why do black people have accents?

Question

just wonderin'...not being racist just curious.

im hispanic spaniard/mexican
and the reason i ask is cause the black people at school talk funny, they all have the same accent.they talk different

im hispanic spaniard/mexican
and the reason i ask is cause the black people at school talk funny, they all have the same accent.they talk different

Answer 1

Some here are attacking her, but her question is valid.

If you take a group of White people and a group of Black people, all born/bred New Yorkers, there will be a distinct difference between the accent of the White group, and that of the Black group. The difference will run along race, and that's a fact. Let's not deny it you guys, it's true.

If you take a White group and a Black group from Mississippi, sure they'll all sound Southern, but the Whites will sound White Southern and the Blacks will sound Black Southern.

Let's not pretend that Black accents don't exist.

I've often wondered the same thing. If Black slaves spoke like their White hick masters, then why don't the White hicks of today sound like the Blacks? There IS a difference, even when people are from the same town. The difference DOES divide along color, and it's not racist to say that.

Why do Blacks have this accent? I don't know. Anyone?

Answer 2

Everyone has an accent. It's just the fact that some are different than others, which is why they're called "accents" in the first place.

As for the whole Southern thing, it's upbringing. Most blacks are from the South, where they learned how to talk from their country hick masters. Even the ones who migrated to the north kept this accent and passed it on to their offspring. At least that's my hypothesis.

Answer 3

i think pretty much everyone has an accent regardless of what race you are. It all depends on what part of the country or world you live in. I think it would be fair to say if you traveled from wherever you are to a different region of the US, then someone there might say you have an accent.

Answer 4

I hear white accents too Im rly, rly not being racist but if you watch laguna beach or something you notice white girls have this accent too.

And also do you think they gave blacks school and grammar lessons during slave time, do you think with the segregated schools they could of gotten a proper accent?

Answer 5

Everyone has a accent, not all Black people have the same one because we don't all live in one area better yet one country.

Answer 6

IMO, every English speaker has an accent except the English.

Answer 7

I'm black and i dont have an accent..if u mean a ghetto accent then no...plus ppl have accents from where they live, like NY, TX, MI, etc etc

Answer 8

Southern US black people have southern accents and Yankee black people have yankee accents. I talk to many people every day and I don't think I have ever heard just Black. Except on TV.

Answer 9

Are u serious? Wherever u are from will give u an "accent". No matter the skin tone.

Answer 10

I have wondered why Black people who live in New York and Detroit and Chicago all seem to have southern accents. They can't say "right" but say "rat", for example, no matter where they were born and raised. And when a black sounds "northern", there are clear signs that they are straining to overcome their natural accent. People react hostilely to questions like yours. It is cultural, I guess. There is an accepted accent among blacks, black to black communication, ebonics, call it what you will, that has a southern influence. That's what I think.