The Black Language Podcast

Deadass is a crowd favorite! In this episode I talk about the origins and transformations of "deadass".

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I’m taking y’all to school with this episode - not literally, but rather,  for a discussion about how Black language and our kids are treated in schools. This episode is based loosely on a Tedx Talk that I gave in 2019, but I promise this episode is way better. Though this episode touches on just a glimpse of what Black kids go through in school with regard to our language, I highlight some historical moments involving Black language in schools and discuss approaches generally taken when working with our kids in schools. The end of this episode is the best part because I read off the demands from Black Linguistic Justice Week, an initiative led by a team of Black linguists who are also working on THE Black Linguistic Justice Syllabus.


Below, I have included links related to this episode:

Louisville Black Lives Matter Facebook Page

Troy for Black Lives Facebook Page

Photo of Classroom Language Regulations

Black Linguistic Justice Website

Book: Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy by April Baker-Bell

Anansa Benbow Tedx Talk at Columbia University 


Twitter: @blacklangpod
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On the episode of The Black Language Podcast, the host Anansa dives into language appropriation through the comparison of Rachel Jeantel and Bhad Bhabie and speaks about the false claim that African American Language is stan/twitter/internet language.

Rachel Jeantel was the 19 year old Black, Haitian star witness in the trial of George Zimmerman in 2013. She was under much scrutiny for her use of African American Language. Danielle Bregoli, also known as Bhad Bhabie, went viral after her catch phrase "cash me ousside, how bout dat" went viral during her appearance on Dr. Phil as a 13 year old white girl who exhibited violent behavior towards her mother, Dr. Phil, and the audience. Bhad Bhabie's use of African American Language landed her a record deal with Atlantic records and placements on the Billboard Hot 100. This is a very different outcome from Rachel Jeantel's. Again, we are shown that mainstream American culture loves Black culture, but not Black people.

Language appropriation of Black people is not simply language borrowing, unfortunately, it comes with the erasure of Black people. Again, the push to promote stan/twitter/internet language, instead of recognizing that the language used on social media comes from Black people is an example of that erasure.


Twitter: @blacklangpod
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Language and Linguistics on Trial: Hearing Rachel Jeantel (and other vernacular speakers) in the Courtroom and Beyond by John Rickford and Sharese King

CNN Video: Does Rachel Jeantel's body language speak volumes?

Dr. Phil Segment featuring Danielle Bregoli

Linguistic Profiling 

How do you know if someone is about to tell a fire story? Probably because they began with "aight so boom”.

On this episode of The Black Language Podcast, the host Anansa, talks about the usage of "aight so boom" in story telling among Black people. Not only did Soulja Boy give us a reason to be on YouTube, but he also gave us great data to examine how we use "aight so boom" while telling stories.

Watch the full Soulja Boy interview on the Breakfast Club here

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Twitter: @blacklangpod
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In this episode of The Black Language Podcast, your host, Anansa provides the vision for this podcast. 

Twitter: @blacklangpod
Instagram: @blacklangpod
Email: [email protected]

Welcome to The Black Language Podcast where we talk about our people and our language and where talkin' Black is anything said by a Black person. From discussing our favorite slang terms, to grammar structures, to linguistic discrimination, this podcast reaffirms, uplifts, and gives respect to Black people of the past, present, and future.