John Baugh, Out of the mouths of slaves: African American language and educational malpractice. Foreword by William Labov. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1999. Pp. xviii, 190. Hb $25.00, pb $12.95.

Abstract

This volume is an important contribution to sociolinguistic analysis and critique. It explicitly addresses the challenge of Labov 1982 – made to linguists nearly twenty years ago – to tackle the persistent questions asked by the public: “What is linguistics about? And what is it good for?” Indeed, arguments presented in Labov's article, which appeared in this journal, quickly became the canon for many African American linguists on how to defend working in a field that studied a social and cultural system without talking about its social and cultural implications. Labov provided support for conducting sociolinguistic work when the Black Power movement, and public awareness of social injustice against Black people, were at their height. He also provided an arsenal of arguments to present to linguists on the importance of recognizing the politics and social consequences of our work. Baugh's text is in the spirit of Labov's challenge, and it represents a further demonstration of the ways linguistic research can be used to address social prejudice and injustice.