People Skills...

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by ronald
Jeff,

I'd have to say the only time I have heard Cornell is on C-span where I believed the setting to be a seminar type one. Might not be the best word for the setting. Nevertheless, I never found his speech patterns or tones to be afrocentric. I considered them as standard as the next guy who was speaking. Limited viewings.

I have never heard you speak but if you speak the way you write, I characterize that as standard English used in the academic and professional world. Your thoughts, at times, have an 'afrocentric' viewpoint but the syntax and semantics, and your written register are standard English as far as I can see. Plus your rhetorical style is associated with the western european-greco world.

Ron,

I am not talking about using standard English or not using standard English. When I state that Cornel West talks in an Afrocentric tone, I am talking about the meanings behind what he is saying. The way that he and others talk to the audience that is in front of him. I have seen Cornel West speak several times and have met the man after he wrote the book "Race Matters." He talks in a way, not unlike other African-American intellectuals to the audience that is in front of him. W.E.B Du Buois wrote about the "Dual Consciousness of Black People," which basically states that Blacks depending on who is around them, the speak differently and use different meanings for similar words and speech patterns. But really this is a bigger issue than can really be discussed here. I just agree with what Juulie's point was at the beginning. For whatever her personal situation is, she picked up on something that I have noticed for a long time. But that is why she is great.

Peace