Whereas, numerous validated scholarly studies demonstrate that
African-Americ-an students as a part of their culture and history [as]
an African people possess and utilize a language described in various
scholarly approaches as “Ebonics” (literally “Blank sounds”) or
“Pan-African Communication Behaviors” or “African Language Systems”; and
Whereas, these studies have also demonstrated that African Language
Systems are genetically based and not a dialect of English; and
Whereas, these studies demonstrate that such West and Niger-Congo
African languages have been officially recognized and addressed in the
mainstream public educational community as worthy of study,
understanding or application of its principles, laws and structures for
the benefit of African-American students both in terms of positive
appreciation of the language and these students’ acquisition and
mastery of English language skills; and
Whereas, such recognition by scholars has given rise over the past
fifteen years to legislation passed by the State of California
recognizing the unique language stature of descendants of slavers, with
such legislation being prejudicially and unconstitutionally vetoed
repeatedly by various California state governors; and
Whereas, judicial cases in states other than California have
recognized the unique language stature of African-American pupils, and
such recognition by courts has resulted in court-mandated educational
programs which have substantially benefitted African American children
in the interest of vindicating their equal protection of the law rights
under the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution; and
Whereas, the Federal Bilingual Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1402 et
seq.) mandates that local educational agencies “build their capacities
to establish, implement and sustain programs of instruction for
children and youth of limited English proficiency”; and
Whereas, the interests of the Oakland Unified School District in
providing equal opportunities for all of its students dictate limited
English proficient educational programs recognizing the English
language acquisition and improvement skills of African-American
students are as fundamental as is application of bilingual education
principles for others whose primary languages are other than English;
and
