Don’t Sleep: The Facade of Language for Language’s Sake

The study of language within a U.S. context has long been understood as a marker of privilege. Western European education models which came to be understood as the New England approach in the U.S. colonial era were characteristically focused on the liberal arts. As the study of the classics (Greek and Latin) anchored this approach, a key determinant in the funding and national support of formal education for the Africans who would begin a journey towards American citizenship after the Civil War, was whether their schools would offer access to the study of languages. It is from this context that present-day questions about Black participation in language study, inclusive of modern languages, is best understood. This talk will center on an overview of the evolution that naturalized the present narrative of Black absence in language study. While the beauty and artistry of Black languaging is undeniable, it is what language study has historically afforded to Black and minoritized groups that determined its being barred from white institutional support in U.S. formal schooling. Considerations for reframing the narrative on waning interest, a professional shortage and the economic impracticality of advanced language study will be discussed.