Rachel Jeantel’s Testimony Revealing Bias Toward African American Vernacular English Essay

Defining African American Vernacular English and the Context of the Trial

African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, is a variety of English natively spoken by most middle- and working-class Black Americans, as well as some Black Canadians. In linguistics, it is considered a more formal identity of Ebonics. Rachel Jeantel, a friend of the late Trayvon Martin, was testifying in a case between the State of Florida and George Zimmerman (Rickford and Sharese 948). The latter was being tried for the murder of Martin.

The State of Florida filed an affidavit of probable cause, claiming that Zimmerman profiled and confronted his victim and shot him to death. In contrast, the latter did not commit any crime. The State’s attorney announced the charges during a televised press conference and reported that the accused was in custody.

Use of African American Vernacular English in Jeantel’s Testimony

In the excerpt from Rachel Jeantel’s testimony in the trial, she is seen speaking in African American Vernacular English. Linguists observe this by noting some characteristics of the AAVE, including the copula being in the present tense, which is often dropped. She states, “…he told me he 0_____ back of his daddy0 _____ financee0 _____ house…”

Another feature of this form of English displayed in Rachel’s speech is the lack of use of the genitive – ‘s. For example, she states, “…he told me he 0_____ back of his daddy0 _____ financee0 _____ house…” Lastly, negatives can be formed differently from most other varieties of English, which is evident in Jeantel’s speech. For instance, she uses the word ain’t as a negative indicator. She says, “…I ain’t complain…”.

Perception and Interpretation of Jeantel’s Language

Rachel Jeantel employed many of the classic features of African American English, which are commonly observed in the speech of working-class African Americans. Despite this, many in the courtroom did not understand her and even found it hard to believe her account of the events (Rickford and Sharese 948). It is believed that this might have impacted the public’s and jury’s ability to respect and trust her testimony and relate to her story (Rickford and Sharese 948). In court, and in such cases, relatability is essential. Since language is perceived as a profound mark of worth and education, individuals use it to criticize another aspect of the witness: trustworthiness.

Implications for Social Equity in the United States

Using language to determine someone’s education and worth is a problem for social equity in the United States. Rather than trying to understand that Jeantel is the deceased’s friend, who is suffering after being the last person on the phone with a victim of murder, individuals are subjected to mistrust (Smith 1). This is equivalent to prejudice, as a person’s issue is disregarded by those who believe she should use a different form of communication (Bailey and Erik 98). Jeantel is of African American descent, which is primarily the main reason she is more comfortable utilizing AAVE to express herself. Therefore, this seems to be a discrimination against Black Americans in the country.

Potential Solutions to Linguistic Bias in Legal and Social Systems

One possible solution to the problem is recognizing the African American Vernacular English as a form of language that can be used in formal settings. This would eliminate the discrimination that Black individuals face in the corporate environment. Another solution is to teach AAVE in schools, ensuring that everyone understands the language and does not use it to determine whether someone is educated or should be trusted.

Works Cited

Bailey, Guy, and Erik Thomas. “Some aspects of African-American vernacular English phonology.” African-American English. Routledge, 2021, p. 93-118.

Rickford, John R., and Sharese King. “Language and linguistics on trial: Hearing Rachel Jeantel (and other vernacular speakers) in the courtroom and beyond.” Language, 2016, p. 948-988.

Smith, Magdalene. “Stanford Sociolinguist: Black Vernacular English Speakers Face Discrimination.” Language, 2018, p. 1-2.