More Than a Language: (Re)membering Black Language for Healing

• In Event: (Our)Story: African Diaspora Literacy as a Healing and Restorative Antidote to Anti-Blackness

Abstract

African American Language (AAL), one of the most denigrated languages in America, has been studied quite frequently over the past decade. The perception of AAL differs as some see it as a valuable, respectable language, and others see it as just slang or a dialect, which scholars have yet to agree upon (Boutte & Johnson, 2013; Rickford, 1999). We draw upon Boutte & Johnson’s (2013) notion of AAL “as a co-parallel language to Standard English, highlighting speakers’ complex linguistic skills” (p. 301). A major premise of African Diaspora Literacy acknowledges how language not only guides Black people’s way of being and knowing, but it’s uniqueness in which Black people communicate verbally and nonverbally. ADL encourages using AAL in classrooms and acknowledges that language is an area where Black people have been deprived of historical knowledge and experience trauma (Boutte et al., 2017). Further, AAL is more than just a language but a culture system, flourishing among Black people and co-opted by other cultural groups. This paper interrogates AAL as a language system and the ways AAL is hijacked in media to portray messages and serve as trends when convenient; in contrast, schools, in particular, delegitimize the language. Further, acknowledging this anti-Black violence, how AAL can be used as an antidote for healing Black students and people.
Historical trauma and systemic racism have perpetuated negative perceptions of Black Language, positioning it as inferior to White mainstream standardized English. Such perceptions sowed seeds of internalized racism within African American communities, leading to a devaluation of their linguistic heritage (Smitherman, 1977; Stevenson, 2014). Historically, the media has used AAL to perpetuate negative stereotypes, and its over-exaggeration makes somewhat of a mockery of the language (Anggreeni et al., 2018). Notably, speakers of AAL in film are often portrayed as poor and destitute rather than educated or normal (Anggreeni et al., 2018; Sun & Lei, 2018). Similarly, news media has historically published items such as editorial cartoons that mimic AAL portraying messages of anti-Blackness. This is also reflected in classrooms. Rather than being taught to embrace and engage in the language, students are often taught to abandon AAL, often their home language, as it is not ‘correct’ English. Students are required to change a significant part of who they are and present in a manner that will garner some respect. Some refer to this as code-switching. Baker-Bell (2020) asserts that requiring code-switching is a form of anti-Black linguistic racism, a contrast from other scholars who think teaching Black students “academic language” is preparing them for success.
Aligned with the AERA 2024 theme, "Dismantling Racial Injustice and Constructing Educational Possibilities: A Call to Action," this paper amplifies the role of educators in promoting an inclusive linguistic environment. It advocates for Black Language's integration into curricula, fostering environments where African American students not only learn its value but also experience its healing power. Such spaces validate students' linguistic experiences, empowering them with tools like present moment awareness, behavioral epigenetics, and counter-narratives to dismantle internalized racism (Tolle, 2004).

Authors

• Eli M. Davis, University of South Carolina

• LaTracey McDowell, University of South Carolina