the race issue...

So apparently I'm a racist. My linguistics teacher said so, without actually saying it to my face. In my linguistics class we are currently discussing Ebonics, or African American English, as its own dialect. Basically, we discussed that Ebonics is a seprate dialect of English, an offshoot of what we call Standard American English; its a cultural language and a "home" language for many African Americans (Is this even the PC term these days?) The basis of the discussion was the 1996 decision by the Oakland School Board to accomodate children who spoke Ebonics. Teachers apparently need to recognize this as its own dialect and teach the children accordingly. Teachers need to stop berating children for speaking incorrectly when they speak their "home language" and instead understand why their language is different and HOW it differs. If you ask me this is utter bullshit. Fine, great, they speak differently, but just like EVERY OTHER person in America they need to learn to speak Standard English. No if, ands or buts...I had to learn how to speak properly, the Chinese kids did, the Mexican kids did....I don't understand why speakers of Ebonics should get special treatment. I'm not saying that they need to abandon their home language, but leave it at home, speak it among family and friends. Most people learn to speak differently according to the situation they are in. For example, I speak differently to my professors than I do to my friends etc. Its a social and situational thing. I can't understand why speakers of Ebonics cannot speak Standard American English in a School environment. Nobody can deny that being able to speak Standard American English is something everyone should be able to do in order to succeed to any degree in our country. This opinion apparently makes me racist. If I decided to go live in Rome, I would go, expecting to learn Italian so that I could communicate properly. I wouldn't be expected to forget english and never speak it again, but perhaps limit it to other English speakers, friends or family. And you know what, I think that the dialect of Ebonics makes someone sound stupid when they speak it, like they don't know how to speak properly. If little Sarah Sue down the street spoke that way I would think she sounded JUST as stupid, so try and tell me thats racist. I had half a mind to tell my professor that I thought this Ebonics business was garbage, but I figured I'd wait till I had my final grade from her before I pissed her off.