The school system convinces Blacks that they hate English, through the way it is presented to them. It is not until they reach the collegiate level that Blacks realize that they actually enjoy reading. (pg 89) Is this the main reason for such a high rate of high school dropouts, especially among Blacks?
It is important to be supportive of Black men in their times of tribulation, rather than give up on them. Many people, especially males of African decent, have a “double conscious.” Double conscious is concept created by the Black scholar W.E.B. DuBois. With double consciousness people do not see the world through their eyes. (pg 91) Instead, they see the world through the eyes that others see them through. As a result, they do not put forth as much effort as they should, because everyone is already expecting them to fail and no one is there when they really need them. On the other hand, Black women who do not fall under the negative stereotypes such as jezebels, and mammies that go on attend college find that consensus English, also known as “proper English,” is not as bad as the school system made it out to be.
African Americans inherit a God-given gift of creativity when it comes to language. Take into consideration the tribulations of our ancestors. The only problem is being open with it. (pg 89) After all, the distinctive goal of literary works is to share emotions and influence others, but how can you influence others if you do not share?
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