AAVE is a dialect of English that is often derided by racists. However, linguists have shown that this is a fully realized dialect like any dialect of any language. We explain the history and current understanding of African American Vernacular English and some court cases that sparked controversy around it. This is only a part one as we will get into the mechanics of the dialect in the next episode. 

Recommendations (Part 1)

  • Abraham: Hailey Williams “Ego Death at Bachelorette Party” (https://music.apple.com/us/album/ego-death-at-a-bachelorette-party/1850011909)
  • Shane: David Sedaris “Holidays on Ice” (https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/david-sedaris/holidays-on-ice/9780316073639/?lens=little-brown)


Holidays (6/17/2026):

  • Bunker Hill Day
  • Eat All Your Veggies Day
  • Global Garbage Man Day
  • LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day
  • National Apple Strudel Day
  • Stewarts Root Beer Day
  • World Croc Day
  • World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
  • Animal Rights Awareness Week
  • Islamic New Year
  • Learning Disabilities Week
  • National Clay Week
  • National Flag Week
  • National Hermit Week
  • National Water Safety Week


Links and References: 

  1. https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/AAVE/hooked/
  2. https://www.pbs.org/speak/seatosea/americanvarieties/AAVE/timeline/
  3. https://www.hawaii.edu/satocenter/langnet/definitions/aave.html
  4. https://commonwealthtimes.org/2021/02/18/aave-is-not-your-internet-slang-it-is-black-culture/
  5. https://certifiedlanguages.com/blog/african-american-vernacular-english-is-a-legitimate-dialect/
  6. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00957984970233002
  7. https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/61882/chapter-abstract/547712638?redirectedFrom=fulltext#547712638
  8. https://www.garfieldmessenger.org/6418/articles/news/a-brief-history-of-aave/
  9. https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/28056/chapter-abstract/212002865?redirectedFrom=fulltext
  10. https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/wls_fac/70/
  11. https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/african-american-language-facts
  12. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/language/article/abs/language-and-linguistics-on-trial-hearing-rachel-jeantel-and-other-vernacular-speakers-in-the-courtroom-and-beyond/7DCD0B43230E3D17A2C4B43936341A48
  13. https://globalvoices.org/2019/06/25/language-is-also-a-form-of-resistance/





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