Given continuing myths and misconceptions in the media and in the nation's schools about the language many African American students use, the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) believes the public deserves a statement reflective of the viewpoints of language and literacy scholars on Ebonics. The variety of Ebonics spoken by African Americans in the United States reflects a distinctive language system that many African American students use in daily conversation and in the performance of academic tasks. Like every other linguistic system, the Ebonics of African American students is systematic and rule governed, and it is not an obstacle to learning. The obstacle lies in negative attitudes toward the language, lack of information about the language, inefficient techniques for teaching language and literacy skills, and an unwillingness to adapt teaching styles to the needs of Ebonics speakers. This statement also includes a summary of the history of Ebonics with bibliography. [This statement was originally written in May 1998, revised May 2016, and revised June 2021.]