A case study explored two African Americans' perceptions of Black English (BE) in their writing of academic prose and the effect these perceptions may have on their own metalinguistic awareness. Subjects, two African American male undergraduates enrolled at Ohio State University who had difficulty with grammar or used BE in their writings, were observed during tutoring sessions in a writing center and were interviewed. Results indicated that: (1) the first subject recognized that certain concepts are more appropriate for talking BE than others, but that he does not appear to have an equal recognition of the appropriateness of BE features in writing; and (2) the second subject used very few BE grammatical features in his writing and demonstrated his unfamiliarity with the personal experience essay. Findings suggest that it is important that teachers and students become well-informed about the nature of language and its use. (Two excerpts from the field notes are included; two excerpts from the subjects' essays are attached.) (RS)