When In Selma

Recently, there was a big to-do about visits to Selma, Alabama—the symbolic origin of the Civil Rights Movement—of 2008 presidential candidates Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. It seems that the two decided to put on rather southern/black accents for the occasion.

Does that bother me? A little bit of ‘yes’ and a little bit of ‘no.’ ‘No’ because I have done such myself; additionally, I know that others do the same also.

The first time I had ever met black people from the Caribbean Islands was when I joined the USAF in 1981. I noticed that they spoke one language for me and another one for those of their countrymen—one which I could not understand. After I took note of this several times, I asked one of the Caribbean Islanders—a good friend—what language she was speaking when she spoke to her countrymen. Her answer (with an amused smile): “English.”

My parents (my mother and my step-father) speak very proper English—that is to say, neither is prone to speaking what has become to be known as “Ebonics.” Additionally, my mother has a tone that isn’t “black” (Mom is somewhat of a military brat). Now, don’t have a cow; you know what that tone is. My sisters and I, having grown up hearing our mother's tone day in and day out, know how to mimic that tone when we’re trying to get what we want (like a job).

The tone of my mother is, most of the time, my natural speaking voice. However, I did go to elementary and secondary school among black people, so I am schooled in and do use that *other* tone when it’s appropriate.

Back when I was first in the military, someone informed me that I used one tone to talk to black people and another one to talk to white (and other non-black) people. Initially, I was disturbed by this accurate observation.

However, over the many years since that observation was made, I have found it necessary to mix up my two ways of speaking: the way I was taught at home (proper English) and the way I learned at school (“black” English). Both have ways of getting a particular point across.

On the occasions when I have felt the need to use “black” English—simply because a particular phrase got a point across better than standard English—I have, sometimes, been derided for using such phrasing. However, I read similar phrasing all the time in missives written by admittedly non-black people: “back in the day,” “no he/she didn’t,” “______, please,” and so on. If a phrasing works best towards getting a point across to one’s audience, there should be no problem with using it.

Clinton and Obama knew their audience and knew what would work in getting their points across: sounding like them. Clinton knew that stating that she “didn’t feel in no ways tired” would resonate among certain segments of the black South and Obama knew that he’d have to mix up his lingo (as I’ve discovered over the years as well) in order to have his half-white, half-black African self heeded by those who may believe that the senator has nothing in common with other same-race Americans (85% of which have some European heritage, in more or less amount that Obama does.)

Clinton and Obama were simply being good politicians--something which we all do every day of our lives if we're intelligent.

More later about the Tom Mboya/Kennedy Airlift—on which Senator Obama’s father came to America.

Comments

[Tully]

I asked one of the Caribbean Islanders—a good friend—what language she was speaking when she spoke to her countrymen. Her answer (with an amused smile): “English.”

Reminds me of a line from a Heinlein novel.

"Do you speak English?"

"Yes, and I understand American."

[Ruth H]

I think everyone has their "everyday" speech and their public speech. We write the same way, some formal and some informal. I do not like Hillary but she did a very logical thing with the speech she gave. She was quoting and using the speech that was needed for the crowd. And it sounded like they loved it. I don't really call that pandering. I have a very good ear for voices and find it embarrassing at times to be talking to someone who has a different accent or way of speaking and if I am with them long enough will hear myself echoing their speech patterns, good or bad. AArrgh that is embarrassing. But now I'm 70 and I've decided not to be embarrassed about anything anymore!

[negronova]

AKA, code switching.

[baldilocks]

Ed: Indeed.

[CGHill]

I've noticed that my own intonation becomes less Texas Lite and more semi-Gullah when I spend more than one day in the South. (A decade in South Carolina schools will imprint that sort of thing on you.)

I did drop into Selma on one of my summer road trips, hoping for a history lesson. Got one, too.

[baldilocks]

I visited Maxwell AFB, Alabama back in the nineties. Alabama is a beautiful state and virtually all of the people I met there--regardless of race--were very nice.

It's the same cognitive dissonance that I had when I was stationed in Germany: how could such nice people from such a beautiful place be descended from *those* people?

The answer: both the good and the bad are human.

(Ironically enough, most of the black people gave me funny looks when I was out and about with the person I was in AL to visit--a white man; most of the white people didn't turn a hair.)