Oh yeah… in the sense that it was a topic of linguist’s conversations since the 60s. You can see how discussion of Black English came directly out of previous observations of how caste/class/race and code-switching to indicate “status” — has been a language feature all over the world. In the 70s and 80s, some language communities “pushed back.” Not only in the US, but all over the world.
Thank you so much for posting this! It has me thinking about Southern Studies, and how there are certain scholars performing certain kinds of southernness at conferences and on campus. (My goodness, the seersucker!)
Excellent.
Did your dad ever study what later came to be called “Ebonics?”
Oh yeah… in the sense that it was a topic of linguist’s conversations since the 60s. You can see how discussion of Black English came directly out of previous observations of how caste/class/race and code-switching to indicate “status” — has been a language feature all over the world. In the 70s and 80s, some language communities “pushed back.” Not only in the US, but all over the world.
Thank you so much for posting this! It has me thinking about Southern Studies, and how there are certain scholars performing certain kinds of southernness at conferences and on campus. (My goodness, the seersucker!)
Oh man, that would make a great paper, right? “The Seersucker Scandals”
Great picture of your parents!
It cracks me up! She looks like “little Nell” and he looks like Dr. LIvingston.
Indeed!