,ELITI/ ,LANGUAGE 

,PEOPLE 3 

,AU?OR 3 ,PET] ,GELD]LOOS 

,TEXT 3 

,! PROBLEM ( ELITI/ LANGUAGE (T5 COMES UP :5 PEOPLE FROM A MIDDLE-CLASS1 UNIV]SITY-$UCAT$ BACKGR\ND ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE ) '! G5]AL PUBLIC4' ,IF ?OSE ATTEMPT+ ! COMMUNICATION >E 5GAG$ 9 A COMM]CIAL V5TURE1 !Y CAN SIMPLY DUMB !IR LANGUAGE D[N TO ! COMMON D5OM9ATOR %>$ BY ! M$IAN T>GET AUDI5CE1 P]HAPS APPROPRIATE SOME ( ?AT AUDI5CE'S SLANG & CULTURAL SYMBOLS1 & !Y >E ASSUR$ ( A GOOD SELL4 

,H[EV]1 IF ! MOTIVE IS MORE ALTRUI/IC1 = 9/ANCE ?AT ( MIDDLE-CLASS ACTIVI/S ATTEMPT+ TO COMMUNICATE ) ACTIVI/S FROM O!R BACKGR\NDS1 OR TO %>E 9=MATION1 RES\RCES1 & OP9IONS ) SOME ,G5]AL ,PUBLIC1 ! PROBLEM BECOMES MORE COMPLICAT$4 ,= GOOD REASON & ) PL5TY ( HI/ORY1 ! LANGUAGE ( ACADEMIA1 ) :I* MANY MIDDLE-CLASS ACTIVI/S >E COM=TABLE1 CAN ALI5ATE OR CONF\ND PEOPLE :O DID NOT RECEIVE AN ADVANC$ UNIV]SITY $UCATION4 ,YET ! PROBLEMS ( \R WORLD FROM PATRI>*Y TO IMP]IALISM >E SY/EMIC PA?OLOGIES ?AT DEM& S]I\S EF=T & ATT5TION TO COMPREH5D4 ,& DIRECTLY OPPOS$ TO \R COMPREH5SION ( !SE PROBLEMS IS AN UNPREC$5T$LY P[]FUL CULTURAL APP>ATUS ?AT MANIPULATES \R VALUES1 \R IDEOLOGY1 \R HI/ORY1 EV5 \R LANGUAGE 9 ORD] TO PROTECT ! /ATUS QUO4 ,H[ CAN WE EXPLA9 COMPLEX1 OBSCURE IDEAS 9 A SIMPLE LANGUAGE -- :I* IS ALREADY HEAVILY CONTROLL$ BY ! CULTURE 9DU/RY -- CONVEY$ 9 BRIEF & EASILY DIGE/IBLE SEGM5TS S5SITIVE TO ,! ,G5]AL ,PUBLIC'S DECREAS+ ATT5TION SPANS8 

,I ?9K ! OBVI\S ANSW] IS ?AT WE CAN'T4 ,WE NE$ TO RECOGNIZE ?AT LANGUAGE 9 \R SOCIETY IS US$ AS A TOOL ( CONTROL1 & ! TR5D T[>DS SMALL] VOCABUL>IES1 SIMPL] SYNTAX1 & %ORT] ATT5TION SPANS IS ONE ( ! MO/ EFFECTIVE =MS ( DISEMP[]M5T EV] DEVIS$4 ,RESI/+ ! DUMB+ D[N ( LANGUAGE & DEVELOP+ \R ABILITY TO ?9K CRITICALLY IS AS IMPORTANT A LONG T]M GOAL AS W9N+ COMMUNITY AUTONOMY & ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICI5CY4 ,LANGUAGE NE$S TO BE A LOCUS = REVOLUTION2 IT IS A NECESS>Y WEAPON = ALL SOCIAL /RUGGLES4 ,\R DUTY AS MIDDLE-CLASS ACTIVI/S IS TO USE \R $UCATION TO MAKE COMPLEX LANGUAGE ACCESSIBLE1 RA!R ?AN PASS+ (F EV]Y?+ NOT IMM$IATELY ACCESS$ ) EASE BY ! MAJORITY AS 9H]5TLY 9ACCESSIBLE4 

,BUT TO RETURN FROM ! CONSID]ATION ( ! !ORETICAL LONG HAUL & FACE ! PRES5T CONTEXT1 !RE IS SUB/ANTIAL VALIDITY TO ! CRITICISMS AB\T 9ACCESSIBLE LANGUAGE4 ,!SE HAVE ALL BE5 /AT$ ELSE:]E1 & !Y G5]ALLY 9VOLVE RECOGNIZ+ ?AT ?OR\< $UCATION IS A PRIVILEGE RETA9$ BY FEW 7PR$OM9ANTLY ! :ITE MIDDLE CLASS71 & ?AT BY SPEAK+ 9 ! SOPHI/ICAT$ LANGUAGE ?AT ACCOMPANIES \R $UCATION WE 9HIBIT ! COMPREH5SION & SYMPA?Y ( ?OSE )\T ?AT $UCATION1 & 9T5TIONALLY OR UN9T5TIONALLY PRES]VE 9FLU5CE )9 RADICAL ORGANIZATIONS & MOVEM5TS 9 ! H&S ( ! $UCAT$ ELITE4 ,TURN$ 9TO DOCTR9E1 ?IS CRITICISM IS USUALLY 7MIS7UND]/OOD AT ! BASIC LEVEL ?AT LONG WORDS & COMPLEX S5T5CES >E 9DICATIVE ( PRIVILEGE1 & PRIVILEGE IS BAD4 ,LACK+ FROM ! POPUL>IZ$ V]SION ( ?IS CRITICISM IS ! UND]/&+ ?AT :ILE ! EXI/5CE ( PRIVILEGE IS WRONG1 !RE IS A GOOD K9D ( PRIVILEGE3 ONE ?AT %\LD BE 5JOY$ BY EV]YONE4 ,$UCATION IS ONE ( !SE4 

,IF ! UND]LY+ GOAL ( !SE CRITICISMS W]E TO *ALL5GE ELITISM 9 LANGUAGE1 !N WE'D SEE A CONSCI\S COMB9ATION ( LANGUAGE ( GREAT] & LESS] SOPHI/ICATION 9 RADICAL LIT]ATURE1 SO EV]Y LIT]ATE P]SON W\LD HAVE MAT]IAL BO? )9 & BEYOND !IR LEVEL ( COM=TABLE APPREH5SION1 TO WELCOME !M & *ALL5GE !M4 ,WE W\LD SEE PRIVILEG$ ACTIVI/S CONSCI\SLY US+ !IR LANGUAGE 9 A WAY ?AT 9VITES UND]/&+4 ,9 REALITY1 WE EI!R SEE $UCAT$ RADICALS IGNORE ! PROBLEM & IGNORE LESS $UCAT$ SEGM5TS ( !IR POT5TIAL AUDI5CE1 OR ATTEMPT+ TO AVOID ! PROBLEM ?R\< A KNEE-J]K AVOIDANCE ( POLYSYLLABIC VOCABUL>Y1 COMPLEX ANALYSIS1 & ?OR\< 7READ3 L5G?Y7 DISC\RSE4 ,$UCATION IS ANA!MATIZ$ AS B\RGEOIS1 OR 9 MORE CURR5T P>LANCE1 0EXCLUSIVE01  & 9/EAD ( SOLV+ ! PROBLEM1 ACTIVI/S JO9 SIDES ) ,FOX ,NEWS1 ,U,S,A ,TODAY1 & PUBLIC S*OOL+1 TO CONTRIBUTE TO ! 9TELLECTUAL MASSACRE ( PEOPLE !Y >E SUPPOS$ TO BE EMP[]+4 

,TO 9=M A TACTICAL CONSID]ATION ( ELITI/ LANGUAGE1 WE %\LD CONSID] SOME ( ! ASSUMPTIONS 9H]+ 9 ! CRITICISM AGA9/ SU* LANGUAGE4 ,ONE ( ! MO/ FUNDAM5TAL IS ! MY? ( ! ,G5]AL ,PUBLIC4 ,IT GOES LIKE ?IS3 ! ,G5]AL ,PUBLIC >E UN$UCAT$1 & US+ BIG WORDS ALI5ATES !M4 ,BUT :]E EXACTLY DO WE DRAW ! L9E BETWE5 :AT IS ELITI/ & :AT IS NOT8 ,DO 0MO/ PEOPLE0 USE ! WORD ELITI/8 ,OH GO%3 IS ! WORD ELITI/ ITSELF ELITI/8 ,:AT AB\T WRIT+8 ,GRANT$1 MO/ PEOPLE 9 ! ,U4,S4 >E LIT]ATE1 BUT MANY >E NOT1 ?R\< NO FAULT ( !IR [N4 ,IS WRIT+ ?+S D[N ELITI/8 ,%\LD ACTIVI/S NOT MAKE UP PAMPHLETS & FLI]S ANY MORE8 ,IT C]TA9LY EXCLUDES PEOPLE :O CAN8T READ4 ,9 A V]Y CONDESC5D+ WAY1 $UCAT$ ACTIVI/S >E SETT+ A LEVEL ( ACCEPTABLE /UPIDITY2 EV5 AS !Y REJECT ACADEMIC LANGUAGE1 !Y UPHOLD ! ELITI/ MORALITY BY RETA9+ A HI]>*Y ( 9TELLIG5CE1 & !Y WILL ONLY GO SO F> D[N ! LADD] 9 ORD] TO CAT] TO ! LESS $UCAT$4 ,ANYONE :O IS /ILL EXCLUD$ IS SIMPLY LEFT \T ( !IR CONCEPTUALIZATION ( 0NORMAL PEOPLE40 

,! EFFECT ( ! ,G5]AL ,PUBLIC MY? IS ?AT :5 WE LEAVE \R BUBBLES1 MO/ ACTIVI/S TALK D[N TO PEOPLE !Y ASSUME DON'T HAVE A UNIV]SITY $UCATION1 & 9 PRACTICE ! EASIE/ CUE IS IF ! AUDI5CE IS POOR1 OR NOT :ITE4 ,I ?9K MANY ACTIVI/S >5'T EV5 AW>E ( H[ CONDESC5D+ !Y USUALLY >E1 & H[ OBVI\S IT IS :5 !Y ATTEMPT TO SPEAK A LANGUAGE ?AT CLE>LY ISN'T !IR [N4 ,!N !Y TURN >\ND & TALK AB\T ELITISM8 

,A PROHIBITION ON :AT IS UND]/OOD AS ELITI/ LANGUAGE ALSO ASSUMES ?AT PEOPLE FROM POOR] BACKGR\NDS ) FEW] OPPORTUNITIES = QUALITY $UCATION EI!R CANNOT OR DO NOT WANT TO LE>N4 ,9 REALITY1 ATTA9+ A GOOD $UCATION IS SE5 AS A =M ( EMP[]M5T 9 MANY POOR] COMMUNITIES1 YET FEW ACTIVI/S ATTEMPT TO DIFFUSE ?AT $UCATION :5 COMMUNICAT+ ) LESS PRIVILEG$ PEOPLE4 ,BY AVOID+ ACADEMIC LANGUAGE & ANALYSIS \TSIDE ( !IR [N CIRCLES1 PRIVILEG$ ACTIVI/S MA9TA9 A RELATION%IP ( DEP5D5CY1 9 :I* !Y ACT AS GATEKEEP]S TO KN[L$GE1 =EV] NECESS>Y TO TRANSLATE LAW1 SCI5TIFIC /UDIES1 POLITICAL ANALYSIS1 ET CET]A1 9TO 0PLA9 LANGUAGE40 

,! O!R ASSUMPTION 9H]5T 9 ! CRITICISM IS ! IDEA ?AT C]TA9 TYPES ( LANGUAGE >E 9H]5TLY ELITI/4 ,L>G] VOCABUL>IES & MORE COMPLEX SYNTAX >E 9 FACT V]Y HELPFUL TOOLS1 ?\< PEOPLE REQUIRE MORE $UCATION TO BE ABLE TO USE !M4 ,IT IS NOT ! LANGUAGE1 BUT ?IS C\NTRY'S CAPITALI/1 RACI/ $UCATION SY/EM ?AT IS ELITI/4 ,! JOB ( $UCAT$ ACTIVI/S IS TO MAKE ?AT $UCATION ACCESSIBLE1 & H& ?AT LANGUAGE OV] AS A POPUL> TOOL4 ,WE DON'T WANT MADE-=-!-MASSES ,ORWELLIAN NEWSPEAK1 WE WANT LANGUAGES ?AT >E LIB]AT$ & DEMY/IFI$4 

,UN=TUNATELY1 $UCAT$ ACTIVI/S CONT9UE TO ROMANTICIZE 0PLA9 LANGUAGE01 & !Y ALSO CONT9UE TO COMPLA9 :5 ,! ,MASSES >E FOOL$ YET AGA9 9TO SUPPORT = ! LATE/ W> OR DRACONIAN POLICY %IFT BY ! MO/ TRANSP>5T1 EV5 CLI*$ TAUTOLOGY & SOPHI/RY COMMUNICAT$ BY POLITICIANS & RELAY$ BY ! M$IA4 ,REMOV+ ! MANY =MS ( LANGUAGE FROM ! CURR5T HI]>*Y ( PRIVILEGE1 & PLAC+ !M 9 ! APPROPRIATE L&SCAPE ( DIV]SE & EQUAL CULTURES IS A CRUCIAL ACT 7ONE ?AT FIR/ REQUIRES ALL[+ ! DIFF]5T CULTURES 9 \R SOCIETY TO 5JOY EQUALITY74 ,BUT RECOGNIZ+ ! VALIDITY ( NONACADEMIC LANGUAGES8! LANGUAGE ( EA/ COA/ URBAN BLACKS OR ,APPALA*IAN :ITES8DOES NOT MEAN PUTT+ !M 9 A MUSEUM4 ,REVOLUTION>Y EMP[]M5T WILL CAUSE !SE LANGUAGES TO *ANGE1 TO DEVELOP MU* ( ! COMPLEXITY H]ET(ORE MONOPOLIZ$ BY :ITE ACADEMIA1 BECAUSE ?AT COMPLEXITY ITSELF IS EMP[]M5T4 ,SKEPTICAL8 ,JU/ COMP>E ! LYRICS ( ,PUFFY TO ?OSE ( ,MR4 ,LIF4 ,COMP>E ! ,9DIAN ,*IEF ( :ITE SUPREMACI/ C9EMA1 :O ONLY SAID 0,H[801 TO ,AM]ICAN ,9DIAN ,MOVEM5T ACTIVI/ & PR(ESSOR ,W>D ,*UR*ILL1 :O TALKS AB\T PA?OLOGICAL PSEUDOPRAXIS .<#a.>4 ,:ILE O!R COMMUNITIES EXI/ 9 ECONOMIC SUBS]VI5CE1 :ILE O!R CULTURES LACK AUTONOMY1 :ILE O!R =MS ( LANGUAGE LACK AN UN%ACKL$1 EMP[]$ COMPLEXITY1 REVOLUTION>IES FROM ?OSE COMMUNITIES WILL APPROPRIATE :AT TOOLS !Y NE$ TO BUILD LANGUAGE ?AT IS A /EPP+ /ONE TO AN AUTONOM\S CULTURE4 

,9 EFFECT1 MANY EXI/+ CRITICISMS AGA9/ ELITI/ LANGUAGE >E !MSELVES ELITI/1 BECAUSE !Y S]VE TO PRES]VE ! MONOPOLY ON ANALYTICAL DISC\RSE 9 ! H&S ( ! 9/ITUTIONALLY $UCAT$ 7:O >E !MSELVES G5]ALLY 9/ITUTIONALIZ$1 RA!R ?AN RADICAL1 H5CE NOT ON \R SIDE74 ,$UCAT$ RADICALS DISAV[AL ( LANGUAGE ?AT SMACKS ( SOPHI/ICATION S]VES TO DUMB D[N RADICALS !MSELVES4 ,UN$UCAT$ RADICALS >E NOT MORE PROLET>IAN1 OR MORE 9CLUSIVE4 ,!Y >E SIMPLY MORE 9EFFECTIVE .<#b.>4 

,W\LDN'T IT BE MORE EFFECTIVE TO SUBV]T $UCATION1 & $UCATE SUBV]SION8 ,TO EXPOSE & OV]COME ! PATRI>*AL NORM ?AT MAKES AN 9TELLECTUAL CRIME ( ASK+3 0,:AT DOES ?AT MEAN80 ,WE %\LD USE ! =MS ( LANGUAGE WE'RE COM=TABLE )1 ACADEMIC OR O!RWISE1 AS LONG AS WE DO IT LUCIDLY1 9 A WAY ?AT 9VITES LE>N+ & %>+ ( ?AT KN[L$GE4 ,?OSE >\ND US W\LD BE BETT] (F = IT4 ,SIMIL>LY1 WE CAN B5EFIT FROM LE>N+ ! DIFF]5T TYPES ( LANGUAGE ?AT O!R PEOPLE USE4 ,RECOGNIZE ! V>IETY ( LANGUAGES1 BUT UPSET ! ECONOMIC1 RACIAL1 & G5D]$ HI]>*Y 9 :I* !SE LANGUAGES HAVE BE5 PLAC$4 

,FOOTNOTES 

.<#a.> ,9 EA* EXAMPLE1 ! FIR/ ELEM5T REPRES5TS AN ESS5TIALIZ$ =M ( AN OPPRESS$ GR\P8S LANGUAGE1 EI!R M>KET$ OR CREAT$ BY :ITE SUPREMACI/ CULTURAL 9/ITUTIONS8,HOLLYWOOD OR ! MAJOR RECORD LABELS4 ,! SECOND ELEM5T ( EA* EXAMPLE DOES NOT NECESS>ILY REPRES5T ! LANGUAGE ( AN OPPRESS$ GR\P1 BUT IS MEANT TO DEMON/RATE A TR5D ( REVOLUTION>IES FROM OPPRESS$ COMMUNITIES ADOPT+ 8$UCAT$8 LANGUAGE1 EI!R AS A :OLE OR 9CORPORAT$ 9TO !IR [N LANGUAGE4 

.<#b.> ,NO1 ?IS IS NOT TO SAY ?AT RADICALS FROM POOR] BACKGR\NDS >E LESS EFFECTIVE ?AN PRIVILEG$ RADICALS4 ,ON ! CONTR>Y1 NOTE ?AT L[]-CLASS RADICALS TYPICALLY $UCATE !MSELVES1 & >E MORE 9TELLIG5T = IT4 ,E4G4 ,GEORGE ,JACKSON WAS 9 PRISON :5 MIDDLE-CLASS ACTIVI/S >E USUALLY 9 COLLEGE1 BUT /ILL A MAJOR P>T ( ,JACKSON8S 9TELLECTUAL /ATURE CAME FROM READ+ ,M>X1 ,MALCOLM ,X1 ,FANON8 

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,*RONOLOGY 3 
,JANU>Y #b1 #bba 3 ,ELITI/ ,LANGUAGE -- ,ADD$4 
,JANU>Y #f1 #bbb 3 ,ELITI/ ,LANGUAGE -- ,UPDAT$4 

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