Ebonics

Ebonics—a blending of the words ebony and phonics—is a fluid linguistic concept used to describe the multitude of dialects derived from the merging of West African and Congo languages with “socially acceptable” Standard English. Attempts to utilize Ebonics as a means of reforming language instruction have provoked considerable discussion regarding African Americans' use of Ebonics (Black English) and its place in American education.

The vernacular and linguistic patterns of enslaved Africans can be found throughout literary and scholarly works dating back to the 1700s. Early references and observations characterized African Americans who used Black English as simplistic in thought, limited in comprehension, and ultimately unable to command Standard English. Through the 18th, 19th, and well into the 20th century such racial prejudices validated White Americans' positions of superiority while substantiating African Americans' position as oppressed persons unworthy of membership in an integrated society.

In the 1930s African American educators, scholars, and writers began to highlight Black English as an empowering tool in gaining understanding and acceptance of African culture and heritage. Carter G. Woodson and W. E. B. Du Bois were the first Black scholars noted for fostering a sense of pride in African Americans' retention and usage of a language derived from their African ancestry. African American novelist Zora Neale Hurston (1891–1960) gained wide recognition for her purposeful use of Black English and uncanny ability to capture lived experiences in rural Black communities throughout her writings.

The word Ebonics was conceived in 1973 at the National Institute of Health's conference on the psychological development of Black children. A group of frustrated African American scholars led by Robert Williams, a social psychologist, met independently to discuss alternatives to the restrictive and vague language used to describe Black speech or language.