Insulted by Ebonics - Do you unknowingly stereo type other people?

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Permalink Reply by Michael R. on July 6, 2009 at 8:43am

Many of these "African American's" have never been to Africa, have never studied Africa, and know very, very little about the culture in Africa

Same thing can be said about whites in the U.S. in regard to their European ancestors.


Most (nearly all) black people want to be called "African American"

Generalize much? I have engaged in conversations with probably a couple of thousand blacks in my time on this earth and I've never heard any of them say that they wanted to be referred to as "African American". So, in my experiences with blacks (which are many), I would say you are off-base.

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 12:25am

Personally, I don not agree with the term African American, either. I am a Black woman, An American. And, I am of African Descent. I don't believe in hyphenated Americanism. And, unitl someone can show me Caucasia on a map, I do not refer to white people as "Caucasian". If an application as African-American on it to describe me, I ether write in "Black" or (the new trend) "Mixed". Actually, we are all mixed with something.

My daughter has a best friend who's parent are from Nigeria. They are the true African America.

I am proud of my heritage. I knew my great-grandfather who was a freed slave. He married a woman who was half Native American and half Creole. That's on my mother's side of the family.

In the freedom fights of the civil right era, men and women died to be recognized as Black in America. Jame Brown said, "Say it Loud! I'm Black and I'm Proud."

We, as Black people in America really don't relate to Africa other than the fact that it lends to a rich heritage in the recipe of the people of this land.

And, if you are just going by color, then there are may Puerto Rican's who are called African American. There are many Jamaican's that are called African American. There are many Haitian's that are called African Americans, and so on.

I prefer to be called just an American.

Permalink Reply by Michael R. on July 6, 2009 at 8:15am

So, if someone comes up to you and speaks in a street slang, they are being disrespectul? How so? It seems to me that you ignoring such a person who is trying to address you is a much greater sign of disrespect. You feel me, dawg?

You said that people should address one another with respect regardless of appearance...so, maybe the person addressing you with street slang isn't making the best first impression to you but you dismiss them? You sound like a hypocrit to me, cuz.

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 12:00am

Living in the suburbs, I insisted my children speak "proper American English". My grandmother was an English teacher. That's where my definition of proper English comes from. It can also be defined as a language that you can speak on the job, to get you a job, to gain higher educations, to tohers who understand that you are educated, in church, at home, or wherever you show up.

I refused to let my children speak others concept of Ebonics. My son would say, "Mom, I talk to my friend on way and I talk to my teachers properly. You raised me right."

To me it was not a matter of raising him right. I wanted him to raise the bar.


Do you realize that when Ebonics was first defined several years ago was the same time that "nigga" became a generic term? My son and his Skype friends use the term all the time. They are in Japan, New Zealand, Canada, South America, Trinidad, Tobago, Turkey, Pakistan, Thailand, China, UL and Tennessee. As you can see, it's universal.

Permalink Reply by Victoria Finch on July 6, 2009 at 12:26am

I too grew up in the suburbs. When I graduated from North Central High School it was less than 2% black.I have been told and I feel that I am very articulate. I speak proper English most of the time. However, I do find myself on occasion using the "be" verb. My children are not allowed to use the word "nigga." It is important to me that my children speak proper English, but they too will occcasionally drop into slang. I correct them, but it still happens. English is also spoken in the countries you mention, but it is still English. Regardless of who speaks the Ebonics it is still Ebonics.

Again, this is a discussion about if it is proper to address people a certain way based solely upon their appearance.

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 12:41am

My son is 23.

Let me clarify. We did not speak that trash in my house as my children were growing up.

My son looked at it as a survival tactic. Sometimes the rule is different for a young Black Man in America.

My daughter is 16 and has never spoken an Ebonic word in her life.

She addressed everyone with respect regardless of color. Yet, she went to an all white private school and I had to take her out in the second grade because it was her school mates who started to recognize she was Black and segregate themselves from her. Sher became quite lonely. And, it was a Christian school! They taught the tenants of loving thy brother, but they could not get the message across to their students.

Permalink Reply by Victoria Finch on July 6, 2009 at 12:57am

I am sorry to hear about your daughter. I can't imagine what that must have been like. I was not under the impression that bad language was spoken in your home. I thought you were saying that your son's friends on Skype use inappropriate language. And the you did not raise him like that.

The thing I hear most out of my boy is the "be" verb. He doesn't say "aint" or "dat" or any other terms like that.

My daughter at 17 never has either. She is very articulate and sees Ebonics speech as a sign of ignorance. I agree with that to some extent. Some people can't rise above their environment.

I think I am off topic again. LOL

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 1:03am

It's easy to get off topic when you are having a good conversation! It just evolves!

Permalink Reply by John Cannon on July 6, 2009 at 9:55am

Cissi said, "To me it was not a matter of raising him right. I wanted him to raise the bar."

Well said! I couldn't agree more.

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 9:58am

Thank You!

Permalink Reply by Michael R. on July 7, 2009 at 3:44am

What if you lived in Queensbridge Projects, would you have insisted that your children speak "proper American English"?

Permalink Reply by Cissi Sherlock on July 6, 2009 at 12:10am

Another little story - it's not about Ebonics, but it's related.

My heritage is American Indian (Cre Tribe), Creole and Black. My hair texture is like, first generation diluted. For those who do not understand, we call it "good hair" or white-like. My mother and grandmother have thick silky hair of Polynesian texture.

I entered a hair salon on 86th and Michigan Rd. in Indianapolis one year and asked to purchase a hair cut.

The stylist just looked at each other. They looked like they had all been accused of robbery.

Then only stylist looked at the group and said, "Does anyone do ETHNIC HAIR?"

I said, "You don't have to worry. Here - feel my hair. It feel just like yours. I don't have coarse hair. Don't worry, you can cut it." Then I walked through the salon letting everyone feel my hair.

It was sooooo funny!

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