LANGUAGE
Black People Codeswitch Every Day in America. Why Are Some Confused?
There’s a racial cultural gap being exploited
This campaign season has revealed a wide cultural gap between Black and White Americans. For instance, some have expressed utter confusion after watching videos of Vice President Kamala Harris seemingly changing her communication style for different audiences. When speaking to a crowd about the contribution of labor unions in Detroit, Michigan, she said, “you betta thank a union member for the five-day work week and sick leave.” However, when speaking to a crowd in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, she said, “thank unions for sick leave” and “thank unions for family leave.” Of course, she carried the same message to both groups: union workers have successfully advocated for better quality working conditions for Americans. Yet, some decided to focus on the differences in her speech patterns. Despite codeswitching being a common practice within the black community, some conservatives claimed that this linguistic shift was evidence of inauthenticity, essentially questioning Harris’ blackness. Their confusion highlights the need for more constructive conversations on race and communication.
Perhaps, if American students were allowed to learn about race in school, they could take a lesson on…
