African-American English Structure, History, and Use

"Long before #BlackLivesMatter was a hashtag, the contributors to this volume understood, in the 1990s already, that linguistic discrimination against African-American English is one key component in structural violence aka systemic racism against Blacks in the U.S. Each chapter exquisitely documents a particular linguistic, historical or social dimension that makes African-American English a treasure for its speakers and for the community at large. The book as a whole is a roadmap for honoring African Americans and their language-thus honoring the very dignity of our lives and our future. Indeed our Black lives cannot matter if our languages do not matter."

Michel DeGraff, MIT Linguistics, Haiti

"As a scholar of African American English, I keep this book within arm's reach at all times! With contributions from some of the central researchers in the field, this book remains a definitive text on the structure, history, and use of African American language. It deserves to be recognized for the classic that it is!"

Tracey L. Weldon, The University of South Carolina, USA