Exploring Black English: A Conversation with Black Scholars in Composition & Education

When Feb 28, 2025
from 04:00 PM to 06:00 PM
Where TILL (3rd floor Ekstrom) and MS Teams
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Date: Friday, February 28th, 2025

Time: 4pm-6pm EST

Location: TILL (3rd floor Ekstrom) and MS Teams (RSVP & Teams Link) 


Join us for a special Black History Month event featuring a screening of Talking Black in America, a documentary that explores the profound impact of Black Americans on language across the United States. We will be watching an excerpt from the film in order to highlight the rich histories of diverse Black languages and their cultural and social significance within Black communities, tracing their evolution from the descendants of enslaved people to the present day.

Following the screening, we’ll host a discussion on Black English(es) in particular, code-meshing, and education with our guest speakers:

  • Dr. Vershawn Young – Departments of Communication Arts & English Language & Literature at the University of Waterloo (joining virtually)
  • Dr. Dominique Clayton – Assistant Dean of Academic Services at Bellarmine University 
  • Dr. Joshua Wallace – Department of Counseling and Human Development at UofL 
  • Dr. Ahmad Washington – Department of Counseling and Human Development at UofL 

Together, we’ll explore how Black English(es) and other linguistic traditions expand our understanding of composition, communication, and identity beyond traditional academic boundaries.

 Light refreshments will be served. 

 Sponsored by UofL’s Composition Program. Please RSVP by February 26th, 2025. 

 We look forward to seeing you there!