Abstract
This paper shares the stories of four burgeoning Black Language scholars and their journeys learning about their language in an official university setting. The analytic frames that helped us interpret our stories were: Baker-Bell's notions of “anti-Black linguistic racism” and “Black Linguistic Consciousness-raising,” Smitherman's concept of the “linguistic push-pull,” and the way Muhammud operationalizes “joy.” The process of learning about Black Language became a deeply personal journey of learning about ourselves, about each other, about what was lost, and about what was gained through this learning. Ultimately, this journey led us to collectively love and embrace Black Language and Blackness.
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