Newspaper Page Text
By Ernie A. Smith, Ph.D.
B ereft of logical reasons to
oppose the adoption by the
akland Unified School Board of
its nine-point plan to improve the
cademic success of African
rican students, critics have
seized upon the use of the word
“genetic” and “genetically based”
in the board’s resolution.
As a consultant, researcher and
uthor whose work had no small
part in the deliberations of the
k force that created the plan, I
have been dismayed at the failure
of the mass media to adequately
describe the term and its usage.
Our use of terminology correctly
is a major reason that the recog
nized authorities in the field of
linguistics like the American
Speech-Language and Hearing
iation and the Modern Lan
guage Association have found the
Oakland resolution consistent
with the most current research in
the discipline. Peer-reviewed sci
entific research depends upon the
adoption and consistent use of
agreed-upon terminology to de
scribe observed phenomena. J.H.
Greenberg in the 1966 book Es
ys in Linguistics (University of
Chicago) established, “There are
three methods of language classi
fication which are of major signifi
cance: The genetic, the typological
and theareal. Of these, the genetic
is the only one which is at once ,
non-arbitrary, exhaustive and
nique ... This is because genetic
clgssification reflects historical
evg:ts which must have occurred
or not occurred.”
William Welmers wrote of David
Dalby’s critique of Greenberg, “Of
urse, Greenberg and the body of
scholars who generally share this
héoretical bias never intended the
ord genetic to be associated with
he ‘genes’ or ‘genealogy’ in the
ay Dalby assumes; it is associ
ted with genesis or origin and
etic relationships have to do
xtth linguistics characteristics
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Ebonics
Scholarship vs. hysteria
When Eurocentric writers ignore the
fact that Afro-American and Euro-Ameri
can people are originally from different
linguistic backgrounds and claim that
Afro-American speech is English, they are
denying the African antecedent.
Although the bulk of the lexicon of
African-American speech is traced to the
Indo-European stock, the grammar is not.
Bob — Ernie A. Smith, Ph.D.
that are inherited by one genera
tion of speakers from another, as
opposed to those which are ac
quired from other sources.”
- What precisely is meant by the
term “genetic” and upon what
specificcriteriaor transmitted lin
guistic features is its use evi
denced? “Genetic classification is
based on criteria on sound-mean
ing resemblances of linguistic
forms... In principle, geography is
irrelevant, although it is a normal
result that related languages are
in the same general area ... Were
people tobediscovered onthe moon
speaking a language with the vo
cabulary and grammar of English,
a conclusion of genetic relation
ship would perforce be drawn, re
gardless of geographical circum
stances.” Genetic kinship is based
on a common origin or “genesis”
.and continuity in the use of an
identical deep phonetic, phonol
ogy and morpho-syntax (gram
mar). The 1993 text, Contempo
rary Linguistics: An Introduction
— by O’Grady, Doborovolsky and
Arnoff — states, “In investigating
linguistic competence, linguists
focus on the mental system that
allows human beings to form and
interpret the words and sentences
of their languages. This system is
called a grammar.” The decision
that African-American and Euro
pean-American speech is different
is based on five factors: (1) the
phonetic component; (2) a phono
logical component, (3) a morpho
logical component, (4) a syntacti
cal component and a (5) semantic
component. In each of these five
levels of language structure, Afri
can-American and European-
American speech fundamentally
differs. Although it is one thing to
disput the specific featuresused to
make those decisions, it is another
to not adhere to the same prin
ciples to classify a given speech
community’s language.
Mervyn Allyne notes, “English
itselfis considered to be a continu
ation of Anglo-Saxon and, in turn,
of old Germanic, although in fact
the vocabulary is predominantly
Romance or Latin.”
If, indeed, common origin and
continuity of the rules of grammar
constitute the relevant evidence
for positing genetic relationship,
when Eurocentric writers ignore
the fact that Afro-American and
Euro-American people are origi
nally from different linguistic back
grounds and claim — on the basis
of the etymology of the dominant
lexicon and mutual intelligibility
— that Afro-American speech is
English, they are denying the Af
rican antecedent. Although the
bulk of the lexicon of African-
American speech is traced to the
Indo-European stock, the gram
mar is not.
Jahneinz Jahn noted in 1961
while reviewing the grammar of
Creole, Surinaams, Papiamento
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and other languages‘of the Carib
bean and Central America, “The
vocabulary consists predominantly
of European words, but the syntax
and word formation follow the
rules of African grammar. It is
wrong therefore to call these lan
guages ‘spoilt’ English or ‘spoilt’
French...ifoneconsidersthe gram
matical structure of a language
more important than its vocabu
lary, then the three languages
mentioned do not belong to the
Indo-European group.” As an all
encompassing non-pejorative la
bel, the term Ebonics refers to
“linguistic and paralinguistic fea
tures which, on a concentric con
tinuum, represent the language
and communicative competence of
West and Niger-Congo African,
Caribbean and United States slave
descendents of Niger-Congo Afri
can origin,” according to Robert
Williams’ 1975 seminal book
Ebonics. Paralanguage refers to
the non-verbal sounds, cues, ges
tures and pragmatic features used
systematically in the process of
communication by African-Ameri
can people. There are many who
have taken advantage of the inter
est in this decision to slyly act out
their notions of supremacy, rooted
inabasicdenial of the humanity of
peoples of African descent. We find
that empirical, peer-reviewed re
search is the best arena for the
discussion of this important topic
and we urge all concerned to con
sult the wide array of source mate
rial before forming opinions.
Ernie A. Smith, Ph.D., is a pro
fessor at Charles R. Drew Univer
sityof Medicine and Science in Los
Angeles and author of History and
Development of African-American
Language (ASPIRE, San Fran
cisco, 1997), based on presenta
tions to the American Speech-Lan
guage and Hearing Association
and the National Black Speech
and Language Association. To or
der copies of his work, call 800-
840-0465 US or (415) 249-0999.
AUGUSTA FOCUS February 6, 1997
Letters
Municipal golf course has
made great turn-around
I would like to draw the atten
tion of your readers to the mag
nificent improvements that our
new commissioners have made at
the Augusta Municipal Golf
Course, after its disgraceful dete
rioration for 50 years. I would also
like to offer an idea for its future.
The idea was precipitated by the
unbelievable achievement of the
Augusta Country Club in produc
ing a handful of young golfers who
currently are among the best in
the nation. Significantly, they were
taught to play from the age of six.
I asked myself, “What if we gave
the same instruction free to the
36,000 students in our public
schools?” What are the arguments
for it? Consider these:
I.lt would produce a large group
of fine golfers worthy of a city that
is proud of being the home of the
Masters.
2. It would be good for the chil
dren physically, mentally, emo
tionally and socially. In addition,
unlike most other games, one can
play golf all one’s life, without se
rious injury.
3. Golf is also strongly moral. In
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NOTICE TO'LOWER INCOME FAMILIES
The Augusta Housing Authority wishes to advise lower income
families in the Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia area of
changes in the Admission and Continued Occupancy Policies
(ACOP) for the Public Housing Program. These changes are in
the area of admission preferences. The Augusta Housing
Authority has suspended the Federal Preferences and has
adopted Local Preferences for admission to the Public Housing
Program, effective February 1, 1997.
All families qualifying for public housing may apply for hous
ing. However, families who qualify for a local preference will
receive a priority in their housing needs. An applicant family
will be entitled to a local preference for admission if the head
of household or spouse is:
Employed full-time (at least 30 hours per week) for a
continuous period of six (6) months; or
Elderly or handicapped or disabled families who are receiv
ing Social Security Supplemental Income benefits or other
disability benefits as a result of their inability to work.
Applications for housing under the public housing program are
accepted for Elderly Individuals with handicaps, and Disabled
Individuals each day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday
through Friday, and for all applicant families each Thursday
from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except holidays. Applications will
be taken at the following location:
The Augusta Housing Authority
: J. Madden Reid Administration Building
1425 Walton Way -
Augusta, Georgia 30914-3246
Telephone: (706) 724-1500
TDD Telephone: (706) 724-5620
The waiting list for the Section 8 Program is currently closed
to the public. However, applicant families on the Section 8
waiting list will continue to be housed according tothe date and
time of application and priority status. .
Occupants of housing assisted under the Housing Act of 1937,
as amended, and applicants on a wnl;fi ‘tht for Section 8
housing must apply specifically for the Public Housing Pro
gram if they wish to be considered for participation. Appli
cants for participation in the Public Housing Program will not
lose their place on the Section 8 waiting list. In addition,
current applicants with Federal Preferences who are on the
public hous’rg waiting list will not lose their Federal Prefer
ence status'on the waiting list. Q%
The Augusta Housing Authority does not discriminate in
admission or access to its federally assisted programs. Any
potential eligible individual who has a visual or hearing
impairment will be provided \:iht:l information nmat;y to
understand and participate in the Augusta Housing Authori
tv’s programs. Mr. Jacob Oglesby has been designated as the *
responsible employee to coordinate the Housing Authority’s |
efforts to comply with the nondiscrimination based on handi
cap regulations. {k
Sl R N
Equal Housing Opportunity :
The Housing Authm the City of .
Augusta, st
By: Jacob Oglesby, Executive Direl!tor L
Valdosts, the police teach golf to
poor children because they have
foumthe game produces good
citizenship and gets the children
off the streets. \
4. It would greatly expand the
work of the seven schools in the
area that have already incorpo
rated golf into their curriculum.
In addition, considerable unused
city landin.and near the Cabbage
Patch could be put to good use for
children’scourses and realistic golf
training.
5. A program of free golf for all
children will inevitably bolster the
amount of play on all area courses.
The support of the golf fraternity
can be relied upon.
6.ltis my hope that the commis
sioners, the Board of Education,
the park system, the Golf Associa
tion, the Augusta Chamber of Com
merce, and perhaps the churches
will join forces to help put the
whole program together.
For my part, I do not see how
such an effort could fail, because
everybody wins.
Peter Cranford, Ph.D.
Augusta
9A