ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 31, 1996 TAG: 9612310125
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: OAKLAND, CALIF.
SOURCE: Knight-Ridder/Tribune
THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER is pulling back the punches he took at the program, which recognizes inner-city black jargon as an alternative to the English language.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who just days ago harshly criticized the Oakland school district's controversial Ebonics plan, announced Monday that he now embraces the program's goals and called for additional funding to improve the language skills of black students.
Jackson flew into Oakland and met privately with about 40 education and community leaders. Oakland trustees had pushed for such a meeting after he blasted them on a national news program, declaring that their Dec. 18 Ebonics resolution was ``bordering on disgrace.''
Jackson said he originally thought the School Board was calling black English a separate language - on a par with Spanish - and that teachers would be teaching in Ebonics, or black English.
``That is a kind of surrender,'' Jackson said Monday. ``That's like talking down to our children. If the intention was to turn a language style into a language, that would suggest we're inferior.''
But after meeting with Oakland school officials, Jackson said the board ``clarified its intent,'' explaining it wants teachers to understand the language patterns of black students, then use that knowledge to teach standard English. That he supports.
``We do not want a lower goal,'' Jackson said. ``We want a better opportunity to reach the goal.''
There has been wide debate about the meaning of that resolution. Much of the confusion comes from the wording, which board members have tried to clarify but refused to amend. The resolution recognizes the existence of ``West and Niger-Congo African Language Systems as the predominantly primary language of African American students.'' It also states that a program will be implemented ``featuring African Language Systems principles in instructing African American children both in their primary language and in English.''
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