Abstract: for this essay, I had to write a summary and response to the topic of my choice. Which included a component where I briefly summarize my chosen text, as well as analyze it using the 10 rhetorical terms we’ve discussed in class, which includes at least 2 direct quotes from the original text. Then, I explained my choice of the creative genre using the same consideration of rhetorical terms. finally, I had to a creative project component where I embody my personal response to the text I picked.

Instructor Megan Skelly

FIQWS 10115

Fall 2020

Lissette Lucero 

“If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin first asserts that the status or use of Black English is deeply rooted in American history and rests in the role of language in society. The essay explores the importance of understanding language in multiple contexts. By focusing on the racial components of language that are conveyed by the label “black English,” Baldwin points out not only the positive values but also the underlying necessity of this distinct language. Countering many assertions that the use of Black English represented an inability to speak “standard” English, Baldwin primarily stresses the positive aspects of African Americans’ development of a distinct vernacular, and that American Blacks had to become bilingual in order to survive in a racist society.

In the essay, “If Black English isn’t a language, then tell me, what it is?” by James Baldwin, the author goes into depth about what a language is and also what it represents by indicating the role language plays. Baldwin discusses that black English is an important part of the community and culture and it has been involved based on the experience faced in America. He involves this idea by using his personal experience and also including the background of other languages. He appeals to the Americans who don’t understand the concept of black English with a critical, persuasive, and informative attitude. Since Baldwin is trying to educate Americans who have no idea of what black English is, the language used in the essay is well-informed because he knows the struggle of speaking black English by providing his own experiences. The genre is a persuasive essay structure since the introduction aims to get the full attention of the reader. Baldwin makes a cogent, well reasoned, and passionate argument about black English as a language and not a dialect and effectively supporting his claim by giving in-depth details. He states, “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances, or in order not to be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate. (And, if they cannot articulate it, they are submerged.)”( Baldwin ). In other words, Baldwin believes that languages come to life to be able to communicate and describe our thoughts and emotions to one another. He says that language is also powerful and it can be dangerous and that it can reveal one’s private identity, hidden hopes, and can either disconnect or connect one to the community. Language gives us the power we can mistreat, it can allow us to reveal things that are better undiscovered. Baldwin himself writes, “A language comes into existence by means of brutal necessity, and the rules of the language are dictated by what the language must convey.” ( Baldwin ). Baldwin’s point is that whites educated blacks for the wrong intentions. It was brutal, they were only taught how to communicate with whites, to be taken advantage of. We use languages as a form of communication, we give word meanings, we give word placements, such as bad or good. We put words into categories. We convey with words what we want, whether it is good or bad, hurt people with our words. And we make languages to separate one another and make it known we are all not the same. The medium is an essay for its audience to get educated about the topic of black English. The purpose of this essay is to inform Americans about language not only in black English but the language in general and the power it holds in society. The constraints from delivering the information from the essay will be a video because not everyone will take their time to look it up and have an interest in learning black English. The fact that in this American society, believe that language is what they make it and nothing else. Different regions have been forced into turning into what the people in power decide to make it instead of allowing cultures their individual right to evolve as they see fit.  

The essay was really meaningful to me since I am bilingual and I personally connected with the arguments being said in my daily life and how language can be misinterpreted by a person that has no idea of the language. My creative writing consists of a meme because I felt that it would go perfectly with the topic I choose since my piece is more of making fun of the English language and that it might not be as powerful as how others might view it. My attitude towards the meme is humorous since the essay consisted of historical components and daily problems that many people go through. I picked a meme in order to convey the power of language and how sometimes a language especially the English language can sometimes make no sense at all but is still right. The medium is a photo. The stance of the meme is making fun of the English language and how ridiculous it can be. The language is simple and easy to be understood and it points right into the purpose of the photo. The exigence is no urgency since not for educational or motivated purposes but just for fun. The constraints will be a poem since it will take the humor out of the picture and not everyone will want to read a poem when they can just see a picture. I am sharing my response because I wanted people to see how language doesn’t have to be this powerful tool to turn or identify just one specific race or social class but everyone since language is what we as individuals want to be shared as.