Nihonbashi Gakkan University Hirona Matayoshi：Sociolinguistics: A Linguistic Analysis of the Era of Violence in African American Spirituals, Jazz, & Blues 179 開智国際大学紀要 第 15 号（2016） 報告・資料 Sociolinguistics: A Linguistic Analysis of the Era of Violence in African American Spirituals, Jazz, & Blues - Civil Action and Effective Citizenship Education through the Language War 1 Matayoshi, Hirona （又吉弘那） This paper is a linguistic critical analysis by reflecting upon Robin Tolmach Lakoff’s sociolinguistic analysis within her brilliant understanding of linguistics in her book, “The Language War”. She portrays her understanding of linguistics though current events in time. She discusses about how politics and the people are entwined within the “Language War”. Although her book was written in the year 2000, we are continuing her theory. We will add new current event issues to her theory while reflecting along with her book. According to Professor Lakoff, the purpose of linguistics is to translate and interpret the meanings of events for the next generation. Therefore, the writer of this article will follow Professor Lakoff’s strategies while explaining past issues toward recent issues that are occurring in the news so we can understand the meaning of the “Language War”. We must first look at the “Language War” in the testimony of violence within African American Blues, Jazz, and Spirituals. African American Blues, Jazz, and Spirituals are historical voices, resources, databases of witnesses, and victims of the past. These voices screamed out the inequality of generations. In a way, they are still surviving a "Language War" even today. They screamed for help in protest and yet due to those who perpetuated the violence of segregation, intimidation, and discrimination that took place, “no one” could help them but continued to avoid the problem. It was as if they were absent apathetic by- standers in denial and neglect. The reason is because prejudice and bigotry became the thorn of evil stuck in between the heart of empathy to produce apathy. Those who perpetuated violence under the power of mass persuasion acted in collective behavior. To understand the meanings and the backgrounds of many of these exquisitely deep profound lyrics or language of Blues, Jazz, and Spirituals, we must also understand the history of what happened to the African Americans. The United States is often viewed as a melting pot due to the history of the settlers who were faced with the difficulties in assimilating into the European society. However, these same apathetic amnesiac settlers then colo- nized the American Indians and their land to build what they thought was a paradise with slavery. Professor Robin Tolmach Lakoff, coined the process of what America was caught up in as the “Language War”. In this “Language War”, no one understood the cycle of harassment which just continued like a domestic violence. According to Profes- sor Lakoff, the “Language War” triggered the importance of the civil rights movement in the late 60s. Out of the blues came forth a muse. Her name was Billie Holiday. This report is also to acknowledge the 100th year com- memoration of the memory of Billie Holiday for the power of her voice gave birth to civil action that fought that Lan- guage War. ………………………………………………………… Keywords ……………………………………………………… Sociolinguistic, Civil Action, Effective Citizenship Education, Linguistic Analysis, Language War 2015 年 9 月 15 日受理 社会言語学: アフリカンアメリカンスピリチャル、ジャズとブルースの中での、暴力時代の言語分析－言語戦争を通しての シビル・アクションと効果的なエフェクティブ市民と公民教育 *1 又吉 弘那 開智国際大学リベラルアーツ学部 NII-Electronic Library Service Nihonbashi Gakkan University 180 開智国際大学紀要 第 15 号（2016） Introduction same time they also sacrificed the indigenous An original definition of a "Language people's human rights for their own freedom. War" is the conflict of political communication The European explorers destroyed the indigenous in other words excuses for hate crimes. It is a people through using biological warfare such as conflict of those who “belong” and those who are small pox infested blankets (“The Story Of … labeled “foreign”. This labeling of "foreign- Smallpox – and other Deadly Eurasian Germs”, ness" or "differences" is a form of shaping public 2005). They may have been ignorant of the attitudes like a form of propaganda to concept of “disease or epidemics” but then when acknowledge an excuse for mass mob violence they found the power as a source for “alienation”, and abuse. It is more psychologically violent they used the epidemic in the form of “deceased than any other biological war for it is an overall blankets” to destroy a civilization. They did it abuse that lasts for generations damaging the to gain the dream of political power to control. foundations of humanity’s existence not just Language Wars are not just blows to your face as physically but mentally. (2) a violent reaction but it is a loss of communica- The “Language Wars” destroy cultures in tion in historical amnesia. This amnesia shines order to build their culture upon another by ne- a morbid glow of inequality which has been a glecting another. In a way it is also a linguistic constant issue that has never been solved since colonialization. This sacrifice is always used as the beginning of time. (4) an excuse or a form of amnesia. It is very simi- lar to how people claim to be a certain religion The fruit of the knowledge of good and like calling themselves "Christians". However, evil in the same breathe, instead of following the “If there’s any interaction between genes and philosophy of turning the other cheek, they fall languages, it is often Languages that influence into a convenient amnesia and forget all their genes, since linguistic differences between popu- philosophies with the doctrines like the Crusades. lations lessen the chance of genetic exchange In result, they murdered under a fake new phi- between them.” losophy by using their own god's name as an ex- cuse. This is what a Language War is all about. – Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza. (5) They labeled and killed under the excuse by us- (Sforza, Goodreads, 2015) ing God's name in vain. They completely went through a convenient amnesia and forgot the Ten According to the geneticist, Luigi Luca Commandments of "Though shall not kill" Cavalli-Sforza, humanity started in Africa with a (“Catechism of the Catholic Church”, Exodus 20 single woman who had a gene called “mitochon- 2-17). (3) dria”. She was named “Mitochondrial Eve”. World history is still based upon that vi- Her daughters bore more children, in repetition, olence. The dreams and expectations to find a generations of the descendants of Eve then made paradise of freedom and equality as if a religion civilization as we know now. Even now her or as the engine that moved the pioneers to es- blood line still continues to flourish. Her blood cape, to find other green pastures, and yet at the line traveled and passed down to every woman NII-Electronic Library Service Nihonbashi Gakkan University Hirona Matayoshi：Sociolinguistics: A Linguistic Analysis of the Era of Violence in African American Spirituals, Jazz, & Blues 181 on earth. She became the great ancestor of all women. The Mitochondria DNA is only passed Professor Lakoff discusses about how the through women and not through men. Thus, the Language War began though mythology. The so called "Adam" line has been broken (Lewin, biblical story of "The Tower of Babel" written in pp.54-55). the “Old Testament”, best represents the begin- Referring back to the Luigi Luca Caval- ning of the Language Wars. According to the li-Sforza’s quote, we are related to the almighty story, humanity all spoke the same language. “Grandma Eve”, in our blood, we carry the mi- Unfortunately, humanity had the bad idea to try tochondria of centuries which means, we are a to communicate with the big man upstairs, data base or a USB memory stick of Eve's history “God”. Well, humanity continuing its bad idea, or “her-story”. Those genes are codes or lan- started building this huge communication tower guages. When you think about it, she was a until one day, God looked over his shoulder most great woman, in a way, for she may have been likely in retaliation remarking, "No way". God the holy womb and “holy grail” that passed down destroyed the tower and dispersed those who the beauty and symmetry of the double helix of built the thing in the first place (Knight, Genesis genetics. Our body cells remember her for she 11:9). When he did this the Language War be- is still in our genetic building blocks. Our ge- gan. Instead of one language he brought forth netics or tree of life is like a ladder that was made the complete linguistic chaos on earth. In other for us to be established in her form like a copied words, all hell broke loose. Again, this is the manuscript. Of course she is the only specimen Christian God of turning the other cheek while at that genetics have found and that there were the same time not acknowledging his own chil- probably others or copied manuscripts just like dren as his own by labeling them “different”, her. Unfortunately, humanity has a brain that “strange”, or “foreign”. has a tendency to forget very quickly by labeling According to Dante's "Divine Comedy", and classifying differences even though we are he uses Pope Gregory the Great’s sixth century basically from one big family. Human's strug- definition of the Seven Deadly Sins to express gle with this racial amnesia somehow, led us to the concept of hell (“The Seven Deadly Sins”, forget our origin in Africa. It is like how Pro- 2001) . The legend about the Tower of Babel de- fessor Lakoff mentioned about the lineage of po- scribes a God who was portrayed as “the dude” litical correctness leading us to the civil rights who contradicted himself.