An Understanding
Katherine Hatzidais
1/5/11
A Band
The argument had started on Facebook. It was my friend Rachel and I against a group of girlfriends. Rachel was only sticking up for me. We were all verbally attacking each other, but we didn’t stop.
“Yous just need ta stop frontin on her. She ain’t dun nunnin to any of yous nd yous sayin all dis crap,” Rachel replied to their nasty comments.
“She’s starting crap for no reason. CJ did nothing to her,” one of the girls had said back to my friend Rachel. “CJ has every right to say something back because Katherine has been talking about her behind her back. This is none of your business, so get out of it. BTW, you aren’t BLACK!”
“Why does she have to be black to type like that? Just cause she doesn’t type like you doesn’t mean she’s black!” I had to stick up for my friend now.
“She doesn’t know how to speak English. ‘Nunnin’ is not a word. It’s NOTHING!”
“It doesn’t make you any better than her though,” I replied back to her.
“It does because I can actually speak English. Obviously I’m smarter then her.”
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I started to ask myself: was this serious? Who would say something like that? This girl was basically saying that black people were stupid. She was creating a stereotype of people who didn’t type properly. Using slang was considered “black talk” to her. In her opinion, if you didn’t type properly or talk properly, you were considered stupid.
I believe that you don’t have to have the entire dictionary in your vocabulary in order to be considered smart. Nor do you have to pronounce every word with prefect pronunciation to be acknowledged as just a conscious person.
In the words of James Baldwin, “…I do not know what Americans would sound like if there had never been any black people in the United States…” I agree with James Baldwin because for every action, there is a reaction. Even though at the time people did not expect an entire language to develop from Africans being enslaved, it did. It changed the way we talk today between all races. Our communication to each other has been influenced by the slang they had created.
For the girl who said that comment to my friend was technically politically incorrect. We all talk black, and we all talk white. The difference is the way we talk but we all speak one language. It all depends on our slang, our accent, and our culture. We all speak English but we do not all speak it the same way.
When the girl had said to Rachel that she isn’t smart because she doesn’t talk properly was stereotypical. People could make the speculation that since she talks properly she is too white or that she was brainy. Not only was what she saying stereotypical but also racist. Not only was she calling Rachel unintelligent but black people as well. The implications of her comment are that she is better than black people because she is white.
My doctor was concerned and wanted me to be checked out by a neurologist.
“Katherine, you may come around the counter,” the doctor had shouted out.
I proceeded around the bend with my mother at my heels.
“Please take a step inside.”
The exam went on and as it did, Dr. McHarg kept bringing up words that I have never heard before. I was amazed with the variety of his vocabulary. He had explained to my mother and that when he was younger, and he would speak improperly or misuse a word his mother use to say to him “English is my fourth language, what is your excuse?” Dr. McHarg told my mother and I that his mother wanted so very hard to become a master of the English language, that is why he spoke with such a range of words. My mother had mentioned to me that he sounded so intelligent because of his vocabulary. She was extremely impressed with vast variety of vocabulary.
According to James Baldwin, “It is the most vivid and crucial key to identify: It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity.” I believe this quote applies to everyone. I think this quote may be applied to this moment because his language revealed his private identity of his relationship with his mother but also connected him to a public identity which would be that he was educated. This is true not just for doctors or people who are educated but also for all individuals. The situation may be reversed and the individual may not be as educated, which may lead them to have a poor vocabulary.
Either way, different cultures from around the world have created the massive language of English that many people speak today. Through this language people are able to express themselves and engage with others. It creates a common understanding for people. Our slang, accents, and dialects are what set us apart but also connect us to a congregation of our own.
1/5/11
A Band
The argument had started on Facebook. It was my friend Rachel and I against a group of girlfriends. Rachel was only sticking up for me. We were all verbally attacking each other, but we didn’t stop.
“Yous just need ta stop frontin on her. She ain’t dun nunnin to any of yous nd yous sayin all dis crap,” Rachel replied to their nasty comments.
“She’s starting crap for no reason. CJ did nothing to her,” one of the girls had said back to my friend Rachel. “CJ has every right to say something back because Katherine has been talking about her behind her back. This is none of your business, so get out of it. BTW, you aren’t BLACK!”
“Why does she have to be black to type like that? Just cause she doesn’t type like you doesn’t mean she’s black!” I had to stick up for my friend now.
“She doesn’t know how to speak English. ‘Nunnin’ is not a word. It’s NOTHING!”
“It doesn’t make you any better than her though,” I replied back to her.
“It does because I can actually speak English. Obviously I’m smarter then her.”
I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I started to ask myself: was this serious? Who would say something like that? This girl was basically saying that black people were stupid. She was creating a stereotype of people who didn’t type properly. Using slang was considered “black talk” to her. In her opinion, if you didn’t type properly or talk properly, you were considered stupid.
I believe that you don’t have to have the entire dictionary in your vocabulary in order to be considered smart. Nor do you have to pronounce every word with prefect pronunciation to be acknowledged as just a conscious person.
In the words of James Baldwin, “…I do not know what Americans would sound like if there had never been any black people in the United States…” I agree with James Baldwin because for every action, there is a reaction. Even though at the time people did not expect an entire language to develop from Africans being enslaved, it did. It changed the way we talk today between all races. Our communication to each other has been influenced by the slang they had created.
For the girl who said that comment to my friend was technically politically incorrect. We all talk black, and we all talk white. The difference is the way we talk but we all speak one language. It all depends on our slang, our accent, and our culture. We all speak English but we do not all speak it the same way.
When the girl had said to Rachel that she isn’t smart because she doesn’t talk properly was stereotypical. People could make the speculation that since she talks properly she is too white or that she was brainy. Not only was what she saying stereotypical but also racist. Not only was she calling Rachel unintelligent but black people as well. The implications of her comment are that she is better than black people because she is white.
My doctor was concerned and wanted me to be checked out by a neurologist.
“Katherine, you may come around the counter,” the doctor had shouted out.
I proceeded around the bend with my mother at my heels.
“Please take a step inside.”
The exam went on and as it did, Dr. McHarg kept bringing up words that I have never heard before. I was amazed with the variety of his vocabulary. He had explained to my mother and that when he was younger, and he would speak improperly or misuse a word his mother use to say to him “English is my fourth language, what is your excuse?” Dr. McHarg told my mother and I that his mother wanted so very hard to become a master of the English language, that is why he spoke with such a range of words. My mother had mentioned to me that he sounded so intelligent because of his vocabulary. She was extremely impressed with vast variety of vocabulary.
According to James Baldwin, “It is the most vivid and crucial key to identify: It reveals the private identity, and connects one with, or divorces one from, the larger, public, or communal identity.” I believe this quote applies to everyone. I think this quote may be applied to this moment because his language revealed his private identity of his relationship with his mother but also connected him to a public identity which would be that he was educated. This is true not just for doctors or people who are educated but also for all individuals. The situation may be reversed and the individual may not be as educated, which may lead them to have a poor vocabulary.
Either way, different cultures from around the world have created the massive language of English that many people speak today. Through this language people are able to express themselves and engage with others. It creates a common understanding for people. Our slang, accents, and dialects are what set us apart but also connect us to a congregation of our own.
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