The Use of Black English as a Tool for Survival and Resistance

Stirling Terry Dr. Harris ENGL2017-64187 20 April 2026 The Use of Black English as a Tool for Survival and Resistance For my interview, I selected the reading “If Black English Isn’t a Language Then Tell Me What Is,” by James Baldwin. The focus of the interview was on Black English (AAVE) being developed during enslavement, becoming a tool to communicate and overcome erasure. Words like “code-switching” later joined the mix, bringing complexities to defining Black English and whether it is still used as a tool for survival. I wanted to explore how language is linked to identity, and by erasing Black English, the Black identity becomes vulnerable. I interviewed senior speech-language pathology major Maryanne (Mary) Haley for this project. I wanted to interview a college student specifically because I believe that when it comes to the use of Black English, we have often been forced or felt pressured to go through language transitions as a part of our college journey. Since I was focusing specifically on whether Black English is still used as a tool for survival, I concentrated on Mary’s personal experiences surrounding her use of AAVE. Mary mentioned that her choice to code-switch and use what she describes as “mainstream” English is not forced; in fact, she labels both her use of Black English and “mainstream” English as a part of herself. She described how she chooses to code-switch in formal or more professional settings but continues to use AAVE outside of those environments. In the text, Baldwin says, “People evolve a language in order to describe and thus control their circumstances, or in order to be submerged by a reality that they cannot articulate.” Black English evolved to include code-switching as a way of allowing Black Americans to control their narrative and circumstances. While Mary’s use may not be life or death, she continues to code-switch in certain situations because she believes that it is the proper way to adapt to those environments. When we hear the word survival, we often think of staying alive, and I do not want to completely throw away that concept, but utilizing terms like social survival allows us to see how the use of Black English is still used as a tool for survival. Because those in professional environments often deem AAVE as unprofessional, Mary’s social survival in those settings hinges on her ability to code-switch. The rest of the interview consisted of questions in relation to specific quotes in the text. Transcribed Interview Stirling: I'll just reread the focus to you and then start off with some questions. So my topic is the use of Black English as a tool for survival and resistance. And then the focus was Black English or AAVE was developed during enslavement and became a tool for communication and to overcome erasure. With words like code switching coming into play, it brings complexities to defining Black English and whether it is still used as a tool for survival. Explore how language is linked to identity so that erasure of Black English becomes an erasure of Black identity. Stirling: So the first question that I have is, if you're someone who code switches on a daily basis, how does code switching play a role or how do you see code switching playing a role in defining Black English? And what ways could it be seen as a tool for controlling the narrative? Mary: Code switching plays a role in Black English because code switching, I feel, is a part of the Black culture. I feel that we've all learned to adapt to our environments. Whether we're talking to our fellow Black people or whether we're in a formal setting or, let me see, at a family hangout with our family or whether we're in a formal setting like school or work. We may use a different tone or we'll speak mainstream English instead, and might avoid utilizing African American Vernacular English because we may not feel comfortable because others around us may not understand it because the majority is mainstream English. That's the majority dialect. Stirling: Thank you. And you answered both parts there. Baldwin describes language as a political instrument. In college spaces, how do you see the use of Black English amongst staff students reflecting that? Or you could say just amongst your peers reflecting language being used as a political instrument. Mary: From what I see, like a teacher isn't really going to judge you if you use AAVE or like a staff, they don't really like to shame anyone. But if you send an email, like using AAVE, then you would, you know, kind of be eyeballed. I recall a professor mentioning that to us because I was in one of my professional English writing courses. He was saying that this one female student in particular was emailing him and she said the word “tryna”, he knew what she meant, but I guess he didn't feel like it was professional to send it in an email. Mary: Personally, I don't look at AAVE as an English language. Well, let me say this. I don't look at it as a full-blown 100% language. Like for example, like I personally look at it as a slang. I utilize it as a slang amongst peers, amongst coworkers. But if I'm in a highly professional setting or I'm talking to an authoritative figure, I'm not going to like to utilize AAVE. Stirling: So in certain situations you then code switch to not use AAVE or do you naturally not use a lot of AAVE when you speak or when you're in professional settings? Do you intentionally code switch to therefore not use any AAVE or very minimal AAVE? Mary: That's a good question. I mean, I would say I just do it. But I've been told by some friends I'm proper anyway. Because sometimes I don't always use slang. Like of course if I'm angry, of course like my black side is definitely going to come out. It's definitely going to give AAVE. But it's not like I'm trying hard to speak mainstream English or I'm not being myself because both of them are a part of me. I speak mainstream English and I speak the African-American dialect. And that's another thing. I look at it as a dialect and not a language. But some black people do use it as a language. Like they write with it in their essays, their everything. I don't do that. Stirling: Yeah. I can see it as both because if you're obviously someone who primarily and only uses black English or AAVE, then that would be considered your version of the English language. And then obviously if you aren't using it fully, that's not your only way of speaking, then it's more of a separate version of the English language off to the side. Mary: Right, because if you're a kid and all you grew up hearing was mainstream English only at school or not ever and you just constantly hear AAVE, you're going to grow up speaking AAVE, you're going to write it in your essays, you're going to write it, you know. Now eventually you might adapt to your peers if they're using mainstream English or, you know. Unfortunately, some utilize mainstream English because they were discriminated against. But that's not why I use it. I use it because I feel that, you know, just speaking around people that, if they don't understand something, it's not their fault because it's not a part of their culture. So, you want to speak what they can understand. Stirling: Thank you. So in the text Baldwin says, “It is not the black child's language that is in question, it is not his language that is despised: It is his experience. A child cannot be taught by anyone who despises him, and a child cannot afford to be fooled.” As someone who was once a child, and is currently living in the Black experience, what is your takeaway from this quote? Mary: Whatever they are teaching them, it is going to be taught from their lens of hatred and not taught for the best interest of the child. Stirling: Do you think that if the professor or teacher is someone who despises AAVE or experiences surrounding Black culture that that student might reflect that internally? Mary: Yes, if they are discriminated against or frowned upon by their teacher just because they’re culturally and linguistically diverse, they may be discouraged and not want to reach out to their teacher for help. They may not also feel comfortable, because no one wants to receive help from someone that looks at them as if they’re inferior. Stirling: As someone who attends a PWI, have you felt at all like there’s been an emphasis on erasing the black experience? Mary: No, not for me. I am the same way I have always been. If I code switch, I code switch. And even if I chose to code switch, you can tell I'm a black woman. I don’t try to make my voice very high, or sound like the Europeans. I just be myself. Stirling: Thank you. In the text Baldwin mentions what is referred to as the beat generation. He states, “Which phenomenon was, largely, composed of uptight, middle‐class white people, imitating poverty, trying to get down, to get with it, doing their thing, doing their despairing best to be funky, which we, the blacks, never dreamed of doing — we were funky, baby, like funk was going out of style.” As a young adult who is on social media, you’ve likely seen the use of AAVE by non-Black people, how do you feel towards individuals doing that? Mary: When it’s utilized on social media and some white people see it in the comment section, oftentimes they say that they can’t understand what Black people are saying, and call them uneducated. In my opinion you are uneducated if you can’t recognize both regional and cultural dialects. Stirling: So would you consider AAVE to be a cultural dialect? Mary: Yes, I would. Stirling: So, with that, how do you feel about non-black people coming in and then using AAVE as a dialect? Mary: I have heard tons of hispanic people use slang or speak in a way similar to AAVE and I feel like we share a culture with hispanic people. I don’t hear them talking down on us. But yeah, as long as they're not trying to do it in a micro-aggressive way, like making fun of someone when you're trying too hard to do it. And you didn't grow up in that environment with other black people and you're actually trying to make fun of people or you see another person and you change your voice and do that and like you assume that because all black people use AAVE. Mary: Because all Black people don't speak AAVE. All people don't utilize the dialect. There are some black people that speak the dialect of white people because they grew up around white people. And that's understandable because they didn't grow up around a lot of black people. You're going to adapt to your environment. Stirling: To reference another quote from the text. It reads, “there have been times where to speak a certain language could be dangerous, even fatal.” So with that quote, how have you seen that in the real world? Mary: I have seen an ICE video where they were speaking Spanish. And I guess you could say, they do that sometimes because they don't want the officer to know what they're saying because they don't trust them, and they might try to use certain things against them. Oh, yeah, you have the Miranda rights, you have the right to remain silent. Well, if you ain't understood what I'm saying, you can't hold it against me unless you got somebody else that's a translator or a bilingual cop or something. Stirling: I like how you answered in a way that shows how despite them being in a situation where speaking their language is dangerous for them, they still chose to because this same language is what might help them survive that situation. Stirling: To bring it back to the original topic, how do you see Black English being used as a tool for survival and resistance? Mary: It can be seen as resistance because the use of Black English is frowned upon, but we're still going to use it because it's part of our culture. That's just like if you ask someone Hispanic to not speak Spanish. You know, this language and dialect is culture. It's part of one's culture. So I would say it's survival because we maintain our culture despite the European backlash and stereotypes. (The following information was gathered after the formal interview, but I thought it was a neat addition.) Mary: Being an SLP student, we teach that no dialect is the standard. Because, it’s a difference between a language disorder and a language difference. There have been times years ago when white people weren’t as educated about the African-American Dialect, and they would diagnose Black children with language disorders. They would put them in special education courses. It was an overdiagnosis in the black community for kids with language disorders. But, that’s what you call a language difference not a language disorder.