Response to "God Don't Never Change"

            In her article “God Don’t Never Change”, Geneva Smitherman shows the difference between Black English and standard white English. She goes on to argue that the difference between the two is pointless and that the appropriate choice of language has “everything to do with American political reality” and “nothing to do with the educational process” (189).

            I think this article is similar to Wardle’s article because of the ideas of identity and authority. The identity would be the difference between those who use Black English and those who use standard white English and the authority idea would be the fact that there is an authoritative language and that is standard white English. Without using standard white English you kind of lower your chances in the workplace and other situations. This article is also similar to Delpit’s article in that they both argue about oppression and racism in education.
            I didn’t really find Smitherman’s article that interesting but it was better to see that topic in another light, I’ve never thought of racist oppression in education and literature. Maybe the problem is, in school, we come across this topic far too often and at this point it just is boring and redundant. I’m also not sure what I can get out of this article in the long run though, unlike most of the other articles read in this class.            

Questions for Discussion and Journaling

1.)

            Smitherman seems to use black idiom rhetorically by switching to writing in Black English in her article. In doing so she can better explain her perspective of Black English to those who don’t use it. I think this is a very good tactic to use in order convey an abstract idea such as specific languages.

2.)

            Language promotes power for specific races and classes because some languages are more accepted than others. Take standard white English vs. black English; WE is the common language, someone who writes their resume in WE has a better chance of getting a job than someone who writes theirs in BE. I think this is because it’s more comfortable for others, as well as higher educated people seem to have gone to school and learned “standard” English and anything other than that may be looked down upon.