It appears that the present-day form of African American English is not the inheritance of the period of slavery, but the creation of the second half of the 20th century.
“When I left Europe in 1987 I did so with the thought that my relevance as a composition teacher would benefit from a certain cool distance to certain tendencies I had been observing for several years with increasing disquiet.”
“I never thought I would become a television host, but I never thought anybody would pay me to just talk.”