Ebonic dialect say you stupid, say source

"Because classrooms should teach children about the importance of self esteem, not rip it from them . . ." John Oliver, Last Week, Tonight. Says the guy from England who literally had one black kid in his entire school . . . Seriously though, I don't have any problem with my kid going to a racially diverse school. I strongly encourage it, in fact. We desperately need diversity in our schools, if for no other reason than that it gives us one of the few opportunities to understand one another, in a culture that is still racially segregated, only because it's more convenient and comfortable than it would be otherwise. Or so we all seem to think. "Diversity," however, is the key word. If my daughter were the only white kid in a majority black school, would I be concerned if she came home speaking Ebonics? You betcha. And here is where I get into some very . . . sensitive territory. But if I don't address it - as eloquently and with as much dignity as I am able - then who will? Fox News? Bubba Jethro's Blog? (I'd bet my next paycheck there is indeed such a blog . . . or one so similar in name and scope that it makes no difference.)

Is the Ebonic dialect inherently wrong? Well, that depends on who you ask, actually. The vast majority of educated people, I believe, would say that it is, if only on a grammatical level. Personally, having been a writer for a living, I would have a problem with it because I have striven since my daughter first began to speak to teach her proper English. I wouldn't be worried about her safety, and I don't honestly care what the ethnicity is of the man (or woman) she eventually falls in love with. I do care, very much, about her future, however. And as liberal as I am, I would also have a problem with how people would identify her in public if she spoke Ebonics. Not because she's white, not because she's a girl, and not because she's a white girl. Regardless of how open-minded a person is, there is a disconnect that happens when you hear a white kid talking like he or she grew up in the ghetto. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with Ebonics (other than the fact that it seems to be deliberately removed from the common American dialect, and improper English to boot). I am saying that when my daughter graduates college and goes on her first job interview, I want to ensure that she impresses whoever is interviewing her. And while nearly all of us use slang to one degree or another, I want to know that all these years I have been teaching her proper grammar and word usage hasn't been for nothing. For that matter, I want her to graduate college, and she has little chance to do so if she cannot use, or refuses to speak, proper English.

I didn't write it...but I admit that I have thought it. And apparently I am not the only one. Is it racist? I hope not. But I am quite certain there are some who would view it as such. What say you, Spike Lee? {answer below}

Go ahead, get along with calling me a racist. Only, I've had this same conversation with my black friends - yes, I have many. I live in the Deep South. And believe it or not, we Southerners - blacks and whites - get along a hell of a lot better than Hollywood would have you believe. Indeed, I'd guess that we're a shit-ton more diverse than the rest of the country (for instance, Mississippi has the highest interracial marriage rate in the country, per capita . . . go figure).

"Oh my . . ." says George Takei

My friends and I agree on one thing for certain - whatever the reason is, and I am by no means trying to define that reason, people who speak with the Ebonic dialect, regardless of skin color, are largely viewed in the professional world as under- or uneducated. I have friends who slip between Ebonic English and proper English effortlessly, depending on who they're around. Nothing wrong with that either. I've noticed my Southern accent thickens and thins depending on who I'm around. I think we do this subconsciously. But to disregard proper English in a society in which education is viewed as an invaluable priority is called deliberate ignorance. We are all taught how to speak properly in grade school. Whether or not we choose to speak properly has a lot to do with the environment in which we live, I am aware. However, the way you speak quite literally can define your level of education, particularly in the eyes of a potential employer. We do control how we speak. The way you speak is a choice. I can tolerate ignorance, to an extent. But deliberate ignorance, to me, is intolerable.

And here I thought I was the asshole? Nope. Spike, you da man...da asshole, racist man, that is. Oh, and your movies suck. Just thought I'd throw that out there.