AAVE, Southern, and New York City (especially the Bronx & Brooklyn) all have the same bad reputation, just reputations in different ways... but equally looked-down-on. And it seems that all three equally internalize a certain amount of racism/classism and shame about the accents, but all the more reason to work on coming up with a way to see it as a source of pride and value. The Southern accent is getting a very slow turn-around, by virtue of people (throughout the US) seeing it as a "friendlier" way to talk, and I'm just thinking there might be a benefit in borrowing the growing prestige of New Orleans & Creole-with-a-capital-C.
no subject
Date: 4 Feb 2011 05:31 am (UTC)