On Tuesday, April 26 from 12:00–1:00 p.m., Dr. April Baker-Bell, associate professor of language, literacy, and English education at Michigan State University will give a virtual talk, which shares the title of her 2020 book:

Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy

.

Dr. Baker-Bell’s talk is the last in the “Language Matters” speaker series, and is supported by funding from the Dean of Faculty office. The series, which began in February, has featured virtual presentations by scholars specializing in inclusive linguistic practice and pedagogy. The initial talk by Dr. Qianqian Zhang-Wu focused on linguistically responsive instructive for multilingual international students. Most recently, Dr. Shawna Shapiro gave a talk about incorporating critical language awareness pedagogy into courses across the curriculum. This series has been organized to not only inform Hamilton community members about linguistically inclusive practices and pedagogies, but also create space for ongoing conversations about inclusive linguistic practices within and beyond our classrooms.

Such conversations are central to ideas of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Hamilton College, which emphasizes the importance of creating a community “where all individuals, without exception, feel valued, empowered, and treated fairly.” While DEI initiatives and programming are often focused on “race, gender, sexuality, physical ability, religion, and socioeconomic status,” it is also important to be attentive to how language can and has been used as a tool for inclusion and exclusion, especially given that language is part of our identities and strongly tied to our sense of belonging.

Dr. Baker-Bell’s talk will create space for conversation around linguistic justice. Her presentation will provide insight into how anti-Black linguistic racism and white linguistic supremacy get normalized in education and how this normalization impacts Black students’ language education and their linguistic, racial, and intellectual identities. While

Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy

may be the end of the “Language Matters” series, it is just the beginning of the ongoing, collective, and collaborative work in creating the kind of community Hamilton College claims to be working towards, especially at it relates to linguistic diversity.

To register for Dr. April Baker-Bell’s talk, please go to: tinyurl.com/languagematters426. Three attendees will be randomly selected to receive a copy of

Linguistic Justice: Black Language, Literacy, Identity, and Pedagogy

. You can also learn more about Dr. Baker-Bell’s work at her website:

https://www.aprilbakerbell.com/.

If you have any questions, please contact Alex Hanson, Coordinator of Multilingual Student Support at: [email protected].