Black English: “Ain't Nobody can Talk about Things Being about Theirselves.”

The quote in the title of this paper is taken from research done by Shirly Brice Heath (1982, p. 105). The quote was directed from a third grade boy to his teacher who insisted on asking him questions about a story the class had just completed reading. The child’s statement is an example of the lack of understanding about diverse dialects that goes on everyday in communities and schools all around the United States.