The Effort to Introduce Ebonics,which Is a Formalization of Black

question 11

Essay

The effort to introduce Ebonics,which is a formalization of Black English,into the Oakland Unified School District in 1996 was met with considerable resistance.Critics predicted the erosion of Standard English and corresponding loss of national identity.As a nation of immigrants,the idea of a national identity has been part of how Americans cope with the influx of immigrants,and the willingness and ability to adopt the language of the United States has figured into this process.African American schoolchildren in the Oakland School District were struggling to succeed in school when Ebonics was introduced,which was one of the reasons for the Ebonics effort.Discuss why critics might have felt that Black English posed a threat to both identity and why it might or might not have contributed to changes in outcome for children,black and white.What is Ebonics,and why did it matter to speakers and critics alike? What role did identity play in this controversy? What were some of the other factors that drove both the controversy and the outcome?

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