Beyond Ebonics deserves attention and reflection. It informs us about the Ebonics controversy in an intellectual and dispassionate way, which is a far cry from what we got in the midst of the controversy. With Baugh's book, sanity has finally arrived.
Language in Society
With tenacity, conviction, and eloquence, Baugh achieves his goals. He attacks uninformed and divisive myths about African American English by providing a detailed elucidation of the Ebonics controversy sociohistorically, educationally, and legally. He provides a conceptual model for how best to educate SENN students [students for whom standard English is not native]. He provides compelling arguments for why the US should redress the linguistic consequences of American slavery for African slave descendants. He is steadfast in his plea for linguistic tolerance.
Language in Society
John Baugh has made a valuable contribution to the background of the Ebonics debate with Beyond Ebonics: Linguistic Pride and Racial Prejudice, a book written from both a personal standpoint as an African American and a professional one as a sociolinguist.
Years Work in English Studies