Surveys the various representations of African American language found in contemporary children's picture books. Focuses on dialect, how varied African American language is, and how closely African American language is tied to the psychology of oppression. (TB)

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

Considers "Ebonics" the most encompassing of the different terms used to describe various English language patterns used by Blacks. Recommends measures to improve teacher attitudes and knowledge in dealing with students who use nonstandard language patterns. (Author/MJL)

Argues that Black English is a distinct language that reflects cultural differences in the way individuals evaluate and interact with their environment. Only when mental health professionals become cognizant of cultural biases held in relation to Black English will they be able to work effectively with culturally dissimilar individuals. (JBJ)

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)

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)

Asserts that speakers of Black English and their behavior evoke strong responses outside and inside their communities. Asserts that members of the black communities are rarely permitted to describe or defend their language or ways of using it. Offers the essays, comments, and class interactions of an African-American/Linguistics class on language…

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)

This paper states that the language called "Ebonics" is believed to be over 300 years old and that a great deal of the language was created while Black slaves were being brought from Africa to the Americas. Noting that in January of this year the Linguistic Society of America recognized Ebonics as an official language with just as much…

Describes experiences in a Black English course in which teacher and students mounted the charge of making schooling relevant and useful when they decided to mobilize on behalf of a Black classmate whose unarmed brother was killed by white policemen in Brooklyn, New York. (JOW)

Suggests a holistic approach to the language of Black people involving theory and research, policy and planning, and implementation and practice, the ultimate aim of which is knowledge for liberation. (DD)

Describes the writing problems of a poor, black, urban student who wants to succeed in college but doesn't know how. Asserts that language use, particularly the use of Black English, plays a major role in their lack of academic success. Offers drills and strategies to help with this problem. (PRA)

Maintains that the move from theorizing difference to dealing with difference in an intercultural collaboration creates generative conflicts for educators and students. Tracks the conflicting discourses, alternative representations, and political consequences the construct "Black English" had for black and white mentors, teenage writers, and…

This paper makes three arguments reaffirming the overwhelming complexities inherent in any real history of the language of blacks in North America. (1) Although the study of black English, however that term may be defined, is desirable in itself and was profitable for white linguists during the 1960s and early 1970s, it did not and never will do…

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.…