“nobody Mean More to Me Than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan”

Amy Wingard

English 1320

English is the standard language of America. In the essay “Nobody Mean More to Me than You and the Future Life of Willie Jordan” by June Jordan, Jordan proves that Black English represents African American’s identity, and how the language should be taught in schools.

June Jordan fights for the recognition of Black English because she feels that the language is disappearing into a world where nobody cares. However, it is not the dialect that she is urging to be taught in schools, it is the importance of the language. Jordan believes that schools, media, and families have stripped the importance out of Black English. She writes that Black English encloses “life, voice, and clarity” and that Standard English does not withhold these properties. Jordan uses a student of hers, Willie Jordan, to show an example of a student trying to regain the confidence of his past. Willie’s story shows the