Race, Class, and Gender in Literacy Research (Summer 2011)

American society in general judges a person’s intellect based on the ability to articulate standard English. It’s a shame that the controversy concerning Ebonics made some African Americans wonder if they were adequate compared to the white race. The issue of standard dialect and cognitive ability is not solely a race-related issue, however. This judgment equates intellect with how a person speaks. Take the southern-speaking stereotype for instance. A person with a southern drawl is perceived by some as unintelligent. My brother-in-law has a good friend from West Jefferson, N.C. He majored in Business at Western Carolina University, and received a scholarship for most of his grad work. He was a superior student in graduate school. Upon receiving his MBA, he was offered a six figure salary to work in New York for a prestigious Wall Street firm. After several New Yorkers from the firm spoke with him, it was insisted he see a speech coach to correct his southern drawl and Appalachian dialect. The speech therapy would be fully paid by the hiring company. He was insulted and, as a result, did not accept the position. As Delpit points out, “to reject a person’s language can only feel as if we are rejecting him.”

When a person does not speak standard English, we know this does not automatically mean that they possess limited cognitive ability. I work with ESL students in reading and about one third of our school population is Hispanic and Hmong. When the opportunity presents itself, I point out differences in their first language and English, but not in a corrective manner. For example, we may be focusing on the th sound in words, but my ESL students almost always pronounce mudder for mother. I have pointed out to the Hmong students, who typically leave off suffixes, in English we say word endings and in the Hmong language many word endings are usually not pronounced. If these students were constantly corrected in how they speak, they could become discouraged and hesitant to speak at all. According to Delpit, “the children whose language is considered defective are themselves viewed as defective”. As a child it didn't sound like Michelle Obama was worried about sounding white and she certainly didn't view it as a defect, she was just focused on making good grades. When we read about Ruby Bridges and Harriet Tubman, I always point out that we are all the same under our skin (we all have a heart, etc.) and that skin color does not make anyone better than someone else. I have not thought about adding to the discussion that it does not matter how we speak. I think I should, though.

In contrast to Delpit’s statement, “students rarely get to talk in classrooms”, my students have the opportunity to join in discussions in a friendly, inviting, non-threatening small group setting. When I activate prior knowledge before reading, the students get to share their personal experiences making text-to-self connections. I am pleased that in our bookroom we have a variety of leveled readers in many genres that embrace multicultural backgrounds and experiences. I believe providing a choice in reading material elicits more student dialog, because they are reading what interests them.

It was interesting to read about bringing Luster’s Pink Oil Lotion Moisturizer into the classroom to engage students in different subject areas. Engagement is the key to learning. When students are totally absorbed in learning they don’t even notice if the principal walks in the room. The tricky part for educators is keeping students engaged, especially now-a-days with youth who are constantly stimulated by electronic devices.

Once I got to hear a white principal from a predominantly African American school in the deep South speak to undergrad Education students about his school’s success despite the low-socioeconomic status of students whose parents had not completed high school. This principal talked about how he greeted all of his students every morning with “high fives” and really connected with them. The thing I noticed most was that this white principal sounded African American. He had acquired their language and he sounded cool, like one of the gang. This energetic principal treated his students with respect, and his students accepted and trusted him. Delpit states, “Just as Maya’s new friends made her feel beautiful, brilliant, and ‘part of the club’, teachers have to create similar conditions for their students”. Isn’t this what teachers should be doing in any situation, whether you are making a personal connection or building confidence in academics? If a student struggles with math or any other subject, the teacher should not make the student feel inferior. Instead, offer praise for accomplishments and build from there. All students can learn and every student is good at something. We are all unique and that's what makes us special.

Carol Holt