Linguists on African American Language: John Baugh

Excerpt from footage for the documentary TALKING BLACK in AMERICA with Professor John Baugh.

look for TALKING BLACK in AMERICA on PBS in 2019
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The long-awaited release of the first documentary feature ever on African American language varieties and the powerful role of language in African American culture.

"An amazing and thought-provoking film."
- Roger Stolle, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art

"Absolutely fabulous. … thoroughly educational, engaging and inspirational."
- Rick Moss, Chief Curator, African American Museum and Library, Oakland, CA

"An awesome achievement!"
- Barbara Boschert, Coahoma College, Clarksdale, MS

"An awesome film. … This video belongs in an international museum for the world to see."
- Jerome Forbes, Principal of Old Bight High School, Cat Island, Bahamas

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The powerful identity forged by a shared heritage - the creativity and resilience of people living through oppression, segregation and the fight for social justice - is expressed in the diverse ways African Americans communicate. TALKING BLACK in AMERICA chronicles the incredible impact of African American English on American language and culture. Filmed across the United States, this documentary is a revelation of language as legacy, identity and triumph over adversity.

"The status of African American speech has been controversial for more than a half-century now, suffering from persistent public misunderstanding, linguistic profiling, and language-based discrimination. We wanted to address that and, on a fundamental level, make clear that understanding African American speech is absolutely critical to understanding the way we talk today."
- Executive Producer, Walt Wolfram
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For more info and resources visit

Find out more about the Language and Life Project at

[jaloneynorwood]

How can I contact you, I have a few questions 🤗

[Roxie]

Please don’t call them slave descendants, “people who’s descendants where inslaved” is better, slave isn’t their identity it was something forced apon african people

[dangeroreilly]

I understand a slave speaking broken English. Slaves brought here would have been taught only enough to understand orders. They wouldn't learn the finer points like tense, and conjugating verbs.
But for several decades now, they have attended the same schools and been taught the same school lessons as all other American kids of all ethnic backgrounds. If all children were taught English in the 40's, and again in the 50's and again in the 60's, then the 70's up to today, wouldn't those children now grown, and the generations that followed have a good grasp of English? Why does speaking English poorly now count as their own language/dialect rather than just being poor English? I understand English would be a foreign language to Africans in 1840. But is there some advantage of giving the impression an American citizen today doesn't fully understand English?

[tto]

Michelle Obama's speaks the same language as Barak or me. We're defendants from Africa, America and Canada. We speak SAE (Standard American English).
When did slang become vernacular?
If AAVE (African American Vernacular English) were a language from a specific area in Africa, then great!! A standard origin that its speakers understand and follow specific rules, like us ASE speakers.
If a AAVE speaker from Chicago can't understan the "vernacular" of Houston or LA it is just regional slang.
If it's a poor version of ASE, call it so.

[darrinmarshall]

Yea he talks/sounds white asf. Not proper but white