A few days ago I was with some friends and I happened to use a “big” word in normal conversation. The word was lucrative; I didn’t think it would be a big fuss and it rolled off my tongue without me thinking about it. Once I said it, one of my friends turned to me and said “Wow, that’s a big word. Why are you trying to show off?” Now, I know they were just joking but it made me think. This wasn’t the first time someone pointed out/teased me for using big words in normal conversation. And, it made me wonder: why am I always penalized for using a larger vocabulary?
It is not just about a few big words here and there; I am constantly being told that I speak “too white” or I’m “trying too hard to be smart”. When did it become such a crime to be articulate? Not everyone under the age of twenty-five wants to speak in just slang. There is nothing wrong with talking in slang all the time; that is your prospective and I can respect that. The problem I have is being told that, because of the color of my skin, I am not allowed to use my extensive vocabulary or speak clearly. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me I was trying to be white because I spoke in long-winded sentences, I could probably buy Beyoncé’s house.
Having an extensive vocabulary is not something that is out of the ordinary. I do not spend hours reading the dictionary or listening to NPR. To be honest, the way I speak comes from all the books I read. I learn new, interesting words that I think my friends and family will like to hear in conversation. Sometimes I do use them consciously but, for the most part, it just slips out of my mouth without hesitation. I am not trying to be white; there’s nothing wrong with being white but it is terrible to presume that the only people who are allowed/want to speak articulately happen to be white. There are so many scholars of color who could blow you away with the way they speak; any person of any race should be allowed to speak however they would like to, whether it be just in slang or in long paragraphs using SAT words.
I love the way I speak and I will not apologize for it, nor will I change because some people think I am trying to be someone I am not. I am a young, educated, black and Hispanic woman who loves using words like superfluous and befuddled while speaking through text or on the phone. My vocabulary and way of speech makes me unique and it’s time my fellow articulate youths join forces and remind people that we exist and we love big words! Get use to it!
