Have you ever observed African-American children when they converse with each other on the train, the bus, or even in the supermarket? They say things like "She be crazy" and "What up wif dat new teacher at school?" Sometimes, it makes a person wonder if they are speaking the same language as many people in the United States: English. Yet, what if indeed these and many other African-American children and adolescents are not communicating in English, but in fact a different language? This different language is Ebonics, a word that has sparked a nationwide debate.

In recent years, Ebonics has become one of the most controversial issues debated in articles, on radio stations, and on television programs. Some people embrace Ebonics while others despise its mere name. What is the reason behind Ebonics obtaining an infamous reputation? It is due to one school district, the Oakland School District, which has decided to utilize Ebonics as a tool in the classroom to help African-American students who are struggling in reading and writing to learn Standard English. As a result, many individuals are outraged as they believe that Ebonics has no place in the classroom, for it is neither a language nor a dialect but only slang. In reviewing this heated debate, my paper will answer the following questions:

1. What is Ebonics and its origin?
2. What is the grammatical and syntactical structure of Ebonics?
3. What has sparked the Oakland School District to use Ebonics in their education system?
4. Why are many people against Oakland using Ebonics in the classroom?
5. How is Ebonics used in the classroom?
6. How has Ebonics helped African-American students in the Oakland School District?
7. How can Ebonics be implemented to help African-American students who are failing Standard English in the New York City Education System?