Tongue Tied - Black Men Speaking In A White World

"He is a light-skinned African-American with no Negro dialect, unless he wants to have one."

These were the puzzling words of Senator Harry Reid who made the statement in reference to President Obama. They invoked a staunch reaction from blacks, and caused an uproar in some political circles. Was it a malicious remark? Or was it an an innocuous statement taken out of context?

Harry Reid said it was a compliment. But what was he complimenting? The fact that Obama is special? Or that he is special because he does not use the stereotypical parlance associated with most black men?

Language has always been a measure of social status, educational level, and intellectual ability for men. Slave owners actually preferred slaves who lacked communication skills because they were less likely to organize revolts.

It's no wonder: strong communication skills are inherent to all leaders. Slaves that were referred to as "field Negros" were only required to work with their hands; doing laborious work outside the plantation. House Negros were generally viewed as being smarter, less threatening, and having better communication skills. They were usually descendants of slave owners, and as a result, were light-skinned.

It's not surprising that there are still whites (and white men in particular) who feel more comfortable with light-skinned black males in a professional office environment. Any prolonged observation of America's various workforces reveal this truth.   The plight of the house Negro and the field Negro persists. Language often divides them more than skin tone.

Harry Reid's comments were not offensive; they were insightful. If the media would have taken the time to place his comment in its proper historical context, a valuable educational opportunity could have been had for both whites and blacks. Instead, the comment merely serves as a vivid reminder that times change, but perceptions remain the same.

Having good communication skills affords an advantage in business (and in life) to all men. For black men it's especially true. Good verbal communication skills enable us to penetrate the circles where greater opportunities reside.

President Obama is exceptional as a black male communicator, and extraordinary as a communicator. This is what enabled him to distinguish himself. When his presidency is over, his prowess as an orator will be his true legacy.

For non-presidential black males, the stigma of being inarticulate is dissipating, but we will, seemingly, forever walk the fine, tenuous line between being effective communicators, and using "no Negro" dialect...unless we want to.

The reality is that every culture has its own dialect. No one questions the use of Spanish by Hispanics in a professional environment. In fact, many Hispanic professionals are hired because of their ability to communicate with those who speak the language.

Dialect is language; a variety of language used by the members of a group as a manner or means of expressing oneself. It is distinguished by features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. English is the world's language. It balances our linguistic differences.

To infer a preference for an African American "with no Negro dialect" illustrates prejudice at best, and ignorance at worst. It's the equivalent of saying you prefer Hispanics who don't speak Spanish so that you are not reminded that they are different from you.

Being tongue-tied (i.e. unable or disinclined to speak freely) is nothing new to black men. We have to choose our words felicitously to make white men comfortable because we don't want them wondering if we talk "like the rest of them."

Speaking with the "Negro dialect" that we grew up with is natural to black men; using "no Negro dialect" is unnatural, but can be done. Failure to do so can derail a career. Most successful black men are taught, or learn from experience, when it behooves them to be tongue-tied.

The burden of "speaking white" (which many whites arrogantly refer to as "proper English") is a challenge for many black men. They liken it to learning and becoming fluid in a foreign language. Both are achieved with focus and consistent practice. And when it's achieved, you get to impress an ignoramus like Senator Harry Reid who clearly has a checklist of attributes that black men must have to make him feel comfortable.

While more and more black men understand and reluctantly accept the conditions of our integration into the workplace, we can only refrain from using "no Negro dialect" for so long. It comes out eventually - usually when our white male colleagues become comfortable with us and use some form of Negro dialect themselves in an effort to "bond" with us. This usually takes place during conversations about non-work related issues, such as sports.

Even when we remove (or think we are allowed to remove) the bonds from which our tongues are tied, they are never truly unleashed. We can be liberal in expressing ourselves, but a black man with no tongue restraint is a black man who becomes a target for silencing - no matter what arena he is in.

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X had very different dialects. Still, both suffered the same fate because they expressed themselves with unprecedented freedom. There have been no black men since - not even Obama - who were less tongue-tied than them.

So it remains, black men must still be discriminant about where, and to whom, we vent. And when we do, we "keep it real" - privately if not publicly - by using the full spectrum of "Negro dialects" because we want to.