The Real Ebonics Debate

Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children

Paperback
$21.00 US
6"W x 9"H x 0.5"D  
On sale Jun 17, 1998 | 242 Pages | 9780807031452
In the winter of 1996, the Oakland school board's resolution recognizing Ebonics as a valid linguistic system generated a brief firestorm of hostile criticism and misinformation, then faded from public consciousness. But in the classrooms of America, the question of how to engage the distinctive language of many African-American children remains urgent. In The Real Ebonics Debate some of our most important educators, linguists, and writers, as well as teachers and students reporting from the field, examine the lessons of the Ebonics controversy and unravel the complex issues at the heart of how America educates its children.
Theresa Perry is associate professor and vice president for community relations at Wheelock College in Boston. Lisa Delpit is the Benjamin E. Mays Professor of Urban Educational Leadership at Georgia State University in Atlanta.
A dynamic collection of high-voltage writings that bring sanity and passion to the great debate about linguistics, class, and race. --Jonathan Kozol, author of Amazing Grace

"Anyone in the field of education-teacher, administrator, researcher, policy maker-who is seriously concerned with issues of race, class, and the politics of language in America's schools should read this book. It presents the most comprehensive and thoughtful discussion of Ebonics in education that I have yet encountered." --Frederick Erickson, University of Pennsylvania

"This is the best pragmatic and theoretical treatment of the recent Ebonics controversy. Great clarity and common sense come from an excellent selection of scholar-practitioners." --Asa Hilliard, Georgia State University

"At last there is a book that talks sense about the Ebonics debate and makes a powerful case for honoring the many languages we speak. A must read." --Herbert Kohl, Georgia State University

"The comprehensive source for teachers who want to be successful teachers of African-American children." --Gloria Ladsen-Billings, author of The Dreamkeepers

About

In the winter of 1996, the Oakland school board's resolution recognizing Ebonics as a valid linguistic system generated a brief firestorm of hostile criticism and misinformation, then faded from public consciousness. But in the classrooms of America, the question of how to engage the distinctive language of many African-American children remains urgent. In The Real Ebonics Debate some of our most important educators, linguists, and writers, as well as teachers and students reporting from the field, examine the lessons of the Ebonics controversy and unravel the complex issues at the heart of how America educates its children.

Author

Theresa Perry is associate professor and vice president for community relations at Wheelock College in Boston. Lisa Delpit is the Benjamin E. Mays Professor of Urban Educational Leadership at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Praise

A dynamic collection of high-voltage writings that bring sanity and passion to the great debate about linguistics, class, and race. --Jonathan Kozol, author of Amazing Grace

"Anyone in the field of education-teacher, administrator, researcher, policy maker-who is seriously concerned with issues of race, class, and the politics of language in America's schools should read this book. It presents the most comprehensive and thoughtful discussion of Ebonics in education that I have yet encountered." --Frederick Erickson, University of Pennsylvania

"This is the best pragmatic and theoretical treatment of the recent Ebonics controversy. Great clarity and common sense come from an excellent selection of scholar-practitioners." --Asa Hilliard, Georgia State University

"At last there is a book that talks sense about the Ebonics debate and makes a powerful case for honoring the many languages we speak. A must read." --Herbert Kohl, Georgia State University

"The comprehensive source for teachers who want to be successful teachers of African-American children." --Gloria Ladsen-Billings, author of The Dreamkeepers

Join us for a free webinar featuring author Jonathan Haidt!

Join us Tuesday, September 24, 2024 @ 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST for   Free the Anxious Generation Movement: A Call for K-12 School Leaders   Presented by Dr. Jonathan Haidt, Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University’s Stern School of Business, and Author of The Anxious Generation Moderated by Jenn

Read more

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more