​https://ipmnewsroom.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dialogue-Sept13_segA1.mp3

In this episode of Dialogue, we explore African American Vernacular English (AAVE), featuring linguistics expert Dr. Sharese King from the University of Chicago. Dr. King provides crucial context about AAVE’s unique characteristics, breaks down code-switching with AAVE and tackles the controversial history of naming, from “Non-Standard Negro English” to “Ebonics” to current terms like “African American Language.”

King emphasizes that AAVE represents a powerful cultural inheritance that deserves respect and preservation. AAVE is a sophisticated, rule-governed linguistic system that has profoundly influenced American culture while facing ongoing stigmatization and appropriation.

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GUEST: 

Dr. Sharese King

  • Professor of Linguistics at the University of Chicago