Negotiating African American Language, Identity, and Culture in the Urban Classroom

Abstract

The dominant privilege that is ascribed to Standard American English within American classrooms presents socio-cultural challenges for many Black students who speak African American Vernacular English (AAVE). This study will examine the ways in which race, language, and power intersect in the classroom to shape Black students’ academic performance and self-concept. Grounded in critical race theory, this study includes qualitative interviews with Black students at two urban high schools in south Los Angeles. A thematic analysis of these interviews will reveal how the stigmatization of AAVE in urban schools compels Black students to adopt dominant ideologies and practices that isolate them from their cultural subjectivities. Findings from this study call educators to develop a culturally relevant pedagogy that empowers Black students to utilize and access their socio-cultural capital in and out of the classroom.