Date:  Fri, 18 Nov 1994 20:55:36 CST

From:  "Donald M. Lance" <ENGDL[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]MIZZOU1.BITNET>

Subject: Re: Recent Black English



I've gotten similar reactions to what Tim Frazer reported regarding VBE.

One shouldn't be surprised that a "lect" changes in a generation, particularly

in salient usages that have the potential for social stigmatization. Is

the VBE lect of today's college-age African Americans supposed to be the

same as that of their parents' generation? The item that was called to my

attention was habitual BE, as in Tim's case.

                      DMLance