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.
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Links:
Huffington Post | Jamila Lyiscott’s Twitter | Jamila’s TED Talk