Big Words, Black History Month and Blackness
Who is black and who isn’t? Who decides? And what can you tell about a person by the way they communicate and conduct themselves? “Why do you use those big words all the time Anwar?” I wanted to revisit my concept of ‘Big Words’ for Black History Month 2026. My initial offerings for The Examiner and The Big Words Blog Site were an essay highlighting a question I got in middle school regarding my verbal usage of the English language. It is a true story, and it was a foundational experience in my life. It was one of the first lessons in social class and understanding that there are different tribes in what we call Black America. In this instance, the lesson was there were homes where education and intellectual curiosity were encouraged and there were homes where they weren’t. This form of nurturing also dictated the manner in which many of our ‘kinfolk’ related to one another and which doors opened and closed for us later in life, personally and professionally.
How We Sound to Others Matters
“Your father sounds like he’s from BOSTON, not New York City!” My father and his second wife had an interesting relationship. They weren’t equally yoked in terms of education and that manifested in certain ways that surprised me. Her writing skills, or lack thereof, was off-putting to him as they had different levels of education. He had his master’s degree and she didn’t finish college. My stepmother likewise joked often that Dad talked like he was from Boston and not his native New York City. She always laughed hard when she told this joke which tickled me as well when she told it. I likewise enjoyed imitating my father’s deliberate, methodical and particular speech with his signature mannerisms. It always made my brother laugh as well.
There are, in fact, Boston and New York accents for most of the residents of those urban areas. There is also a Washington DC-Maryland accent which is most notably spoken by the native black residents. There is also a Canadian accent if you ever get to meet people from southern Ontario like I have. I’m saying this to say that I think that my stepmother wasn’t referring to the Boston accent per se, but instead, my father’s very specific diction and proper usage of words. Again, I laugh too when she tells the story because I know exactly to what she’s referring.
Reflections on Big Words, Black History and Social Class
Going back to the concept of Big Words and Black History Month, again being asked why I used big words in elementary school was a foundational experience for me. It is also one that has impacted my entire life as it is a common experience in Black America, one depicted in movies like Glory where Denzel Washington’s character, Trip, mocked the late Andre Braugher’s character, Thomas, because he could read and speak the ‘King’s English’. It was an early experience demonstrating that we form opinions of one another by how we talk, which is another part of the legacy of Black History.
My mother’s family were jokingly considered to be like the Kennedy family in the Jasper Parrish Projects in Buffalo where they grew up because my grandmother encouraged education, and they all exuded a certain amount of class. Throughout my life, I’ve been told that I’m proper, bougie and, in some instances, I’ve been told that I seem like the type of guy who likes to live around white people. Similar things have been said to me regarding liking white women. The comments surprised me at the time, but now I get it and am at peace with it. Regarding the last two assumptions, I think I like being and going where I’m accepted and celebrated regardless of color.
Those of us who pursued higher education also note how lesser educated people speak, and thus, it’s a door that swings both ways. The same goes for how we write. As with many parts of life, you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover as they say, and sometimes how a person communicates and carries themselves tells you some things about them, but it doesn’t tell you everything about them.
Closing Thoughts
I did not want to make this essay too long. I’m in awe sometimes though at how that conversation from middle school has continued and translated into my adult world. How about you? Have you experienced something like this in your own life regardless of your level of education or if you’re from a different ethnic group? Let me know in the comments section of this blog post and thank you for reading this.
The Engineers: A Western New York Basketball Story Part One is available in the eBook, Hardcover and Paperback Editions
Writing a book was the genesis of my blogging and becoming a video content creator. I have published part one of my book project entitled, The Engineers: A Western New York Basketball Story. It is currently available on Amazon in eBook, hardcover, and paperback formats. The paperback format is available on IngramSpark, and signed hardcover and paperback copies on my online store entitled Big Words Authors via credit payment. Payment using Cash App, PayPal, Venmo and Zelle is also available. Reach out to me for further details. Finally visit the page discussing the book. Please consider visiting it to learn more about the project and see promotional content I’ve created surrounding the project.
