Press "1" for English; Press "2" for Ebonics

I was over on Black Planet recently which is as we all know an essentially Black person's site. The Planet with its millions of members spans the globe and brings so many of us together in a social way. But, at the same time, it exposes our weaknesses and shows them to us in a very raw fashion.

I'm not sure why people mistake Black Planet for Nude Africa; or why people believe that when they are trying to appear educated, they write as they speak on a casual, every-day basis. Of course, most if not all of us are "bi-lingual," meaning we understand Black slang as well as proper English so we can get to what the writer is saying.

But, the question begs as to when does your online persona end and the real life person must begin. For instance, at the workplace, do you speak Ebonically? Do you write the same way?

At our job the receptionist is Black and I was standing there chatting with her one day. Also in the lobby were visitors: 6 white men and 1 Black woman. One of our co-workers walks up and in a very audible voice asks, "Ain't y'all got no peanuts?" Good God! The receptionist and I looked mortified! The eyes of the Black woman visitor and ours met and the look that registered on our faces caused her to smile...probably in embarrassment.

But, come on, folks...is THIS something that you want an outside visitor to hear and believe that THIS is what your company is all about?

I go into some government offices and I hear the hip-hop station playing and Black people with bad voices singing along...during working hours.

So, I'm not talking about what goes on in offices that are predominately White but when it comes to US, have you ever wondered WHY we are the butt of racial jokes? Where is our sense of pride? Where is our supposed work ethic that says that we must work twice as hard to get just as far?

When you write/speak do you make these errors:

• Bare with me, instead of bear with me?
  
• Guessbook (on Black Planet) instead of guestbook?
  
• Dis instead of this?
  
• Dat instead of that?
  
• Prolly instead of probably?
  
• Then instead of than?
  
• Than instead of then?
  
• There instead of their?
  
• Their instead of they're?
  
• Imma instead of I will?
  
• You don't pronounce your "t's?"
  
• You end sentences with "at?"
  
• And every other sentence has the F word or N word in it?
  

Now, don't get me wrong...slang is slang and there is "chat speak" when you're online but in business, you cannot do that. The reason for it is that English is the ONE thing we ALL have in common in America...and it is important that ALL of us get it right.

When you are writing a business plan and a proposal that you will submit to investment bankers/brokers, is your English so bad that you are immediately labeled as unintelligent?

Do you STILL think that mastering English is "speaking White" or do you NOW realize that mastering English is mastering the society at large? Can you understand what that contract that you're getting ready to sign is all about?

I have no pity for people who should know better...and do not look for me to help you after the fact when you went through 12 years of a FREE public education and didn't take advantage of !

We can be our own worst enemy and if you don't believe it, go to www.hotghettomess.com. If you think that all the stuff up there is "cute" or you don't see anything wrong with it, then you have a problem. If you look in the mirror and see STUPID HOT GHETTO MESS all over your face, then you have your answer as just how prosperous the rest of your life is going to be.

Wake up, folks...being smart is a Black thing...has been throughout recorded history...until we got to America and thought that it was too European to be a thriving member of this society. On your way out, if you ever leave, make room for all the Africans, Haitians, and Jamaicans killing themselves to get here and decide who will get the better end of the deal.

Anyway...I'm going to breathe now and see what someone else has to say...