The chapter explores the challenges faced by biracial and black communities in adapting their speech to different social contexts. It delves into the historical context of American slavery, the impact of segregation on language evolution, and the appropriation of African American English in social media, particularly through 'Black Twitter'. The conversation also discusses the evolving meanings of slang terms, the challenges of staying current with language trends, and the importance of linguistic tolerance and equitable education.
Vocal fry. Code switching. Black Twitter. Valley girls. Culture vultures. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TALKING. Alie battles traffic to sit down with linguistics professor Dr. Nicole Holliday about intonational phonology: how tones and pitch help us bond with others and construct identities. Inspired in part by former President Barack Obama's masterful linguistic variability, Dr. Holliday's work focuses on how language is used in the crossing and construction of racial/ethnic boundaries. She graciously fielded tons of questions for a fascinating dive into the nuances and strict grammatical rules of African American Language, cultural appropriation, our educational system, honoring your identity, what not to wear in Paris and the roiling debate over who is the best rapper. Also: Alie is maybe a lizard person.
Follow Dr. Nicole Holliday @MixedLinguist on Twitter and Instagram
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Sound editing by Steven Ray Morris
Theme song by Nick Thorburn