Listening to a recording of an interview was something I had never done before. It was fascinating to hear the difference in the way Alfreda Dortch Williams spoke versus what can be written down on paper. The pauses mid-sentence and thought process can be heard more than they can be read.
The part that interested me the most was when she was talking about the difference between the language she uses when speaking to white people versus black people.
“Because language changes. I mean, we had to learn to adapt to different languages. My daughter always went to gifted schools and Magnet schools. She’d come home and the kids would tease her, oh you talk funny, yo u talk funny. And so I had to teach her, baby there’s a language in school and there’s a language on the street. And she had to learn how to navigate between those two languages. Most while folks don’t have to do that. But we have to navigate between two different worlds. And learning that navigation system is essential to survive.” – Alfreda Dortch Williams (R1 / Excerpt 16: 66:40 – 69:57)
This story reminded me of the readings that we’ve been discussing in class. The difference in vernacular and speech patterns when the work is tailored towards a white audience and how it changes when the author directs their work towards a black audience. Part of the Black Arts Movement was to stop catering to white audiences because Black Art was not made for them. So during this time, many artists were abandoning the European style of writing poetry and literary work. This changed the way that artists presented their work. The language of the piece changes entirely to include speech patterns and vocabulary words unique to the Black community. The change in language that Alfreda Williams talks about is a reflection of this concept of audience.
Great work, Ellie. I appreciate how you connect Alfreda’s comments to the ethos of Black Arts Movement writers!