The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children

I am writing this review for two reasons. The first is to praise this book for approaching the question of Ebonics and education from so many different perspectives. The second is to refute the racist diatribe in one of the previous reviews in which the reviewer criticizes Ebonics as being substandard. As a Ph.D. in linguistics, I can assure you that Ebonics is as rich and creative as any other language on earth. It is a language with a structure and a history going back centuries. The reviewer who criticized Ebonics does not understand how human language functions. It is not a question for debate. Ebonics is a language that is not inherently better or worse than any other human language. To allow speakers of Ebonics to discover this fact and to take pride in the rich history of their language can only be seen in a positive light, as far as I can tell. This book allows the reader to hear from teachers, linguists, and administrators who are experts in their fields. It should be required reading for everyone, but sadly it alone cannot overcome the prejudices held by some less enlightened members of society, as shown by one of the previous reviews.

... As one who has actually read the book, ... I highly recommend it.Contrary to media frenzy and popular belief, the Oakland school board did not pass a resolution in 1996 requiring that Ebonics, or Black English, be taught in place of Standard English. It did, however, pass a resolution recognizing what linguists had known for years: that Ebonics, like Spanish or German, is not defective English but a valid linguistic system following precise rules of grammar. It also recognized that while students speaking Ebonics need to learn Standard English to attain success in mainstream American society, to do so they must be treated with the same respect as any student who enters the classroom speaking a different language or dialect. (English as a Second Language) Instead, they are often dismissed as lazy or stupid.This collection is a common-sense look at the the issue, and a must-read for anyone who loves language.

As an Oakland, California teacher educator, parent, and former teacher, I am convinced that when Oakland is trashed in the media it has usually done something on the side of justice. The "ebonics debate" is just one recent example. This excellent book captures how path-breaking and righteous the Oakland school board was in defending the rights of African-American students to maintain the language they bring to school at the same time they learn the conventions of "Standard English." The interview with teacher Carrie Secret is excellent. If you teach or go to school, buy the book!