Genesis Duran 

Context & Exigence 

From what I’ve read the text “Nobody Mean More To Me Than You’ by June Jordan, cornered two main topics. The two topics covered were, “standard” English and how it is seen today more “correct” than Black English, and Police Brutality. The text by June Jordan was published in 1985,but the review of her text was published in August of 1988.Both of the topics this text covers can be seen as current events in this world. 

Author 

June Millicent,born july 9,1936 was an American poet. To add on, she was also a teacher as shown in the text,”Nobody Mean More To Me Than You”, where she shared some of her experience Teaching a class about “Black”English. One of the reasons June is so interested in the topic of “Proper”vs “black” English is because as she was showing her class a text written in “black” English she saw that the class did not respect the reading and had awful comments about the reading.She then proceeded to make her own class and teach them about the,  “Proper”vs “black” English topic. 

Text

The text ,”Nobody Mean More To Me Than You” by June Jordan, is a personal essay. This text being a personal essay makes it stronger and more powerful because not only did June share her story but she also included her students and their opinion on the ongoing topic of  “Proper”vs “black” English. The publication source was South End press, it was founded in 1977 and it’s a non-profit publisher,and things that are published there are by political activists.This helps to show how powerful the text really is because it shares problems this world is or has gone through. 

Audience 

This Text wants to be written by 

• Educators
• Students 
• Writers 
• Activist 
• Both people with high and low status  

Purpose 

The Author’s purpose is to share her knowledge and reach those people that believe their English isn’t perfect because there is what people call “proper” English out there. She wants to make those people comfortable and let them know that English is “incorrect”.

Argument 

The main argument the author is trying to communicate is that there is no correct way of writing and speaking the language of english. Her stance in this argument is that every person should be able to write and speak the English language as they see fit.

Evidence 

“As we learn our way around this environment, either we hide our original world habits,or we completely surrender our own voice,hoping to please those who will never respect anyone different from themselves.”(pg 363)

“I know that standard forms of English for Black people in this country do not copy that of whites. And in fact, the structural differences between these two kinds of English have intensified, becoming more Black or less White”(pg 364)

“White Standards of English persist, supreme and unquestioned in these United States”(pg 364)

“ should we use the language of the Killer-standard English-in order to make our ideas acceptable tho those controlling the killer”(pg 372)

Rhetorical Strategies 

Some of the authors strategies were 

• Show examples of Black English 
• Show example of real world problems portrayed in Black English 
• Share her experience
• Share her students experience 

Work Cited

Jordan, June M. Nobody Mean More To Me Than You’ And the future Life of Willie Jordan. vol. 58, Boston, South End Press, 1985. 3 vols. Accessed 5 September 2022.