[John Isbell]

Hi Andrew,

Interesting link. It ends "JOHN MCWHORTER teaches linguistics at Columbia University", which does a fair job situating the frame of reference he brings to bear on the question of Black English. Similarly, I was at a Chomsky talk some years ago where he described Black English as in linguistic terms an independent language with an independent set of rules.
So much for neutral linguistic observation. As for the sociological question, well, it's fascinating, and McWhorter does a fair job reviewing it to my mind. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, the choice between Spanish and English is similarly fraught. Some people will be happy to hear Spanish, some offended; getting that choice right requires experience and focus. For instance, in my classrooms, students are startled when I begin referring to Spanish to explain French or German; it takes a moment to break the ice of stereotyping and show that these are world languages from a common family, and learners will in fact learn quicker if they have Spanish under their belt and available. But with the ice broken, then that choice can become a matter of confidence and pride.
As McWhorter indicates, what the Dalai Lama calls insight certainly helps when faced with questions like these.

Cheers,
John

Update: Found my quotation. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” - Dr. Martin Luther King.