Jason Perry’s essay was very enlightening and suggestive. He delved into the idea of speech and the correct forms of speech. Perry first spoke on the topic of “speaking right” and what it means to “speak right”. Many individuals today correlate talking proper to talking like a white person. This is not only false but also degrading to black people. The notion that talking white is talking proper insinuates that blacks do not know how to properly speak. Perry publicized that blacks and whites today feel that blacks do not talk “proper”/ Standard English, and if one does, he or she would be talking white. Perry shared a story about a friend of his and the young man’s encounter with his family as he returned home from school. When the young man returned home from a HBCU talking “white” his family was surprised. How could he spend so much time with other blacks and still talk white? This alarmed Perry, and he then realized how ignorant society was on the subject of linguistics.
Perry writes this article to inform those individuals who think that there are proper and improper ways of speaking. The African American community is criticized constantly for its often time inability to code switch. The black community has a unique form of speaking that is charismatic and specific to those of the culture. People should be educated on dialects and code switching. The African American community especially should realize that it is important to retain the dialects that are spoken. Not only do the dialects conserve a language specific to blacks but it also retains cultural awareness. The public community should also be aware that the standard way of speaking is not called talking white.
Perry writes this article to inform those individuals who think that there are proper and improper ways of speaking. The African American community is criticized constantly for its often time inability to code switch. The black community has a unique form of speaking that is charismatic and specific to those of the culture. People should be educated on dialects and code switching. The African American community especially should realize that it is important to retain the dialects that are spoken. Not only do the dialects conserve a language specific to blacks but it also retains cultural awareness. The public community should also be aware that the standard way of speaking is not called talking white.