A highly readable collection of key articles and essays by a leading scholar on African American language and politics. Smitherman discusses the inter-relationship between African American language, culture and education.

Geneva Smitherman is an established writer and key commentator on African American language and culture. She has forged a writing style which combines academic discourse and African American English which has become widely celebrated for efficacy in making the medium the message. Her previous publications include Talkin and Testifyin and Black Talk and she is a contributor to African American English