THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, January 3, 1997               TAG: 9701030007
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A14  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   21 lines

"EBONICS" IN THE PILOT

I was more disappointed than amused by your Dec. 23 pre-holiday weather story informing your readership that a white Christmas ``ain't gonna happen this year.''

Frankly, should we really be so surprised at the current hue and cry over so-called Ebonics or ``black English,'' when a major newspaper allows front-page publication of the very phrases we are discouraged from using in order to be successful in this society? Do local school libraries subscribe to your paper?

This descent into mediocrity, as far as news and analysis are concerned, is troubling. Your editors should know better. Front-page slang does not win Pulitzers, but it will sit well in the tabloid section.

D. J. HANSEN

Virginia Beach, Dec. 27, 1996