"Word from the Mother presents a definitive statement on African American Language (AAL) from the internationally respected linguist, Geneva Smitherman. Her message is clear: all Americans, regardless of cultural background, must appreciate the linguistic conventions and richness of AAL if they are to participate in society as informed citizens." "The work gives an overview of past debates on the speech of African Americans and provides a vision for the future. The author explores the contributions of AAL to mainstream American English, and includes a list of idioms and expressions as a suggested linguistic core of AAL." "Word from the Mother is an essential read for students of African American speech, language and culture and sociolinguistics, as well as the general reader interested in the worldwide "crossover" of Black Popular Culture."--Jacket.