Date:  Thu, 13 Jul 1995 09:44:56 -0600

From:  Salikoko Mufwene <s-mufwene[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UCHICAGO.EDU>

Subject: Re: oj trial



In message Thu, 13 Jul 1995 08:55:51 +0100, debaron[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]UIUC.EDU writes:



> I heard an nth-hand report that the attorneys in the OJ trial and Judge

> Ito clashed yesterday over a prosecution question about whether some

> witness overheard someone "who sounded black."



  I saw the news segment on CNN HEADDLINE NEWS in which Attorney

Cochran(?) was reported to have taken offense at this characterization.

I thought "sounding black/African American" was a common phrase even among

African Americans. So I was shocked by the reaction. I remember

participating in a symposium on AAVE in which an African American linguist

was trying to articulate a distinction between "sounding black" and

"talking black." But I suppose there may be a legal dimension that I have

not perceived yet.

  Sali.