Source: Fox News
Summary
A group of radical left-wing organizations in California, known as Black Californians United for Early Care and Education (BlackECE), are advocating for the inclusion of Black vernacular in a state program promoting multilingualism for children. The group argues that Black English, also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE), is a legitimate language with its own rules and structure, and should be recognized as such in early childhood education. They claim that this would help to affirm the identity and culture of Black children and provide them with the same resources and support as multilingual learners.
Our Reading
Once again, the discussion returns to a familiar question.
BlackECE, a coalition of organizations, pushes for the recognition of Black English in California schools. They argue that it’s not slang or broken English, but a legitimate language with its own rules. The group’s co-founder, Ashley Williams, shares her personal experience of being teased for “talking white” and wants to prevent Black children from feeling shame for the way they speak.
The California program “Promoting Equitable Early Learning and Care For Dual Language Learners” already promotes multilingualism, but BlackECE wants to add Black English to the mix. Williams emphasizes that it’s about affirming identity, culture, and humanity, and not having to “perform” to be accepted.
BlackECE provides examples of AAVE, such as “She be working” and “They happy”, to illustrate its legitimacy.
The group’s efforts can be seen as a performance of identity politics, where language becomes a symbol of cultural authenticity.
Author: Evan Null
