If Black Isnt a Language, then Tell Me, What Is? James Baldwin

In the beginning of this reading something stuck out to me that Baldwin said. It was when he said, "If they cannot articulate it then they are submerged." He says this talking about people who do not keep up with their own language and are inconsistant when learning the new "lingo". This stuck out so much to me, because I feel like that has happened to me before. I have been in school and kids have approached me asking me questions, and they were saying words I didnt understand. Although after being at that school for a few weeks I quickly picked up on these terms.

When Baldwin talks about the Frenchman living in Paris that brings up another memory in my mind. It reminds me of people in the United States. People here have different American languages in my opinion. I say that because I have witnessed this as well. When ever I visit my dad in Florida and he takes me around to meet all of his friends and introduce me to some local teenagers, I always have such a hard time understanding them. My dad says its Ebonics that they are speaking. Which is now actually considered a language. Its difficult to understand for me, because I feel like they speak increadibly fast, and well I dont cant comprehend the things they say, because I dont know what their saying.

The Fourth paragragh in, I notice that when Baldwin talks about "Putting your business on the street", in england he says you have confessed a list of different things, but names your parents twice. I think that he really draws the reader in with this statement and while making the reader aware and (at the same time scared to speak another language in the wrong part of England) he brings out the reality, that in almost any case a child wants to protect their parents.

In the end i'm not sure that I completely understand his argument. But there were many things that I did agree with in this reading. One main part was that black children should not conform to the white mans language because there is an alternative. And i think what his message is, is that it is ok to be different, and create new things, and it is allowed. After all, we do live in America!