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.
“I am totally fascinated by people and our history as I understand and continue to explore it. People have so much to give and so far to go and yet we have given and gone a great distance. It's really just interesting to ask: why not? And see where that takes me.”
“My father was from the South and turned me into a news junkie at a very early age. I would sit and watch TV with him.”