Growing up Black meant watching how I spoke. My parents taught me that gaining respect meant speaking with proper grammar and pronunciation. In other words, I wasn’t allowed to use slang around adults.
Yet as a child, I always noticed the intricacies and the differences in how Black people spoke when we came together. When I was older and introduced to African American Vernacular English (AAVE), I learned how important language is to our culture.
Most recently, I learned about another language tied to the Black community: Black American Sign Language (BASL).
If you’ve never heard of this language, let’s talk about how it came to be and what it means to Black people.
First, let’s see how language, both spoken and signed, has been a crucial part of the culture of Black Americans.
A Recap of AAVE
As a dialect of English, AAVE has its own words, grammar rules, and sounds, and is used by Black Americans. The term vernacular means that it is a spoken language.
Some key components of AAVE that you may have used but not have been aware of are:
- The use of double negatives.
- Distinct pronunciations of certain words such as “nothing” in standard English to “nuttin‘” in AAVE.
- Replacing words in standard English.
There are some that perceive AAVE as a ghetto or a lazy way of speaking, but it is not. It is a unique way of speaking that caters to Black Americans.
Over the past few years, many AAVE terms have become associated with Gen Z slang. Yet it’s important to note that AAVE isn’t just trendy lingo. AAVE is a way for Black people to communicate and relate to one another.
It came to be through Black people adopting parts of the English language to their needs, a similar action that happened with American Sign Language or ASL.
What Is BASL?
There are about 11 million deaf or hard-of-hearing Americans, and Black deaf people make up eight percent of these. While Black American Sign Language is not a direct replication of AAVE, their purposes and functions are similar.
BASL “paints pictures and expresses messages in ways that just bring another layer and flavor to the whole notion of what Black language is,” described Candas Barnes, an ASL interpreter in the documentary Signing in Black America.
Although there are similarities between ASL and BASL, there are distinct differences between the two. In ASL, one hand is typically used to sign. BASL often uses two-handed gestures. When gesturing, BASL focuses on hand movements around the forehead area, and ASL focuses on the lower body.
Wade Green, an ASL performer, explained in Signing in Black America, people who use BASL tend to use more facial expressions. He signs, “I can see, let’s say their attitude, their personality, their swag.”
With such complexities and nuances, you may be wondering how BASL came to be.
The History of BASL
Black ASL came to be through segregation.
In 1817, the first school for the deaf in the United States opened, but it didn’t admit Black deaf students. When Black deaf schools started to open in 1869, the white deaf schools began teaching a distinct form of sign language, a form that focused on lip reading and using fewer hand gestures. At the same time, the Black deaf schools focused on learning a traditional form of American Sign Language.
When the schools came together, there was a clear distinction between how the white deaf students and Black deaf students signed. As time progressed, white deaf students leaned more toward oralism and lip reading, and Black deaf students stuck to ASL.
Because of this separation, Black deaf students started to incorporate their own signs and words.
BASL in the Modern Day
Currently, there is an evolution happening with Black ASL. There is a shift between how the older and younger generations sign. The older generation tends to stick to more traditional signs of ASL. However, the younger generation has added new words and expressions to the language.
Many Black deaf people have incorporated common phrases of Black English such as:
- “I know that’s right.”
- “Boy, bye”
- “I’m down.”
- “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Black ASL takes on body language and expressions of Black English. For example, someone might sign the word “fierce.” Instead of just signing the word, they might add a hand snap or a head tilt.
There are also efforts being made to preserve Black ASL and communicate the importance and value of this language. Such work is being done at Gallaudet University by Carolyn McCaskill, who is a professor and co-director of the Black ASL project. Their goal is to be able to teach and share information about BASL with the next generations.
Famous Black Deaf Pioneers
So now we know what Black ASL is and why it’s an important part of the Black deaf community. Now, let’s recognize some pioneers who have aided in the progression of this language.
But who are the people who help Black ASL grow? Your mind might jump to Justina Miles, the infamous ASL interpreter at Rihanna’s Halftime Super Bowl show. Yet, there are others you should be familiar with.
Warren “Wawa” Snipe is an actor and hip-hop artist. His rap career started in 2005 when he began signing to dip-hop, or hip-hop through deaf eyes.
CJ Jones is a man of many talents: an award-winning actor and producer. He also created the Na’vi Sign Language in Avatar 2.
Dr. Carolyn McCaskill is a professor who has earned a BA in psychology with a minor in social work, along with an MA degree in counseling of the deaf. She is also the second deaf Black female to receive a Ph.D. from Gallaudet University.
Black ASL is a fascinating language. It is a reminder that within the Black community there are so many diverse groups of people. Whether deaf, queer, trans, etc., it’s important that we keep recognizing and learning about all types of people in the Black community.
