UNEQUAL PARTNERSHIP - SOCIOLINGUISTICS AND THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN SPEECH COMMUNITY

American quantitative sociolinguistics has drawn substantially on data from the African American speech community for its descriptive, theor etical, and methodological development, but has given relatively littl e in return. Contributions from the speech community to sociolinguisti cs include the development of variable rules and frameworks for the an alysis of tense-aspect markers, social class, style, narratives, and s peech events, plus research topics and employment for students and fac ulty. The contributions which sociolinguistics could make in return to the African American speech community - but has not done sufficiently - include the induction of African Americans into linguistics, the re presentation of African Americans in our writings, and involvement in courts, workplaces, and schools, especially with respect to the teachi ng of reading and the language arts. This last issue has surged to pub lic attention following the Oakland School Board's ''Ebonies'' resolut ions on Dec. 18, 1996. The present unequal partnership between researc her and researched is widespread within linguistics. Suggestions are m ade for establishing service in return as a general principle and prac tice of teaching and research in our field.