I feel like, based on the title, this could be a series all on its own, but for this entry we will be discussing the creation of the African American English Dictionary.
This dictionary will include terms commonly used by African Americans and will be published as an Oxford Dictionary. Some of the terms include “kitchen,” “grill”, and “chitterlings.”
As a visual person, my mind immediately conjured up a scenario.
I imagined a white couple from Utah traveling to Atlanta, Georgia with this dictionary clutched in their hands. They stop to ask someone on the street for directions and flip through the pages in an effort to “speak the language.”
Who is this dictionary for?
The African American community, for the most part, is already familiar with these terms and many of them are not even used anymore.
Is this another way for the African American community to teach other communities about our culture? Why is that our responsibility?
Who asked for this?
Mom of 2 Wife of One 