Acting White: Talking Like A White Girl

For the twelve years my daughter has been in school, black girls have accused her of talking like a white girl. I take full responsibility for her plight, because during the same time her mother and I have insisted that she speak our language properly. Just two days ago my 85 year old mother reminded me that our house was the same, and how the First Lady’s recent admission, of her own childhood label of ‘talking like a white girl’, had touched her aging heart.

Many years ago, while living in Boston, Michele Obama’s point of importance was made clear by Caribbean immigrant black women armed with no formal skills, other than a command of English, who were able gain job opportunities in child care not available to equally qualified black-English speaking women. Simply put, responsible employers and parents of any color know that the first cut to be made toward a bright future is the ability to communicate well, and this training begins early.

Now both my kids know street-slang too, as did I, and this is okay as long as they use it appropriately. I call this cultural bilingualism. They need to be comfortable with different people. But let’s not be confused that the informal has any rightful claim on the formal. In 1996, the Oakland Unified School District wanted to make black-English, Ebonics, an acceptable standard of communication, but thankfully this nonsense was scuttled from the left, the right, and everywhere in between. Bad idea.

So I commend the First Lady on stepping up on this issue of language. Like it or not, women have always been (and always will be) at the centerpiece of our behaviors and especially those of the men who seek their attention. While she is at it, Michele could definitely push black women on taking better care of their physical selves as well, rather than attempting to recalibrate healthiness and attractiveness across a 50% obesity rate, black men and boys included. Also, I can't wait until Mrs. Obama starts clueing women in on attracting, focusing, and guiding men to heights.

James C. Collier

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