- by Madeline Matcheski

AAVE, standing for African- American Vernacular English and also known as Black English or Ebonics (combining ebony and phonics), is a dialect of English used by black communities in Canada and the United States. It includes both grammatical structures and vocabulary uniquely originating from early African-Americans and the language is constantly evolving.

The origin of AAVE is still unknown today. Some historians believe that it is a combination of West African Languages and English evolving from the early slave trade. A more accepted theory is that it started as English pidgin, a simplified form of the language used to communicate with people still not fluent in English. It was thought to have been used in the mid 17th century in the Chesapeake Bay area (Virginia and Maryland), where black slaves worked alongside white slaves and used AAVE to communicate. Over time, this dialect became popularised among most African- Americans and passed down throughout generations.

I anonymously surveyed a small group of teenagers and young adults, aged 13-21, on their use and knowledge of AAVE. 100% of those polled had heard AAVE spoken, and 98% admitted to using AAVE themselves while only 4% were black individuals. Despite this, 38% were unfamiliar with the term itself. 

Today AAVE is used daily by not only black people but other people of colour (or POC) and white individuals. Words and phrases such as “sus,” “simp,” and “I feel you,” are commonly seen as teen slang and are used widely on the internet. 79% of those polled didn’t know or only recognized some of the terms as AAVE.

One anonymous user wrote, “I wasn’t aware some of the terms were AAVE, I honestly thought some were queer slang. I wonder if others thought the same. I assume many people think AAVE is just “internet slang” too.” 

With its wide use on the internet, it poses the question of cultural appropriation; is it okay for non-black people to use this vocabulary? For centuries it was viewed as a lesser form of language and even today the education system sees this dialect as being improper. The problem arises when other cultures misuse or overuse AAVE and benefit from it. It is not unheard of for big content creators to use this dialect as part of their “brand” and to profit off it. 

For example, Bretman Rock, a gay Philipino- American YouTuber living in Hawaii, has been under fire for his abuse of AAVE and the profit he has made from cultural appropriation. Bretman has been marketing the phrase “Da Baddest,” and selling merchandise with this brand. This phrase is a very well-known term in Black American hip hop culture, popularized by Trina in the early 2000s. Bretman can also be seen using AAVE in his speaking patterns, copying that of black women. Words like “finna,” “slay,” “periodt,” and “fleek,” along with hand gestures and a mocking tone of voice have been used in Bretman’s rise-to-fame. There are even videos of him saying anti-black slurs. Kahlil Greene, Yale’s first Black student-body president, has a lot of information on this topic and other cases like this.

“It’s already bad enough that so many non-black people surround their whole personality around AAVE and then profit off of it, but now [you] all are completely separating the culture from the people; literally erasing it and calling it “Gen Z Language,” says black TikTok creator Leia G.

98% of teens polled knew these words from media sources like TikTok which seems to push for this kind of language appropriation. While it hasn’t been explicitly stated that non-black people can’t use AAVE, it seems unjust that some African-Americans and African-Canadians are condemned for speaking in this dialect while others benefit from its use. It is my hope that soon AAVE will be normalized for all and not surrounded by the stigma that it is an “improper” way of speaking. Equality is so important but we can’t begin to be equal without recognizing our differences in cultures and experiences.

There is hope for change however, as one teenager writes, “I knew some of these terms were AAVE, others I thought of as common slang or terms everybody used regardless of race. I used to use a lot of these terms before I understood it was harmful and could be perceived as mocking, and for the past year I have been trying to better my vocabulary and language.”