"Now, if this passion, this skill, this (to quote Toni Morrison) "sheer intelligence," this incredible music, the mighty achievement of having brought a people utterly unknown to, or despised by "history"--to have brought this people to their present, troubled, troubling, and unassailable and unanswerable place--if this absolutely unprecedented journey does not indicate that black English is a language, I am curious to know what definition of language is to be trusted."
-Baldwin 1979
This course will examine the linguistic anthropological and sociolinguistic aspects of English as spoken by African-Americans in the United States. We will study the relationship of African-American English to linguistic theory, education policy, and U.S. culture. The course has an emphasis on research, mitigating discrimination, and improving the educational and social experiences of African-Americans in (higher) education and beyond.
Learning outcomes include:
- Identifying units of and ideologies associated with linguistic variation
- Understanding the historical development of African American English
- Operationalizing scholarship in African American Language and Culture
- Developing and pursuing (undergraduate) research questions