The Garfield Messenger

A Brief History of AAVE

The origins of African American Vernacular English

February 26, 2021

(Mis)Understanding AAVE On December 18, 1996, the Oakland Unified School District passed a resolution for public schools to use AAVE as a tool in teaching standard English and to provide resources to...

AAVE Through the Ages

AAVE's growth and expansion into modern times.

February 26, 2021

Unlike the origins of AAVE, a topic full of debates and unknowns, the spread and development of this dialect is easy to understand. Although there are two main theories of how AAVE came to be, the way...

Black LGBTQ+ Artists

Identity fosters creativity.

February 26, 2021

Dani Tirrell Dani Tirrell is a movement artist, dancer, and choreographer who expands on many principles and ideas from the African Diaspora. Tirrell’s work dives into identity, expression, and...

Self Expression Through Style

How Garfield's Black students are putting their identity on display with fashion.

February 26, 2021

Naima Joseph Naima Joseph is a freshman at Garfield this year. They would describe their style as falling into the “emo and lolita subcultures of alternative fashion”. Currently, Joseph’s favorite...

Black Excellence

Black students at Garfield showcase their passionate work in and around the community.

February 26, 2021

Nadia Caty Junior What things are you passionate about and why? What groups/organizations and projects do you work with? “I am passionate about a lot of things, it is hard to pinpoint...

AAVE and What it Means to Students

Black Garfield students share their perspectives.

February 26, 2021

African American Vernacular English, or AAVE for short, is an alternative form of speech to standard American English. Although there is no specific date for when AAVE was created, it is said that the...

Black Student Art

February 25, 2021