Hello,

 

I am a white high school English teacher. I read out loud to my freshmen a lot. If I am reading an author like Langston Hughes or Lorraine Hansberry, and the author has a character speaking in dialect, is it okay for me as a white person to voice that dialect? 

 

In Hughes's "Thank You, M'am," I have always voiced the dialect that Langston wrote for his caring, strong Mrs. Jones. My students (mostly white, with a few Hispanic students and one or two black students) have always responded positively and with interest when I read the story aloud, but now I'm not sure a white teacher should "voice" a Black character? I have found recordings online that seem to feature Black voice actors using his dialect.

 

I would appreciate some thoughtful feedback on whether white educators reading aloud should use the dialect an author has created.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Reading the dialect, the way it was written, is perfectly acceptable. Indeed, it is encouraged. Enjoy!