(Provocative Title) Ebonics: Beneficial for the Students of the United States

            (Introduction) (Hook) Ebonics led James Baldwin, an African American novelist, to say, “Black English is the creation of the black diaspora” (1). (Bridge) Baldwin’s message emphasizes how Ebonics should be considered a language because Black English has direct correlation to their history and furthermore, their identity. (Opponent’s Claim) Althoughnon-supporters of Ebonics being a secondary language believe that Ebonics is “idiotic” because it is informal English, Ebonics should still be considered as an American language because (Rhetor’s claim informed by 12 scholarly sources)(Reason/Support 1)Black English is a real linguistic system, (Reason/Support 2)Ebonics imposed in schools only provide beneficial effects for students of the country, and (Reason/Support 3)Black English’s abolishment will mean neglecting the Black diaspora.

            (Narration)The word “Ebonics” was originally invented in 1973 by African American social psychologist Robert Williams.“Ebonics” is a mixture of two words: “Ebony” and “Phonics” and is also known as “Black English” or “African American diction”.Ebonics being implemented in schools has always been a national issue. This topic was again brought up in the 1990’s when the Oakland School Board approved of implementing Ebonics to their students.The policy regarding the Oakland Unified School District, whose reason on the issue of Ebonics is that if all pupils should be equally treated, then all pupils who have difficulty speaking, reading, writing, etc. should have the opportunity to learn successfully (through Ebonics) (Resolution 1). Supporters of the Resolution believe that Ebonics being taught will help students learn SAE more efficiently with the help of the teachers that can understand them. Critics of the school Board resolution believe that this program will not be beneficial for students who have not reached proficiency in reading, writing and speaking in English.What critics do not understand is that the school board not only believes that Ebonics can be a tool to assist students in being more proficient in SAE, but it also shows equal treatment to every student who struggle speaking SAE.

            (Confirmation)The Oakland School Board’s resolution went against the natural flow of the nation and decided to permit some schools (of their district) to take the child’s native language and use this to assist them and attempt to improve their proficiency in English. According to the Linguistic Society of America, scholars who prefer the term “Ebonics” or “African American Language” hopes to “highlight the African roots of African American speech and its connections with languages spoken elsewhere in the Black Diaspora” (1). Ebonics is not just a dialect but a language that has relationship to the history and identity of African Americans and this needs to be used in schools to educate students. Bree Picower, an assistant professor, who wrote “Teaching outside One’s Race” says thatEbonics will help students learn easier because the students will have more self-confidence since their culture is being appreciated.

            (Concession-Refutation)It is, indeed, true that there are Americans who oppose the resolution of Oakland School Board, believing that Ebonics is not the answer when educating students. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, one who appealed the school board to reverse its decision said, "The very idea that African American language is a language separate and apart is very threatening, because it can encourage young men and women not to learn Standard English." Jackson strongly believes that schools are meant to help children to become more qualified for jobs, yet Oakland is interrupting this process over teaching their students to learn to talk “garbage” (Jackson, 1). In addition, Eldridge Cleaver, a former minister information of the Black Panther Party also says no to Ebonics, he says, “The only place for Ebonics is the streets, we don’t need it in classrooms.” Cleaver believes that Standard English is meant to be linguistically creative but Ebonics is the opposite of that—it is a pathetic attempt to institutionalize dysfunction. (Cleaver, 1).  Moreover, opponents such as Haddon Tucker, the executive director of Americans for Equality believes that “Ebonics is a recipe for failure”. Tucker trusts Ebonics being implemented in schools is basically lowering standards and tolerating much less, teaching improper usage of our language (Standard American English). (Refutation: Rhetor’s Main Claim + Support 1) But, most native Ebonics speakers who struggle in learning SAE becauseBlack English is an actual linguistic system(Toumlin Warrant). A language, according to dictionary.com, is “a body of words and systems for their use common to a people who are of the same community, or nation, the same geographical area, or the same cultural tradition.” According to James Baldwin, “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances, or in order to not be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate” (1).  Baldwin is stating that Ebonics is a language formed from people that have progressed from circumstances they want to control. Combing the internet’s definition of “a language” with Baldwin’s: a language is a body of words used by people of the same community or culture that they use to describe and control their circumstances. This combined definition of “a language” certainly describes Ebonics, therefore, it is a language.

             (Refutation 2) In addition, Black English being taught in schools only has beneficial effects on students because it will not just help them learn SAE through their teachers, but also help gain their self-confidence, believing that their culture is appreciated (Toulmin Warrant). When Oakland school board approved of this “strategy” for students, they believe that having teachers “ease their way” into teaching English by speaking Ebonics, students will learn much more efficiently.According to Steven Holmes, who wrote “Black voice of the Streets is Defended and Criticized” he quotes Ms. Cook, a teacher from Oakland Schools who is part of the teaching program of Ebonics, she says “When they hear the child speak you will know what the child is saying and will know how to correct it” (1). By having properly trained teachers, students will be properly understood and corrected. Bree Picower, who wrote about her experiences from Prescott Elementary School with Ebonicsbeing enforced, “the added program caught everyone’s attention and the media interpreted it wrongly.” She mentions “this program acknowledges the systematic, rule-governed nature of Black English and takes the position that this language should be used to help children learn to read and write in Standard English” (12).Picower’s testimony shows that Ebonics displaysequality because all cultures are acknowledged. Ebonics being implemented in schools continues to focus in its purpose of helping children learn to read and write in American Standard English with having educators that will show their understanding for each and every student.

            (Refutation 3) Neglecting Ebonics means their history and identity is also ignored (Toulmin Warrant). As James Baldwin mentioned, “the brutal truth is that the bulk of white people in America never had any interest in educating black people, except as this could serve white purposes. It is not the black child's language that is in question, it is not his language that is despised: It is his experience” (1). James Baldwin is saying that since Ebonics shows appreciation of the African American culture, it is wrong to ignore it and not acknowledge it as a language because Ebonics has a major impact. Baldwin believes that one’s language describes one’s history which means when one language is neglected, their history is neglected as well. Ebonics has a crucial role in the African American culture, for that reason, it should not be disregarded. From the information above, (conclusion) Ebonics can be seen as a tool that will help students achieve proficiency in SAE with the help of their teachers, by knowing that their culture is equally appreciated, and by the acknowledgement that what is spoken at home is a legitimate language.

            (Summation) The enforcement of Ebonics in schools is a tool that can create major changes to help improve society. It has been proven by many scholars and activists that Ebonics is a language that can be used to help African American students reach proficiency in SAE. As a country, Black English should be imposed in all schools in the United States because Black English has correlation to African Americans’ history which also has correlation to our country’s history, therefore, it should also be considered valuable. In the same way, African Americans are also citizens of this country, therefore, it is also the United States’ position to assist their citizens to reach a better place by helping them through education.