COM 325 / Week #8 Discussion: Language and social identity

     Language plays an important role in the formation and expression of one's identity. For example, Ebonics "helps create and reinforce a sense of mutual identity among African-Americans." Yet, some African-American leaders have voiced their concern toward the negative effect of Ebonics on African Americans' identity. For example, Bill Cosby slammed Ebonics:

      “Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal,…” “These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids — $500 sneakers for what? And won’t spend $200 for ‘Hooked on Phonics.’ . . .“They’re standing on the corner and they can’t speak English,” “I can’t even talk the way these people talk: ‘Why you ain’t,’ ‘Where you is’ . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it’s important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can’t be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth!”

     What do you think?