Bilingual education has been a topic of concern among U.S. citizens for decades. Perhaps one of the most unnoticed areas of bilingual education is the use of Ebonics. Many people don't know what Ebonics is or where it came from. Ebonics is a language many African American youth use today. People tend to overlook Ebonics because they just see it as slang. However, according to Toni Cook a member of the Oakland school board it is not. Cook says "all I know is that it's not slang. The linguists call that lazy English. But our children come to school with this language pattern." The question that raises concern among people in the profession of education is whether to teach Ebonics in school. I feel strongly against teaching Ebonics in school since the language of Ebonics will promote miscommunication between social classes.
             Ebonics has been a constantly changing language since its origin in early slave times. Many people consider it slang but it is an actual form or dialect of English. It is also part of African American culture, because it "Goes back to what they call the Negro spiritual: ``I'm going to lay my 'ligion down.'' That was the code song that got you your ticket on the Underground Railroad. It's the way the words were used. So they might have thought we were old dumb slaves, but it served a purpose. It was communication" (Cook). The dialect of Ebonics has survived the test of time and is still used today.
             Currently Ebonics is used not as much as a code language but more as means of connection between African Americans, it has even carried over to other groups. The African American youth have grown up with this language and has passed this dialect other youth. From my experience of viewing TV and music this dialect is used mainly as a form of social communication. Rap music uses this dialect as a form of artistic expression which influences a large portion of American youth. For example the ninet...