower-class African Americans from the rest of society.
I never am for the seperatism of the society at all.
RLM
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