| "He is a light-skinned African-American with no Negro | | | | professional environment. In fact, many Hispanic |
| dialect, unless he wants to have one." | | | | professionals are hired because of their ability to |
| These were the puzzling words of Senator Harry | | | | communicate with those who speak the language. |
| Reid who made the statement in reference to | | | | Dialect is language; a variety of language used by the |
| President Obama. They invoked a staunch reaction | | | | members of a group as a manner or means of |
| from blacks, and caused an uproar in some political | | | | expressing oneself. It is distinguished by features of |
| circles. Was it a malicious remark? Or was it an an | | | | vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. English is the |
| innocuous statement taken out of context? | | | | world's language. It balances our linguistic differences. |
| Harry Reid said it was a compliment. But what was he | | | | To infer a preference for an African American "with |
| complimenting? The fact that Obama is special? Or | | | | no Negro dialect" illustrates prejudice at best, and |
| that he is special because he does not use the | | | | ignorance at worst. It's the equivalent of saying you |
| stereotypical parlance associated with most black | | | | prefer Hispanics who don't speak Spanish so that |
| men? | | | | you are not reminded that they are different from you. |
| Language has always been a measure of social | | | | Being tongue-tied (i.e. unable or disinclined to speak |
| status, educational level, and intellectual ability for men. | | | | freely) is nothing new to black men. We have to |
| Slave owners actually preferred slaves who lacked | | | | choose our words felicitously to make white men |
| communication skills because they were less likely to | | | | comfortable because we don't want them wondering |
| organize revolts. | | | | if we talk "like the rest of them." |
| It's no wonder: strong communication skills are inherent | | | | Speaking with the "Negro dialect" that we grew up |
| to all leaders. Slaves that were referred to as "field | | | | with is natural to black men; using "no Negro dialect" is |
| Negros" were only required to work with their hands; | | | | unnatural, but can be done. Failure to do so can derail a |
| doing laborious work outside the plantation. House | | | | career. Most successful black men are taught, or learn |
| Negros were generally viewed as being smarter, less | | | | from experience, when it behooves them to be |
| threatening, and having better communication skills. | | | | tongue-tied. |
| They were usually descendants of slave owners, and | | | | The burden of "speaking white" (which many whites |
| as a result, were light-skinned. | | | | arrogantly refer to as "proper English") is a challenge |
| It's not surprising that there are still whites (and white | | | | for many black men. They liken it to learning and |
| men in particular) who feel more comfortable with | | | | becoming fluid in a foreign language. Both are achieved |
| light-skinned black males in a professional office | | | | with focus and consistent practice. And when |
| environment. Any prolonged observation of | | | | it's achieved, you get to impress an ignoramus like |
| America's various workforces reveal this truth. The | | | | Senator Harry Reid who clearly has a checklist of |
| plight of the house Negro and the field Negro persists. | | | | attributes that black men must have to make him feel |
| Language often divides them more than skin tone. | | | | comfortable. |
| Harry Reid's comments were not offensive; they were | | | | While more and more black men understand and |
| insightful. If the media would have taken the time to | | | | reluctantly accept the conditions of our integration into |
| place his comment in its proper historical context, a | | | | the workplace, we can only refrain from using "no |
| valuable educational opportunity could have been had | | | | Negro dialect" for so long. It comes out eventually - |
| for both whites and blacks. Instead, the comment | | | | usually when our white male colleagues become |
| merely serves as a vivid reminder that times change, | | | | comfortable with us and use some form of Negro |
| but perceptions remain the same. | | | | dialect themselves in an effort to "bond" with us. This |
| Having good communication skills affords an | | | | usually takes place during conversations about |
| advantage in business (and in life) to all men. For black | | | | non-work related issues, such as sports. |
| men it's especially true. Good verbal communication | | | | Even when we remove (or think we are allowed to |
| skills enable us to penetrate the circles where greater | | | | remove) the bonds from which our tongues are tied, |
| opportunities reside. | | | | they are never truly unleashed. We can be liberal in |
| President Obama is exceptional as a black male | | | | expressing ourselves, but a black man with no tongue |
| communicator, and extraordinary as a communicator. | | | | restraint is a black man who becomes a target for |
| This is what enabled him to distinguish himself. When | | | | silencing - no matter what arena he is in. |
| his presidency is over, his prowess as an orator will be | | | | Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had very different |
| his true legacy. | | | | dialects. Still, both suffered the same fate because |
| For non-presidential black males, the stigma of being | | | | they expressed themselves with unprecedented |
| inarticulate is dissipating, but we will, seemingly, forever | | | | freedom. There have been no black men since - not |
| walk the fine, tenuous line between being effective | | | | even Obama - who were less tongue-tied than them. |
| communicators, and using "no Negro" dialect...unless we | | | | So it remains, black men must still be discriminant about |
| want to. | | | | where, and to whom, we vent. And when we do, we |
| The reality is that every culture has its own dialect. No | | | | "keep it real" - privately if not publicly - by using the full |
| one questions the use of Spanish by Hispanics in a | | | | spectrum of "Negro dialects" because we want to. |