Linguistics Faculty member Connie Chic Smith wrote the linked article for the UVA Office of Engagement Blog
"The topic of language rarely, if ever, comes to mind when one contemplates celebrating Black History. But it certainly should. The contributions of Black Americans and people of African descent as it relates to human communication are far too significant to omit during the observance of Black History Month."
"Black English, Negro dialect, Black slang, Spoken Soul, Ebonics, and African American English Vernacular (AAEV), are just a few of the names that have been used historically to describe the informal communication that began among and between many Africans on American soil."