Oppression Will Not Overtake Us
Abraham, Djeneba, Eleanor
Reading:
Smitherman, Geneva. “Ebonics, King, and Oakland: Some Folk Don’t Believe Fat Meat Is Greasy.” Journal of English Linguistics, vol. 26, no. 2, 1998, pp. 97-107.
What is the purpose and main arguments of the article?
The purpose of this article is to advocate and bring awareness that Ebonics, or the Black dialect, is not slang or unprofessional. Smitherman argues that Ebonics is a legitimate language, not slang or incorrect English, but a language system with African roots that goes back to slavery. The evolution of the language signifies cultural expression. For example, the article argues that formerly enslaved Africans could not pronounce the ‘th’ sound because the Mother Tongue of many African languages does not have it, so they use the ‘f’ sound because it is similar. The US education system stigmatizes Ebonics and creates an unfair system where speakers of Ebonics have a disadvantage due to their language being seen as less sophisticated and academic. The rejection of Ebonics further alienates Black students because it is not considered “proper” English. It maintains a social hierarchy and reinforces academic struggles.
How does the article highlight or explore the course themes?
Ebonics is a part of African American cultural identity, and so, suppressing ebonics is a way of suppressing African American identity and expression. King v Ann Arbor is an example of African Americans fighting to have their language and identity recognized by the government and placing Ebonics on the same level as “traditional” English.
How would you describe the “vibe” of the text?
The vibe of the text is bold, unapologetic, and deeply rooted in cultural pride. It carries a conversational yet authoritative tone, blending academic analysis with personal storytelling. She also writes with passion and urgency. This ensures that people understand this isn’t solely a scholarly discussion but a reality for real Black students. At the beginning of the text, it is as if there were no solutions to the alienation of Black voices, but towards the end, the text had an empowering voice. There was no longer a yearning to fully assimilate but to change the systems that made them feel less than in the first place.
How does this playlist complement the vibes of the text (somatically, sonically, taste, tempo, genre)?
We tried to choose songs that used Ebonics along with songs discussing the oppression of African American identities through different means, including Ebonics. We also chose songs to portray the urgency and importance of the issue that is displayed in the article, along with songs in other languages to match the author's idea of multilingualism as a solution to stigmas around Ebonics.
How did each of you go about finding songs to include in the playlist?
Djeneba: I searched up songs based on themes of resistance and self-love. I also focused on the race and ethnicity of the person because I wanted the characters in the text to be relatable to the musical artist. I mainly chose empowering songs that I heard a lot during my childhood. Discussing the text as a group before finalizing the songs in the playlist helped me better understand what the text was about. We did a deep analysis.
Eleanor: I started by looking up songs that were about the main themes in the reading. I then chose songs that I thought complemented the text and listened to them. After we came together to discuss the vibes of the text I felt I had a deeper understanding and was able to find more songs.
Abraham: First, we discussed the vibes of the reading as a group, and that pointed me toward faster-paced songs with a lot of passion for social justice. With that in mind, I looked through my library and picked out songs that fit the vibe we decided on. I also looked on the internet to see if there were any songs that discussed Ebonics in a blatant way without using metaphors, which led me to the song “Ebonics.”
Which song(s) reflect your critiques of the text?
The song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” enables listeners to realize that change happens not just through big corporations, but also through the change in mindset and actions of individual people. This song critiques mass media and promotes active engagement from everyone, rather than sitting on your couch and watching the news. Smitherman’s reading does not quite emphasize how, in order for change to be made, every individual needs to participate. King v Ann Arbor is a good example of individuals advocating, but this idea is lost throughout the text.
How did you decide on the order and transitions between each song, including how to begin and how to end?
For us, we decided on the order of the song through the titles of the song and using the historical context of when and why it was released. We did not think too much of the beat, but more of how people would feel listening to the lyrics. For example, we start off with “School Days” and end with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” because the playlist starts off in despair, explaining what they hate about the system and how tiring it can be, and ends with a hopeful song. Each song transitions to a more upbeat or admirable way of looking at life. We go from hating school to Tupac telling us to keep our heads up because even though times are rough, life will eventually get better if you look forward to positive change. After that, every song talks about a kind of oppression that they have been through. It could be about race, skin color, or systemic issues.
Were there ethical concerns or debates that came up while creating this playlist?
We did not come across any ethical concerns or debates that came up when we chose the songs for this playlist.