There is no consensus on the extent to which culturally-specific African-American language forms influence language acquisition. In the early 1990's, educational theorists began researching the question of what role Ebonics plays in the classroom, and what role it should play. The question remains controversial both among scholars and within popular culture. A number of educational theorists and linguists reject the idea that Ebonics is a language. Research into the correlation between Ebonics and elementary school language acquisition is further complicated by the politics of race. For example, some activists and scholars have argued that Ebonics is a critical expression of African-American culture, and that to not recognize Ebonics as a language is racially prejudiced.