Cites and discusses various forms of satire from Black American, Caribbean, and African cultures. Forms considered include oral ballads ('toasts') antebellum sermons, praise poems, mother-rhyming, ritual insult and theater. Emphasizes the agonistic element and the impossibility of performing Afro-American satire in standard English. (RDN)

Demonstrates how the speech and writings of Blacks living in the United States and abroad reflect a holistic cognitive style. (DA)

Suggests that Ebonics deserves respect as a genuine spoken dialect, widely used and important in American culture. Notes that students who are fluent in it benefit when they are allowed to add standard English to their repertoire and taught the appropriate occasions for each way of speaking. (RS)

The ways in which Black consciousness and experience emerge in the works of three Black poets are explored in this article. Historical, cultural, psychological, and linguistic influences are considered. (GC)

Intends to trace a line of thought from early rhetoricians and scholars to contemporary researchers, thinkers, and practitioners that both emphasizes critical pedagogy and values Black culture, especially its vernacular language. Concludes that there was always an African-American contribution to the field of composition in some way or another.…

Discusses how Black orality, which combines elements of Black speech and music, is supplemented by dance and other nonverbal cues and actualized in the performance of contemporary Black poetry. (JMF)

Suggests that teachers of African American students have an obligation to familiarize themselves with some of the important differences in their students' language and culture that affect their learning in the classroom. Describes the rich oral tradition and group-centered ethos of African American culture. (RS)

Discusses the aims of and need for an African-centered pedagogy. A curriculum that legitimizes African stores of knowledge, builds upon the indigenous language, and imparts a positive, self-sufficient outlook would strengthen the identity and capabilities of Black children. (DM)

Describes ways in which several successful teachers of Black children in Canada and the United States use Caribbean and/or Black English, rhythmic speech, and music already familiar to Black children to reinforce the child's identity while providing a bridge from home to the dominant culture. (DM)

To be culturally valid, the characteristics identified by dialectologists as distinctive of black English must correspond to the terms members of the black community use to characterize their speech. Not all of the patterns that characterize black English within the dialectal framework are equal in their social or ethnic significance--the speech…

Examination of representative stories told by black American children of West African descent in South Carolina shows that specific cultural motifs have been preserved in the oral tradition of black communities. Typical stories are tales of the supernatural, such as the Hag story about mortals who shed their skin at night to do evil deeds.…

The unjustified assumption that black children have limited verbal or articulation skills stems from the fact that blacks use figurative, nonliteral, and nonstandard language in the classroom. The language that most disadvantaged blacks learn at home and bring to the classroom is a restricted form born out of poverty and limited exposure to good…

Enumerates the value and benefits of the black oral tradition, and describes the typical organization and identifying characteristics of American black folktales. Stresses the importance of "telling the tell," or storytelling, for children and adults to maintain family traditions and remember shared heritage. (SKC)

The Martin Luther King case established a legal mandate requiring school systems to identify, assess, and remedy educational problems associated with the use of nonstandard English dialects, casual or otherwise, by minority group children. (Author/MLF)

Identifies negative factors in the current culture and surroundings of Black males from childhood through adolescence, and their consequences in adulthood. Recommends programs that instill confidence and spur achievement through awareness of positive aspects of African American history and culture. (DM)