2) I think Grandmama was trying to teach Kie some kind of lesson. She wanted to expose Kie to people who were also troubled and have been through trauma at a young age. Yes, Grandmama hoped that Kie would be honest and continued to gain knowledge for the purpose of proving himself, but the exposure to these types of people served as a lesson in and of itself. I think it was her intention to warn Kie about people in the Beulah Beauford house but instead Kie ended up finding community in these people for better or for worse. 

3) Laymon started off with this repetitive sequence because he knew that that was what white people wanted to hear. He knew that they wanted to hear a lie that made them believe that Black people do not have their own hopes, struggles, trauma, and lives that only their own race would understand. He writes on the very first page about not wanting to implement his own cultural elements into his writing, "I did not want to write honestly about black lies, black thighs, black loves..." (Laymon, 2018). It is obvious that he was aware of the reaction he might get from sharing his story. And inside, I think Laymon also wished that his story was different. He wished he could write about a completely sound life instead. On page 1 he tragically confesses, "I wanted to write about how fundamental present black fathers, responsible black mothers, magical black grandmothers, and perfectly disciplined black children are to our liberation" (Laymon, 2018). So not only did he want to write a lie to tell to others but deep down, he also wanted a lie to tell himself. But him writing his whole truth goes to show how strong Kie is and how much he has overcome thus far.

2) As terrible as Kie’s mom can seem, I don’t think she would subject Kie to Beulah Beauford’s house anymore if she knew the truth about what he had been exposed to. I think from her perspective, she knows the family and thinks it is a safe enough place for Kie to go to study with people his age, with tons of resources for learning, like encyclopedias. There was also lots of mentioning of status of the Beauford’s, so it could potentially be about keeping that connection to a higher status family, one with a filled pantry, a pool, and encyclopedias.

3) I think Laymin starts this book by basically saying he wishes he could reflect on his childhood in a more stereotypical, traditional way of a black family. He wanted to talk about his journey and memories and family, about his journey as a black man. Instead, I think a lot of his childhood was about being forced to abandon his dialect and conform with traditionally taught mainstream English that his mother was so persistent upon. His mother wanted him to speak professionally and grammatically correct all of the time, which just wasn’t realistic and robbed him of a lot of his identity.

2) The similarities in the language of Kie and the Mumford boy did surprise me a bit because I think there is an expectation for the Mumford boy to speak very formally and use proper grammar because he is white. Although I don’t think it is that surprising that he doesn’t because he is only speaking casually and informally to another young boy, about things like playing outside, which shows he is far too young to be speaking with proper, formal language. I do however think it highlights the different upbringings and expectations of the two boys, specifically because of their race. Kie’s mom is relentless in making him use proper grammar and language, which I think is because their black dialect is constantly looked down on as uneducated, and Kie’s mom even mentions how dangerous this misjudgment can be when speaking with people like police. However, for Mumford boy, when he speaks “wrong” or informally, he is just being a kid in an informal setting. I think this scene does a great job of showing the double standard of informal language based on different races.

3) I think Kie’s mother is so hyper focused on speaking proper English, that she leaves no room for the black dialect, which I think Kie and grandmama identify with much more. Grandmama did not seem to raise Kie’s mom with this proper English obsession, it seems she learned and readjusted her language on her own as a way to educate and protect herself as a black woman fighting for justice and equality. However, she has strayed so far from the black dialect it seems everyone else in Kie’s life is using and identifies with, confusing Kie who is punished by his mother for speaking in the dialect he uses with everyone in his life, except for her. I think there was a lot less pressure for me personally, to speak how I wanted growing up. I was raised by two English teachers so my grammar has definitely always been a slightly more proper than my friends, but I was never pressured to speak differently because of my skin color or fear of how I will be viewed.

-Emma Clark

3. I believe that students would be more interested grammar is they were able to manipulate and make it their own. The way that Kie and LaThon used grammar is a way to show their personality through language. One way that I have seen teachers incorporate students voice and choice into grammar is by using their “slang” in lessons. For example, I have experienced young educators teaching students the importance of punctuation by using the phrases “periooooodd”. In order to help young learners remember to use punctuation, teachers would repeat this saying as a class. Not only does this make a more fun and enjoyable learning environment for the students but it also shows that you can used slang and untraditional English to enforce grammar. 

I love your ideas of encouraging students to speak freely in their classroom. However, I do believe that as teachers we do have to correct them on some things. Like stated in past discussions, there is a time and place for various types of vernacular language. I think that being able to freely use those different types is what make people diverse and complex intellectuals and that is what we should strive to make our students be. I believe that we need to continue to break the stigmatism around language that is not classified as “mainstream grammar” however continue to equip students with grammar skills in order to be successful in future endeavors. 

I noticed that most grammar used by Black and Brown people model their original environment. This language also models how they were spoken to when they were growing up.  For example, if this Black or Brown family grew up in a rural place in southern or western America, their grammar might use constant contractions, a lack of articles, and emphasis on certain vowels. However, if a black or brown family is traditionally not from American, their grammar can be similar structured to their native language just with the use of English words. We can see these various types of grammar usage when they are with their family, friends, and environments that make them comfortable. Sometimes, we can even experience this language in professional settings because this is their only comfortable way of communicating. 

3. I believe that Kie got in trouble for his ideas because the community did not want to hear what he had to say. His ideas were far from what society or the bulk of readers wanted to face in that time period. As teachers, we must continue to encourage our students to speak their voice however we should also become advocates ourselves. I believe that Kie’s mainstream English helped his message get across so well that it angered the community. Us teachers should become advocates for our colored students and help support their ideas when they are presented to the community. However, not all students can contract themselves to the constraints of mainstream English. How we view media changes rapidly every day. We teachers can encourage the exposure of those various types of media to our students in order to help them reach different types of audiences. At the end of the day, we need to be there as un-bias support systems. 

2) I think in school settings are expected to speak proper, mainstream English, and that if you speak any other way, you are considered uneducated. There is an unrealistic expectation and almost requirement to conform to the rules of mainstream English, which I think is where the problem is. Your dialect is the product of your environment and it’s what you know/are comfortable with, so to consider it uneducated to speak in your dialect and to be pressured to conform erases identity and culture. 

3) It’s important to let students be who they are and be a space without judgement, but there are rules in English and grammar, and I think it’s important to teach these rules and to emphasize when it’s essential to practice and use them, like in writing. When students are speaking informally, I don’t think it’s appropriate to correct them in most circumstances. I can remember many instances when a teacher publicly shamed student’s grammar and made a lesson out of them, and I think that just leaves kids feeling embarrassed and ashamed. It’s a tough question, but I think the rules of English are necessary to learn and it’s all about teachers deciphering when it’s appropriate to step in.

2. Learning about diverse English you learn each other's struggles and triumphs. When studying any language, you have to understand the culture. A series of positive or negative experiences is what shapes culture which then shapes their language. When you are able to have a mutual understanding with one another, you will then be able to view your own culture with a more critical lens. Therefore, hopefully adjusting your actions and beliefs may favor more than just your life and the people you resonate most with. 

3. I believe that his father has a similar outlook to his grandmother, however is fond of the mothers outlook. In the chapter we realize that the father also comes from various hardships in the south and still faces the struggles of multiple wives, families, and substances. He does live within his own realm of success and fights for black acceptance through the corporate world. However, like Kie’s mother, he is proud that Kie has chosen to show black excellence through education. They commonly believe that education is one of the best ways for young African Americans to make themselves worthy to the white man as well as keep themselves safe. 

I really enjoyed reading your response on how professors, mentors or teachers should interact with your students. I agree that teachers should be learning from their students because they offer new generational ideas. Yet, highlighting the words “help them” and “permission” shows that a student is in charge of their learning and experiences. If a student is not willing to accept this responsible love or ideologies it is not the fault of the teacher. We as teachers can do as much as we can to guide our students to the right path however, it is up to them on if they want to take that path themselves. In the future chapters, I am interested to see what Cole decides to do with his path. 

I really enjoyed reading your ideas on how teachers can specifically facilitate a comfortable environment for their students. Immersing students in the literature that is centered around cultures and daily experiences of people who share similarities with the students allows for them to feel seen. I also encourage students of all ages to perform some type of literature circle around these books because I find it a great way to build community.