This-is-aave- meaning the post contains aave. It is not an indicator of whether it is being used right or wrong- or whether the person is allowed to use it. However if you're not black you shouldn't be using aave period, even if you use it right!
The terms "aave" and "black slang" are used interchangeably & synonymously here, but there is a difference between the two.
#about-aave
#black mutual aid: a tag with black folx on Tumblr who are in need of mutual aid
#sincerelysoulaan: tag where the host/owner of the blog talks
Disclaimer: This blog does not support the subject of every og post that is reblogged- we use common aave search terms to reblog content. That being said, we try to avoid reposting triggering or explicit content.
BLACK LIVES MATTER. PRO BLACK. UNAPOLOGETICALLY BLACK. BLACK EXCELLENCE. BLACK JOY. BLACK POWER. BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL. BLACK IS DIVINE. EXISTENCE IS RESISTANCE. PRO BLACK SPIRITUALITY AND ATRS. BLACK LIBERATION & FREEDOM.
This blog does not stand for abelism, homophobia, transphobia, radqueers, transID, endo/willow/tulpa/mixed origin non-traumagenic "systems", anti-blackness, racism, texturism, colorism, respectability politics, FBA, anti-immigration, claims of so-called reverse racism (doesn't exist), non black poc who think being a poc means they can speak over black folk and are incapable of perpetuating anti-blackness, "everyone/anyone of any race can be racist even if they're not white", pro-ed, ICE, AI, pro/neutral Isreal, anti-Semitism, islamophobia, asian hate, trump supporters or neutrals, misogyny, anti-misandry, anti-theism & abolition of all religion, people who make fun of domestic violence victims and say "why don't they just leave?", fat phobia, diet culture, pro-"healthy" bodies, fetishization, colonization, white fragility, white tears, white folk who think being marginalized in some way makes them not privileged, people who think being ugly or pretty equates to moral compass & inherent value or that looking a certain way is a blessing or a curse, ATR villainizing, and so on and so forth.
FAQ under cut ↓
"What does XYZ aave term mean? Can you educate me on aave?"
I will not explain what portion of the post uses aave because black people have been educating non-black folx for years and y'all still want us to do the work for you. If you really care look it up yourself- we're not an education tool and I'd certainly like to be paid if I was. There are black creators out there explaining what words are aave and the history of them- go find those creators instead of asking every black person you see to be an educator.
If you are black and wondering what portion of the post contains aave I would prefer you use the resources already provided on the blog as well. Just take the word(s) you suspect and search "is this word aave" and keep going until you find one that pops up as "yes, this word is aave". Or you can scroll through the blog to see what common terms show up in the reblogged posts often. I have tried to go out of my way before to tell other black people what aave is and which portions of aave are being used in the posts and to put it simply it's a pain in the ass and non-black folk like to jump in for some reason to be racist/antiblack. So no, I still will not explain which portion uses aave or what aave is moving forward. If I tell you to refer to the pinned post because your question has already been answered, then please refer to the whole pinned post when asking your next question so I do not have to continuously reply "please refer to the pinned post". If you have any questions that are not here on the pinned post absolutely feel free to ask!!!
"But aave is so ingrained in my vocabulary, is it okay if I use it the right way? I don't know how to communicate without it. Everything seems to be aave."
No, you can't and shouldn't. Non black folks are gentrifying aave and just because you (1 person) wants to use it the right way it doesn't take away the larger harm. If you realize the harm of how using aave incorrectly is, and that even anti-black folks are using aave, and that everyone not acknowledging the origin of the terms is harmful- then stop. And if that still isn't making it click for you, if finding a new way of communicating that does not rely on black labor, community, and experiences- remember slave owners "needed" slaves to do their work for them too. I mean, how else would they function? How else would you function? I promise you non black folk are allowed to create their own terms and communicate in a way that doesn't steal from black people. You could make your own slang right now, in fact. But at the end of the day I can reach through the screen and force you not to use AAVE, at the end of the day it's your decision whether you want to respect and value black people when they speak about issues that directly impact them. You are not entitled to black culture & terms.
"But isn't XYZ actually LGBTQ+/ballroom slang?"
Baby I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this, black people can be queer too. Black people have been queer in fact. And it is often black queer people and sometimes other queer people of color pioneering these terms. (And on that note commonly not solely non black poc but black poc + other poc) So if it's here in this blog, it's aave period. You can't separate the aave from the LGBTQ origins- that's erasure and exactly what this blog is trying to point out. It is a complex topic where some terms are absolutely shared but still have roots in aave which need to be acknowledged. That being said, there are absolutely queer terms being used that are straight up appropriated- queer folks are just as capable of appropriating black culture and terms as non queer folks. Just because black queer folk share some terms it doesn't mean all queer folk are entitled to all our terms.
"You reblogged my same post twice"
Sorry :( I likely didn't mean to. I rely on Tumblrs color feature to tell me which posts I've already reblogged . Sometimes it doesn't show me posts I've already reblogged or put in the queue- I don't pay attention to who I've reblogged from, and briefly look at aave terms used in the post to make sure they have aave origins and are not to be confused with other slang before queuing/rb.
"Can I submit posts or tag you in posts to reblog or queue?"
Yes! Ideally I would like to keep my messages and asks open & I'm also open to being tagged in posts.
"Am I a bad person for using aave? Is this blog here to cancel/expose me?"
This blog is not to cancel or expose people who use or misuse aave. The main purpose of this blog is to point out how aave has become so popular outside of black communities that non black folks aren't even aware of their origins. It is to clarify that things that are considered "gen z" "modern" "tiktok" "woke" slang are often aave. Upwards of 90% of slang has roots in aave imo. Now, are you a bad person for using aave? When we're having a conversation about how taking terms from the black community is harmful- your main question should not be whether participating in the harm intentionally or unintentionally makes you a morally good or bad person. Why? Because it's not about you. These types of questions center you- not the community impacted. I can't tell you whether you're a good or bad person because there is no objective good or bad and I do not know you personally. But if you continue to use aave or don't call out non black folks using aave then you're certainly complicit in harm. Shame and guilt based motivators are often unhelpful and exhausting, so, instead of wondering if you're a good or bad person, get in touch with the love, compassion, support, and justice you want to hold for the black community. This is not about you, it's about us. You can support black people whether it makes you a good person or not.
"I'm black why did you reblog my post"
Please refer to the first section of this pinned post describing what this blog is. In the last portion where I say, "However if you're not black you shouldn't be using aave period, even if you use it right!", and you are black, that means I'm not telling you to not use aave. Because you are black, and aave comes from our culture.
But if you need further clarification, "this-is-aave" is the name of the blog. And "this post contains aave" is the only comment we make. Aave is African American Vernacular English and also loosely used as a synonym for black slang. So if you're black and using aave, which is your right to do so, your post is gonna contain aave. So the statements "this is aave" and "this contains aave" are not wrong nor are they accusatory. Your posts contains aave so it is being reblogged because it contains aave. This isn't a call out blog, this isn't an educational blog, this blog reposts aave regardless of who says it or whether it is being used right. Black people use aave, so it's logical that black people are going to show up on the blog. This blog is not called "non black people using aave wrongly" or "exposing people who can't use aave", the naming and content of the blog is extremely intentional. Reblogging from black creators can also help boost their blog & engagement and allow them to find this blog. It can also be an example of how aave is used properly *even though we do not note that*
"I didn't mean it as aave/I didn't use aave"
I may make mistakes, however I am not a bot and do look over each post briefly and examine the sentence the aave is being used in and also making sure the post is appropriate to reblog. So, the chances of your post contains aave are 99%. However, I am human and do make mistakes. I try not to reblog posts that are ambiguous as to whether the word or phrase being used is aave but if you believe I made a mistake feel free to tell me- this is true mostly to other people of color. If you are white you most likely do not know whether it is a mistake or not, and thinking it is a mistake is because you do not know enough about aave.
If you contact me via message I will tell you whether I made a mistake or not and correct it if necessary.
If you reblog the post saying I made a mistake and I do not respond it means I have not made a mistake. If I reblog and admit my mistake and correct it obviously that means I made a mistake.
As for "I didn't mean it as aave" it doesn't matter. It is aave, so it's gonna be aave whether you meant it or not. Whether you used it right or not. You're welcome to explain yourself but again, the chances of me making a mistake are not high, and if I do not respond to your explanation it means I have not made a mistake. This is not a debate blog, I will not argue about whether it is aave or not because I already know. If you don't believe me it is your job to learn more, not my job to convince you. You're gonna be using aave whether I convince you or not.
"Why do you reblog so many of my posts?"
A couple potential reasons, I follow you on my main so your content comes up often either through people reblogging your content or you yourself making the content. (i.e you're popular) This is the most likely. Another potential option is that you post aave in tags I sift through to add to the queue. Second most likely option. And the most obvious answer would be that you use aave a lot. Third most likely. Generally, I try not to dig through people's blogs to find aave- and if I do it's usually shuffled into the queue so I'm not posting your content back to back to back so that's a possibility as well. But not one I do often. Least likely.
"Do you recommend any other blogs similar to yours?"
