The Promise of Language

Recounting a life—and language—by an esteemed scholar of African American rhetoric.

In this powerful coming-of-age memoir, author, scholar, and linguist Keith Gilyard presents a testament to the transformative power of language. From his earliest days in the segregated New York City public schools of the 1950s and ’60s through his ascent in academia, the rhythm of Black America’s vernacular and music provides the backdrop to Gilyard’s intellectual awakening. He absorbed language through music, television, and radio, recognizing early on that his mother was a “language chameleon,” a woman from Georgia who never sounded Black southern. His journey intertwines personal growth with the multiplicity of language and the sociopolitical upheavals of the Cold War era and the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Black Arts movements. Through vibrant anecdotes and introspection, Gilyard brings his experiences and realizations to life from memories of barbershops, churches, and schools, to lessons from mentors and influencers like Ed Bullins, Sonia Sanchez, Don L. Lee (later Haki Madhubuti), Toni Morrison, and Paule Marshall. Each encounter brings clarity and a new lens through which to understand the world, revealing how language shapes our lives and how our lives shape language.

Author Biography

Keith Gilyard is the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English and African American Studies at the Pennsylvania State University and president emeritus of the National Council of Teachers of English. He has published widely in topics of language and rhetoric, including Voices of the Self (Wayne State University Press). He is the recipient of two American Book Awards and the Penn State Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts and Humanities.