MY SPEECH IS MY LANGUAGE/NOT MY IDENTITY

Growing up, I remember being teased quite often for the way that I spoke. I found myself in situations where I had to defend the way that I chose to speak, or rather had been taught to speak. For a long time I thought there was something wrong with me. Although I didn't quite understand what it meant when someone told me I sound like a "white girl" when I talked, I felt as though It was an insult because of the manner it was said. As I got older I realized that no matter what I did or what I said, I would never let the way I spoke my words define me as a person. I realized that I was being teased for not meeting a stereotype society had ingrained in our minds. That black people are uneducated and use slang, and white people are educated and speak proper English. I think that is a degrading statement and it’s sad that so many people have views of that nature. I decided that I will get ahead in life because I sound intelligent when I speak. My speech was ingrained in me, and even when I would try to sound more "black" I felt stupid. I really don't like using the terms black and white to define the way people talk. I do believe it is an ignorant statement and no group of people should be stereotyped in that manner. I met plenty of white people that did not speak the way I spoke, or even the way the black kids I knew spoke. I’ve learned to accept the fact that the way I speak is a product of my environment, whether it be proper English, well spoken, or any other term; my language was specific to my upbringing. I didn't really get influenced by the way my friend's spoke, of course I use slang and I do not use proper English all the time, or even half the time. The most important thing to remember is my speech is my language not my identity.