WEBVTT 00:00:00.703 --> 00:00:02.684 Today, 00:00:02.684 --> 00:00:04.494 a baffled lady observed 00:00:04.494 --> 00:00:06.316 the shell where my soul dwells NOTE Paragraph 00:00:06.316 --> 00:00:09.117 And announced that I'm 00:00:09.117 --> 00:00:11.794 "articulate" NOTE Paragraph 00:00:11.794 --> 00:00:13.842 Which means that when it comes 00:00:13.842 --> 00:00:15.697 to annunciation and diction NOTE Paragraph 00:00:15.697 --> 00:00:17.193 I don't even think of it NOTE Paragraph 00:00:17.193 --> 00:00:19.870 ‘Cause I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:19.870 --> 00:00:22.026 So when my professor asks a question NOTE Paragraph 00:00:22.026 --> 00:00:24.129 And my answer is tainted with a connotation 00:00:24.129 --> 00:00:25.747 of urbanized suggestion NOTE Paragraph 00:00:25.747 --> 00:00:27.943 There’s no misdirected intention NOTE Paragraph 00:00:27.943 --> 00:00:29.180 Pay attention NOTE Paragraph 00:00:29.180 --> 00:00:31.588 ‘Cause I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:31.588 --> 00:00:35.175 So when my father asks, “Wha’ kinda ting is dis?” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:35.175 --> 00:00:37.953 My “articulate” answer never goes amiss NOTE Paragraph 00:00:37.953 --> 00:00:41.469 I say “father, this is the impending problem at hand” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:41.469 --> 00:00:43.136 And when I’m on the block 00:00:43.136 --> 00:00:44.821 I switch it up just because I can NOTE Paragraph 00:00:44.821 --> 00:00:47.129 So when my boy says, “What’s good with you son?” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:47.129 --> 00:00:52.539 I just say, “I jus’ fall out wit dem people but I done!” NOTE Paragraph 00:00:52.539 --> 00:00:54.271 And sometimes in class NOTE Paragraph 00:00:54.271 --> 00:00:57.051 I might pause the intellectual sounding flow to ask NOTE Paragraph 00:00:57.051 --> 00:01:00.865 “Yo! Why dese books neva be about my peoples” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:00.865 --> 00:01:03.012 Yes, I have decided to treat 00:01:03.012 --> 00:01:05.162 all three of my languages as equals NOTE Paragraph 00:01:05.162 --> 00:01:09.021 Because I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:09.021 --> 00:01:11.631 But who controls articulation? NOTE Paragraph 00:01:11.631 --> 00:01:14.645 Because the English language is a multifaceted oration NOTE Paragraph 00:01:14.645 --> 00:01:16.524 Subject to indefinite transformation NOTE Paragraph 00:01:16.524 --> 00:01:19.957 Now you may think that it is ignorant to speak broken English NOTE Paragraph 00:01:19.957 --> 00:01:23.374 But I’m here to tell you that even “articulate” Americans 00:01:23.374 --> 00:01:25.254 sound foolish to the British NOTE Paragraph 00:01:25.254 --> 00:01:28.363 So when my Professor comes on the block and says, “Hello” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:28.363 --> 00:01:31.006 I stop him and say “Noooo… NOTE Paragraph 00:01:31.006 --> 00:01:33.144 You’re being inarticulate… 00:01:33.144 --> 00:01:35.517 the proper way is to say ‘what’s good’” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:35.517 --> 00:01:39.272 Now you may think that’s too hood, that’s not cool NOTE Paragraph 00:01:39.272 --> 00:01:42.240 But I’m here to tell you that even our language has rules NOTE Paragraph 00:01:42.240 --> 00:01:44.512 So when Mommy mocks me and says 00:01:44.512 --> 00:01:47.054 “ya’ll-be-madd-going-to-the-store” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:47.054 --> 00:01:51.756 I say “Mommy, that sentence is not following the law NOTE Paragraph 00:01:51.756 --> 00:01:55.447 Never does the ‘madd’ go before a present participle NOTE Paragraph 00:01:55.447 --> 00:01:58.077 That’s simply the principle of this English” NOTE Paragraph 00:01:58.077 --> 00:02:00.025 If I had the vocal capacity I would 00:02:00.025 --> 00:02:01.994 sing this from every mountaintop, NOTE Paragraph 00:02:01.994 --> 00:02:04.064 From every suburbia, and every hood NOTE Paragraph 00:02:04.064 --> 00:02:07.503 ‘Cause the only God of language is the one recorded in the Genesis NOTE Paragraph 00:02:07.503 --> 00:02:09.370 Of this world saying “it is good" NOTE Paragraph 00:02:09.370 --> 00:02:11.791 So I may not always come before you 00:02:11.791 --> 00:02:13.185 with excellency of speech NOTE Paragraph 00:02:13.185 --> 00:02:15.716 But do not judge me by my language and assume NOTE Paragraph 00:02:15.716 --> 00:02:17.235 That I’m too ignorant to teach NOTE Paragraph 00:02:17.235 --> 00:02:18.785 ‘Cause I speak three tongues NOTE Paragraph 00:02:18.785 --> 00:02:19.933 One for each: NOTE Paragraph 00:02:19.933 --> 00:02:21.678 Home, school, and friends NOTE Paragraph 00:02:21.678 --> 00:02:23.882 I’m a tri-lingual orator NOTE Paragraph 00:02:23.882 --> 00:02:25.851 Sometimes I’m consistent with my language now NOTE Paragraph 00:02:25.851 --> 00:02:27.810 Then switch it up so I don’t bore later NOTE Paragraph 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:29.687 Sometimes I fight back two tongues NOTE Paragraph 00:02:29.687 --> 00:02:31.622 While I use the other one in the classroom NOTE Paragraph 00:02:31.622 --> 00:02:33.547 And when I mistakenly mix them up NOTE Paragraph 00:02:33.547 --> 00:02:37.290 It feels crazy like…I’m cooking in the bathroom NOTE Paragraph 00:02:37.290 --> 00:02:41.632 I know that I had to borrow your language 00:02:41.632 --> 00:02:44.637 because mine was stolen NOTE Paragraph 00:02:44.637 --> 00:02:48.147 But you can’t expect me to speak your history wholly 00:02:48.147 --> 00:02:49.879 while mines is broken NOTE Paragraph 00:02:49.879 --> 00:02:51.398 These words are spoken NOTE Paragraph 00:02:51.398 --> 00:02:53.705 By someone who is simply fed up with 00:02:53.705 --> 00:02:56.325 the Eurocentric ideals of this season NOTE Paragraph 00:02:56.325 --> 00:02:59.808 And the reason I speak a composite version of your language NOTE Paragraph 00:02:59.808 --> 00:03:03.560 Is because mines was raped away along with my history NOTE Paragraph 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:07.790 I speak broken English so the profusing gashes can remind us NOTE Paragraph 00:03:07.790 --> 00:03:10.062 That our current state is not a mystery NOTE Paragraph 00:03:10.062 --> 00:03:15.258 I’m so tired of the negative images that are driving my people mad NOTE Paragraph 00:03:15.258 --> 00:03:19.501 So unless you’ve seen it rob a bank stop calling my hair bad NOTE Paragraph 00:03:19.501 --> 00:03:23.157 I’m so sick of this nonsensical racial disparity NOTE Paragraph 00:03:23.157 --> 00:03:25.710 So don’t call it good unless your hair is known 00:03:25.710 --> 00:03:27.255 for donating to charity NOTE Paragraph 00:03:27.255 --> 00:03:32.432 As much as has been raped away from our people NOTE Paragraph 00:03:32.432 --> 00:03:36.121 How can you expect me to treat their imprint on your language NOTE Paragraph 00:03:36.121 --> 00:03:38.945 As anything less than equal NOTE Paragraph 00:03:38.945 --> 00:03:40.767 Let there be no confusion NOTE Paragraph 00:03:40.767 --> 00:03:42.421 Let there be no hesitation NOTE Paragraph 00:03:42.421 --> 00:03:44.625 This is not a promotion of ignorance NOTE Paragraph 00:03:44.625 --> 00:03:48.089 This is a linguistic celebration NOTE Paragraph 00:03:48.089 --> 00:03:52.669 That’s why I put ‘tri-lingual’ on my last job application NOTE Paragraph 00:03:52.669 --> 00:03:55.740 I can help to diversify your consumer market 00:03:55.740 --> 00:03:57.372 is all I wanted them to know NOTE Paragraph 00:03:57.372 --> 00:03:59.105 And when they call me for the interview 00:03:59.105 --> 00:04:00.595 I’ll be more than happy to show that NOTE Paragraph 00:04:00.595 --> 00:04:01.530 I can say: NOTE Paragraph 00:04:01.530 --> 00:04:02.733 “What’s good” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:02.733 --> 00:04:03.948 “Whatagwan” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:03.948 --> 00:04:06.692 And of course…“Hello” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:06.692 --> 00:04:09.126 Because I’m “articulate” NOTE Paragraph 00:04:09.126 --> 00:04:10.899 Thank you. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:10.899 --> 00:04:12.284 (Applause)