ZENITH ✶

Here is a template for anyone to post under the member’s weverse posts or to post as a fan letter. Please feel free to make any changes, and share this with other coers: Hi [MEMBER’S NAME], We as a fandom would like to bring something to your attention. For a while now a lot of African American/Black COERS have been uncomfortable with the AAVE (African American Vernacular English) & Black accent (blaccent) you use whenever you speak English. We understand your English has been influenced by social media, pop culture, and by working with African American producers, singers, and songwriters. This is the following reason why AAVE usage by non-Black people is wrong: Black individuals who speak AAVE are frequently stereotyped, or labeled as "uneducated," "lazy," "ghetto," or "unprofessional". Many are forced to "code-switch" (shift to Standard American English) in academic or corporate environments to avoid discrimination. When non-Black people (like yourself) use AAVE, they are often praised as "trendy," "funny," "cool," or "eloquent" rather than facing the same social or professional penalties. It also strips the dialect of it’s history and context while erasing the Black community that created it. While you may mean no harm by it, it can come across as condescending, mocking, or disrespectful to Black/African American COERS. We have noticed depending on the situation or audience, your usage of AAVE or putting on a blaccent shifts. In the future, please be mindful of your usage of AAVE/ blaccent and altogether, you stop using both. We hope our message reaches you and you understand this doesn’t come from a place of hate but rather from a place of openness and vulnerability. We want you to be educated on this matter. We hope we can continue to be open with one another and foster continued closeness as fans and artists. We love you and the other members of CORTIS, please never forget that.