John McWhorter
I teach linguistics and other things at Columbia U., am Contributing Editor at the Atlantic, host Lexicon Valley at Slate. Next book: NINE NASTY WORDS.
Thought Leader
| #9 | The New Center |
Note. This is unlikely to be a complete listing.
The F-Word Is Going the Way of Hell
In today’s world, slurs are the real profanity, not the use of an “F-bomb” to describe a mass shooting.
The Idea That Whites Can’t Refer to the N-Word
It’s long been accepted that the slur shouldn’t be used by white people to refer to black people. What about referring to the word itself?
What Joe Biden’s Latest Gaffe Reveals
He equated being poor with being a person of color. But many people share that sociological assumption.
'Racist' Is a Tough Little Word
The definition has grown and shifted over time.
The Origins of the ‘Acting White’ Charge
School integration yielded a disturbing by-product: a psychological association between scholastic achievement and whiteness.
AOC’s Critics Are Pretending Not to Know How Language Works
A great deal of communication is based on metaphor and playfulness.
Existential Threats on the Campaign Trail
Have 2020 candidates been reading too much French philosophy?
How I Taught My Kid to Read
Children can learn quickly by sounding out words, letter by letter—but somehow, the method is still controversial.
Don’t Scrap the Test, Help Black Kids Ace It
Commentary on New York’s elite high schools has focused wrongly on access over preparation.