John McWhorter

John McWhorter is an American linguist, author, and commentator, known for his work on language, race, and social issues. He is a professor of linguistics at Columbia University and a regular writer for The New York Times, where he contributes opinion pieces on language, culture, and politics, and podcast host of "Lexicon Valley" and "The Glenn Show."

McWhorter has written extensively on the evolution of language, Black English (African American Vernacular English), and broader issues of race and identity in America.

He is also a podcast host and public speaker, frequently discussing linguistic diversity, historical language shifts, and societal debates on race and culture. His perspectives tend to challenge mainstream progressive narratives, making him a notable and sometimes controversial voice in contemporary discourse.

He is author of "The Power of Babel," "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue," "The Language Hoax," "Words on the Move," "Talking Back, Talking Black," and other books, including "Nine Nasty Words" and "Woke Racism," both of which were New York Times bestsellers.

He hosts the Lexicon Valley language podcast, has authored six audiovisual sets on language for the Great Courses company, and has written a twice-weekly newsletter for the New York Times since August 2021.