Saying Something

Kirkland, D. E., & Jackson, A. (2009). We real cool: Toward a theory of Black masculine literacies. Reading Research Quarterly, 44(3), 278-297.

David: Now Larry explained why clothes are so important. But help me understand. Does anything go?

[laughter]

Larry: naw man. It ain’t like that…[interrupted]

Etherin: There is just one rule: You can’t expect to be cool and wear something wack.

David: What’s wack?

Etherin: You know… Stuff that ain’t saying nothing…

For Etherin, clothing could speak. Moreover, opportunities to “control the mic” or “hold the floor” should not be wasted. This wasting or misuse of opportunity was deemed by Etherin and his peers as “wack.” Indeed, the young men were always in a position to be judged and to judge others.

To avoid unfavorable judgment, the young men used their clothes as a subversive tool, which allowed them to declare “what they gotta say without sayin it.” In this way, clothing helped them communicate their ideas on their terms despite being entrenched in a contested educational domain that is commonly hostile to black males. Nowhere else was this feature more evident then in the young men’s appropriation of hip-hop style.

 

I selected this passage because I was struck by the level of self-awareness of Larry and Etherin. I don’t typically credit my students with the ability to not only recognize, but also manipulate their own image.

It’s easy enough to see that they are trying on different roles and a lot of that has to do with how they present themselves. However, Etherin’s assessment of cool clothes as clothes that say something is what surprised me. Clearly these young men are not simply choosing clothing because it is popular. They are conscious that their choices effect how they are seen. The author comments about Etherin wanting to “control the mic.”  He also doesn’t want to miss an opportunity to to express himself. So here we have a young man who is willing and able to articulate himself very clearly through his appearance.

I have always been interested by definitions of literacy that are broader than the the ability to read and write. I am fascinated by how much is communicated by art, architecture, dance, music and fashion. Because of this, I am ashamed to say that it would have never occurred to me to look at these young men’s clothing choices in the same way.