Black English

Baldwin makes a compelling argument regarding language in his essay "If Black English Isn't A Language, What Is?". Language is our most powerful tool as humans and is one of the few traits which distinguishes us from every other species on earth. Baldwin points out how much of a role language really plays in our personal and cultural identities as well as our view of the world around us. He claims that the language of the black culture in the United States is just as much of a language as the white man's English. He supports his claim well using historical evidence to describe the evolution of this language. The origins of black English are deeply rooted in our country's past and the decisions made by our forefathers. He reveals that when slave trading began in this country "blacks came to the United States chained to each other, but from different tribes. Neither could speak the other's language". Language is a tool born out of necessity, and Baldwin explains how this was also true for the blacks forced to come to America. He also explains the important role that black language and culture has played in every facet of our society.
Baldwin is explaining to us that this language is a window into the black culture as well as a revelation of the injustices and immorality faced by black people in the past. It reveals to us the underlying notion that American history has created some people that think "that they have nothing to learn from the poeple of a country that has managed to learn so little".
Overall, this author does a good job of using historical evidence as well as a powerful sense of ethos brought on by his credibility in the subject to persuade the audience.