Today’s blog post is the final installment in the Black History series, but it will not be the final post about Black/African American history to be featured on this blog. As anthropology is a four field approach it is appropriate that a post dedicated to each of these fields be composed. So far cultural anthropology and archaeology have been featured, and while biological/physical anthropology will not be featured this post will cover linguistic anthropology.
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| Figure 1: Nakia Smith communicating with BASL signs |
The year 2020 is remembered for a great many cultural events, including but not limited to the Covid-19 societal changes, the rise in Black Lives Matters demonstrations, and the viral videos of Nakia Smith (Figure 1) signing with her grandfather. While a video about sign language may not seem that significant it was as Smith was not using the promoted standard of American Sign Language (ASL) but instead a sign language variant known as Black American Sign Language (BASL). Her videos brought attention and awareness to this popularly used sign language style. This blog post is going to explain more about the history and linguistic elements of BASL.
Black American Sign Language (BASL) is a sign language variant that exists for and among Black deaf signers. Much like any dialect present in a language it was created out of a need to serve a specific population. This need came about in the 1800s and 1900s when school segregation by race was prevalent throughout the United States. You may very well be aware that schools for the hearing were segregated, but you may not know or have considered that schools for the deaf were also segregated. As a result deaf white and black populations, specifically children, learned different variations of sign language, with whites being taught what is commonly known as American Sign Language (ASL) and blacks learning BASL. Unfortunately, ASL continues to be promoted as the universal and standard sign language, while BASL, much like Ebonics, is downgraded and viewed negatively. The reality is that both types of sign language are necessary and serve specific purposes.
Additionally, much like any language BASL actually holds and exhibits Black cultural elements that are missing from ASL. This is particularly emphasized in BASL’s unique vocabulary. Ebonics terms are incorporated into BASL, which is not the case in ASL. This is where an important note of caution is required. When non-BASL signers use BASL specific signs without permission this can be a type of cultural appropriation.
The incorporation of Ebonics terms into BASL is not the only difference between BASL and ASL, however. There are various other phonological and syntax differences. There are differences in handedness among BASL and ASL signers. Handedness refers to the use of two hands or one hand to sign. The rules for these choices vary between ASL and BASL signers. Additionally, the location of where signs are made in relation to the body are also different, and even among BASL signers there are variations in choice by geographical region of the signer. Signing space, meaning the amount of space in front of the body that is used to sign, tends to be greater among BASL signers than ASL signers. Lastly, repetition, which refers to the repeated use of the same sign within the same turn, differences also exist. ASL signers tend to use repetition in questions, whereas BASL signers use repetition in declarative sentences.
Works Cited
AnnL. Black American Sign Language. 27 August 2020. Electronic. 22 February 2021.
Hill, Joseph, et al. "The Black ASL (American Sign Language) Project: An Overview." Lanehart, Sonja. The Oxford Handbook of African American Language . New York: Oxford University Press, 2015. 316-337. Print.
Kottke, Jason. Learn Some Black American Sign Language. 1 December 2020. Electronic. 22 February 2021.
12 comments:
This article is intersecting. I didn't even know there was a thing as Black American Sign Language or for short (BASL). And basically I got out of this article is there are two different ways to do sigh language.
-Jaden Clark
This is a well written and articulated article, that touched on a subculture inside a culture in which I didn't even realize existed. I never realized that "... any dialect present in a language was created out of a need to serve a specific population" but when I think everything is a form of a dialect and things are always evolving. Thanks for the educational insight on BASL and the historical fact that the deaf were segregated also, in which I didn't even realize.
This article is very fascinating. I knew that BASL existed but I didn't know how different it was from ASL. I assumed that it had a different vocabulary but didn't know that the way they signed was so different too. I guess I should have known that though considering the complexity of AAVE syntax and expression.
-Gavin G
I think this one of my favorite articles on this site so far. It was nice reading about black history that is recent and strays away from the usual things that I hear everyday. I always found ASL interesting and even know some signs but I wish I had known before that BASL was a thing because I probably would still be continuing to be interested and learning the language. Deaf people, black deaf people specifically, deserve more recognition for this.
Reading this article was interesting. I didn’t know that there is a BASL Black American Sign Language). Also, I didn’t know that BASL is for singers. Also, I learned that if you’re not performing you shouldn’t be doing or using the sign language. That is a sign of cultural appropriation. Sign language was a big deal in my family because I’ve had family members who were deaf and blind. Therefore, it was very important that we learned sign language.
AJ Moore
Very Informative! I did not know that their was a specific Black American Sign Language. Now if I want to learn sign language I could learn BASL to communicate with my people that are deaths. Great Blog!
-Jasmine Hill
I have never heard of Black American Sign Language. I find that so interesting and great that deaf signers get the opportunity to experience expression through Ebonics.
-Jayla Templeton
The idea that using the signs of BASL without permission is interesting on the fact that it may be cultural appropriation and other in the ebonics terms, they have the idea of of the even sign language community and others were 'segregated' among us as well.
Qwynn Marquez
Tyler Roe said...
It is disappointing to hear that Black American Sign Language gets viewed negatively. Everything that goes against what is considered normal is not bad. I wonder if the addition of ebonics makes performing Hip-Hop lyrics easier?
This is a very interesting and informative post. I have rarely heard on BASL and most commonly hear of ASL. I think that both should be equally as important and both talked about, because BASL is not something that I hear about often. I do understand that based on the culture behind BASL that if BASL is used, it should not be appropriated and if it is used credit should be given. It was good to learn more about BASL and I hope to start hearing more about it or to look into it for more knowledge.
McKenzie Williams
Black American Sign language shouldn't be viewed negatively or anything like that, because it is a great way of communicating.
- Jada Watkins
It's essential to note that BASL was founded during a time when racial segregation prevailed in the US. It highlights the function of BASL in giving Black deaf people in segregated societies a communication medium suited to their experiences and cultural expressions. It is necessary to acknowledge that American Sign Language (ASL) does not fully represent Black culture in the same ways as BASL does. As a distinctive linguistic and cultural manifestation within the larger deaf community, BASL is highlighted here, underscoring the intersectionality of language and culture.
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