If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?

James Baldwin’s essay, “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” appeared in the Sunday edition of The New York Times on July 29 1979. The essay makes a case that Black English is a distinct and vibrant independent language rather than a dialect of so-called “standard” English. The essay addresses Black English as a Form of Resistance, The Weaponization of the Power of Language, and Education as a Tool of Self-Empowerment.

A famous and sought-after public intellectual, James Baldwin was a novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and teacher. His 1963 bestselling nonfiction book, The Fire Next Time, comprised two previously published essays that dealt with Black identity and racial struggle in the United States. The book led to him appearing on the cover of Time on May 17 1963.

By the time “If Black English Isn’t a Language…” was published, Baldwin had spent more than 30 years writing, speaking, and teaching about race, language, and literature. Baldwin also used his skills in support of the African American civil rights movement of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship (1954), the National Institute of Arts and Letters Award (1956), and the Polk Memorial Award for outstanding magazine journalism (1963) and was elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters (1964).