Everything you never wanted to know about ebonics...

What is the origin of the word Ebonics?

Although the exact origin is unclear, it appears to come from two main roots. "ebo" comes from the term "ebony" referring to the color of black. "onics" comes from "phonics" which refers to phonetic, the representation of sounds with symbols. Literally ebonics means "Black English" or "Black Sounds". In other words it's a more politically correct term for jive, gutter-language, etc...

What happened in Oakland California?

The stated goal of the School board in Oakland is to educate teachers in the district on how to speak ebonic so that they may better communicate to their students how to speak proper english.

Is Oakland going to be teaching Ebonics?

This is a common fallacy which is not altogether inaccurate. The school board says that it just wants to educate teachers in Ebonics so that they can more effectively communicate with their students. In the long term this fits in with the plans of the liberal black Intelligentsia to eventually legitimize Ebonics as its own distinct language. It also fits into the separatist and racist agenda of many black liberals.

What are the underlying reasons behind the Oakland School Board decision?

Although unspoken, on the surface in announcing that their constituency is actually bilingual the school board hoped to become eligible for federal funds. The underlying assumptions and motivations are far ranging, largely based upon the typical paranoid delusions which self-proclaimed black community leaders have claimed before. Specifically it appears to come from a resentment towards asian immigrants in California who learn English from federally funded programs such as English as a second language. The typical thought here is that they must engage in a battle for money rather than deal with the modern anti-achievement, anti-self mentality in poor black communities
 
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