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Language and Voice.


When is it distinctively Black?

We speak in magical voices whether we are from Harlem or Senegal, Nigeria or Detroit, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850.  or Kenya, Jamaica or London, Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, city, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro (rē`ō də zhänā`rō, Port. rē` thĭ zhənĕē`r
 or Panama. Blacks in America sing or speak an African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race.  or Black English Black English
n.
1. See African American Vernacular English.

2. Any of the nonstandard varieties of English spoken by Black people throughout the world.
. Our language carries our history. It is our memory vocalized.

Many African Americans of my generation received their intellectual substance, beauty, memories and bonding traditions from the language of black writers and poets. Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American folklorist and author during the time of the Harlem Renaissance, best known for the 1937 novel Their Eyes Were Watching God.  they are in each of us. They reached into the souls of black folks and humanized our pain, joy, suffering, achievements, incompetences, goodness, short and long comings for the world to hear and read. It is what our mothers, fathers, grandparents grandparents nplabuelos mpl

grandparents grand nplgrands-parents mpl

grandparents grand npl
, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends understand and taught us. It is how we share our laughter. It is with language that we bring in our newborns and bury those who have joined our ancestors.

Languages that works is creative sounds and moving feet, are voices in different colors, are mixed rhythms and newly created words and language structures. Language is a code. Learn to use it, or be used by it.

--Haki R. Madhubuti is a poet, publisher and professor of English and Founder & Director Emeritus of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center at Chicago State University. His latest books are HeartLove: Wedding and Love Poems and Tough Notes: Messages to Young Black Men and Memoirs of a Poet-Activist. E-mail: twpress3@aol.com
COPYRIGHT 2001 Cox, Matthews & Associates
No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 2001, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Title Annotation:black authors
Author:Madhubuti, Haki R.
Publication:Black Issues Book Review
Article Type:Brief Article
Date:Jan 1, 2001
Words:244
Previous Article:Black Like Who?
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