In today's society language is an individual's best means of communication. Without language most people would be very hard pressed to understand one another, and it is for this reason that it is important for those individuals living amongst one another to speak the same language and therefore be in a position to understand eachother. At the present time the primary language of the United States is and always has been English. However on December 18, 1996 the School Board of Oakland, California undermined that primary language when they choose take on the subject on of "Ebonics" or Black English. In there opinion those members of their school district from African decent have a more difficult time learning due to a language barrier.
             The basic idea being attempted by the Ebonics program is to educate those members of the Oakland School district who are of African American decedent in a way which will make it easier for them to comprehend information. However by giving validity to a language that is not recognized anywhere outside of Oakland is putting those children at a disadvantage in the long run. Moreover the Oakland School Board deemed Ebonics as a language. This alone posses two problems. As of now no request has been made for federal funding for this program. However by claiming Ebonics to be its own language many feel that the Oakland School Board is simply using this terminology as a tactic to later be in a position to request federal funding for their program.
             Before I begin my discussion on the topic of Ebonics as either a language or a dialect, it is important to understand the difference between the two. A language as defined by the American Heritage Dictionary is
             A system of words formed from such combinations and patterns, used by the people of a particular country or by a group of people with a shared history or set of traditions.
             On the other hand a dialect is a variation on...