Anyone who has heard Chris Rock’s “speaking well” joke, or read Racialiscious’ “Barack Obama is AWB: Articulate While Black” blog understands there are racial politics that shadow over compliments of articulacy.

Poet and activist Jamila Lyiscott fleshes out the implications of such a compliment in her “3 Ways To Speak English” Ted Talk.

“I have decided to treat all three of my languages as equal, because I am articulate.”

Her voice ranges through accents, cantonations, slang and academic verbose to demonstrate the three ways she speaks English at school, at home, and with friends.

Click here for more information.

Links:

Huffington Post | Jamila Lyiscott’s Twitter | Jamila’s TED Talk