Geneva Smitherman presents an overview of past debates on the speech of the African Americans. Enriched by her inimitable style, this evocative study explores the relationship between language and race, as well as common perceptions of African American Language (AAL).

1. African American Language: So Good it's Bad 2. Words and Expressions, Proverbs and Familiar Sayings 3. The N-Words 4. Honeyz and Playaz Talkin that Talk 5. 'I Used to Love H.E.R.': Hip Hop, in its Essence and Real 6. 'All Around the World, Same Song' 7. 'Negro Dialect, the Last Barrier to Integration?'

Geneva Smitherman is University Distinguished Professor of English at Michigan State University. A linguist and educational activist, she has been at the forefront of the struggle for language rights for over 25 years. She is the author of several books, among them, Talkin and Testifyin (1977), Black Talk (2000), and Talkin That Talk (2000).