AAVE vs. AAE

What is is AAVE? Is AAE and AAVE the same thing? Why isn't it just called slang?

The culture of African American people is very rich: filled with music, food, fashion, and even it's own language. However, there is so much misinformation or lack of knowledge about the language that is tied to the culture.

AAVE stands for African American Vernacular English. AAE stands for African American English. Many prefer to call the language AAE because AAVE is considered outdated and it fails to capture the variety and broadness in the language. Because AAVE is referring to the vernacular form, it is mainly describing the language of AAE that is used amongst working class African Americans. AAE opens up the discussion to include the language spoken by the middle-class and sometimes the upper class. "Middle-class AAE most often lacks the more stigmatized morphosyntactic variants, although some middle-class speakers may employ them for stylistic effect or to express solidarity." explains Erik R. Thomas from North Carolina State University. (Phonological and Phonetic Characteristics of African American Vernacular English)

"...there is so much misinformation or lack of knowledge about the language that is tied to the culture."

It is unknown how many people actually are fluent in the language and speak it primarily, but the numbers are estimated to be in the millions and the language has garnered popularity over the years. In todays society, people often mistake the language for a trend and refer to it as "Gen-Z slang", but they are unaware (or they choose to ignore), the history and importance that the language has for the African American community. For decades African Americans have been fighting for their identity in America. Enslaved Africans were separated partially based on native language to prevent them from seizing freedom. Black people endured slavery, brutality, and fatal racism that denied them their right to learn to read, write, speak their native language and participate fully in the culture from their home lands. Because of this, descendants of Africans turned into African Americans who had to create their own culture. Several hid and learned how to read and write on their own, but a new language was also formed. At first, it was used in a special way to convey important information, but now it has grown into a sense of pride and connection to descendants and past ancestors for modern day African Americans.

There are no strict guidelines to determine who can speak the language. African Americans are largely the majority who speak AAE, but non-American Black people speak the language as well. One of the best examples being the rapper Drake. But, non-Black people can speak the language as well. It is actually common for White Americans in AAE speaking communities to be fluent in AAE and for it to be their first language. However, it can considered disrespectful for a non-African American or non-person of color to speak the language in certain contexts. If the language is not taught to them properly or if them speaking the language comes across as fake or in a mocking tone, it can be very offensive. Faking AAE or the accent that many people who speak AAE have, is called having a Blaccent". Explained perfectly by writer, diversity consultant, and occasional feminist Mikki Kendall, “‘Blaccent’ is a term describing the fake accent racists and cultural appropriators use when they mimic Black people,”...“Black people have accents, but we don’t all have the same one and yet somehow those two groups always use the same accent when they imitate Black people.” (What a ‘blaccent’ is, and why it’s wrong) Having a Blaccent borders the line of cultural appropriation (adopting parts of another peoples' culture and traditions with out proper understanding, respect, or acknowledgement of the people), but many see it as mocking.

There are some African Americans that also do not speak the language themselves. They either do not know it, refuse to speak it, or they codeswitch depending on the company. Codeswitching is changing languages, accents, or tones of voice depending on the group of people that are present. Many African Americans codeswitch to avoid uncomfortable or even racist interactions. African Americans tend to codeswitch to "General American". It is widely accepted and sadly expected for most people to speak and to have a General American Accent. Some African Americans live in communities where they have to codeswitch in order to be accepted at all. For many, AAE is a linguistical break from assimilation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zqohw8nR6qE

So what makes it a language? You can get it wrong. There is a grammatical structure, words that are right to use, words that are wrong, and phrases that if not spoken correctly will not translate correctly leading to everyone in the conversation being confused. There are even patterns and grammatical constructs in AAE that are common in other languages such as Spanish, but it is considered "incorrect" or "ghetto" in AAE.

One thing that is forgotten, is the fact that AAE is very broad so there are variations of the language. There are also accent differences largely based on regions. Philadelphia AAE can sound completely different from New York AAE yet they are speaking the same language. There are also syntactic structures that vary by region. It is comparable to the many accents and slight variations present in General American English. There are accents differences depending on regions as well - Southern accent versus a Minnesota accent. Along with other regional differences - sayings and syntactic differences based on location.

"For many AAE is a linguistical break from assimilation."

There is so much history and importance behind AAE but it has been given a very negative stigma. For many African Americans this language is so much more than an insensitive trend. It is an important part of the culture that helps African Americans feel seen and develop a sense of pride and belonging for themselves and familiar African Americans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4NrrUtRShw

I personally did not grow up in a household that fluently spoke AAE. Only around large groups of African Americans or extended family functions was is acceptable to speak the language. My parents were worried about my sister and I not "seeming educated" or "ghetto" due to the stigma around the language. However, I have always felt comfortable specking the language. I knew that it was not accepted in society but it has always felt natural to speak AAE with other African Americans or at least it felt as though it was a normal language. I have always wondered why people felt as though it was"ghetto" to speak the language. Yes, it might be shocking or unfamiliar to other Americans, but different is not the same as wrong or inferior.

I interviewed two Apollo students to get their perspectives or ideas on the language:

Imani Simmons:

Grade 11th

Age:16

Me: “Do you speak AAE?”

Imani: “Yeah. Wait.”

Me: “Ok so when I say AAE I mean like African American English.”

Imani: “Ok”

Me: “What do you call it”

Imani: “AAVE”

Me: “AAVE ok gotchu. So you speak it?”

Imani: “Yes”

Me: “Why”

Imani: “Because it is like something I feel more natural in, if that makes sense”

Me: “Yeah. What are your thoughts on it?”

Imani: “I think, me personally, I think it is something that mainly Black people should use because if I use that with a white person it is considered ghetto or you're taking black. So if I stiffen up my voice and use big words then it is like we will take that, but then they want to use that. Like come on. You get what I'm talking about?”

Me: “Yeah like when they use it it is ok but when we do it is ghetto”

Imani: “Yeah”

Me: “You kinda already answered this but who do you think should use it?”

Imani: “I think it should be Black exclusive. Maybe other POC but people in the culture”

Leo Biser

Grade 9th

Age: 14

Me: “Do you know what AAE is? What is your knowledge, thoughts, opinions about it?”

Leo: “On AAVE? If I’m right it is kinda just slang or words or phrases that were created by the African American community that are like have to do with their own culture and it is something that other people should not really be using. It has kinda become modernized to just be slang but that is not what it is supposed to be used for.”

Me: “Do you speak it?”

Leo: “I don't believe that I do and every time if someone tells me like that is something that you are not supposed to do I immediately- I have tried my best to be like no this is not what i am supposed to say and i have made mistakes in the past of saying it but that was before i even knew that it was supposed to be AAVE. But, I dont-I try not to”

Me: “You kinda already explained this but is there a reason as to why you try not to?”

Leo: “Just because it is not supposed to be for me. I am white so it’s not something that is apart of my culture its not anything that I feel is necessary for me to do and a lot of the terms from it people have to go out of their way if they are not black or raised in that type of community they have to go out of their way to say it. So I feel like it is not or shouldn’t be expected. It should be expected that people don’t use it because it is not something that you like wake up and that is just now you normally talk unless you were raised in that type of community.”

Me: “Would you like to learn more about it?”

Leo: **signals yes**

For even deeper explanation of the language ORAAL has a wonderful website with loads of valuable information.