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I remember my first time witnessing code switching & recognizing it as such. A group of Black students were having a study session in the dorm common room. Philosophy I think? They were having a LIVELY AF debate on the merit of a particular author... Enter their TA:
Each student immediately changed their volume, tone, vocabulary and accent in his presence. They continued with the debate, made observations, vocalized objections, but in a totally different language. In the space of about three seconds I saw these students adapt...
... to what academia deemed “acceptable”. They hid their language (and thus culture) because it was somehow inappropriate for the venue. I remember being impressed by how quick it happened, and confused as to why they all changed at once. I also remember thinking...
That it made sense for these students to change their speech in a particular way to “fit in”- I thought everybody did, it to an extent. Modulate timbre and adopt the jargon of your field. I didn’t understand how rooted that practice is in white supremacy, and how damaging it is.
Codeswitching is a form of mental/emotional labor. It’s a survival skill. There’s a reason that study session stayed with me for 15+ years but I’m only now understanding why. I don’t know why I thought of it today, this weaponization of language. But I’d like to help change it.
