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John McWhorter

John McWhorter

The Atlantic

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Eloquence Has Grown Passé. Let’s Bring It Back Into Fashion.

Being authentic or relatable shouldn’t mean being inarticulate.

02.04.2026 8

The New York Times

John Mcwhorter

Here’s What I Just Figured Out About the Way Trump Talks

Why just tell a story when you can put on a skit?

20.02.2026 350

The New York Times

John McWhorter

This One Novel Word Speaks Volumes About How an Entire Language Works

He, she, they, them, us.

23.01.2026 80

The New York Times

John McWhorter

The Trump Administration’s Coarseness Is a Sign That English Has Grown Up

The F-word is no longer the deadliest word in the English language.

09.01.2026 30

The New York Times

John McWhorter

People Are Crying Woke, and Somehow This Time It’s Not Me

Don’t be shocked: There were Black people and Native Americans during the colonial era.

06.12.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

One Horror of Slavery That Until Recently Could Not Be Told

The evil of human bondage was more complex than many historians care to reckon with.

14.11.2025 60

The New York Times

John McWhorter

I Now Mispronounce You the Likely Next Mayor of New York City

A lot of people seem to trip over Zohran Mamdani’s name. The reason may not be as simple as it seems.

31.10.2025 50

The New York Times

John McWhorter

These Are the 10 Old Television Series Every Kid Needs to Watch

Here’s the list of ancient shows I inflict on my daughters. What’s yours?

10.10.2025 90

The New York Times

John McWhorter

The Essence of Trumpian Language, in One Three-Letter Word

A towel snap. An eye roll. A punch. The president has spoken again.

16.09.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

My Daughters’ Slang Taught Me Something Cool About How Language Evolves

Here’s what I did on my summer vacation.

05.09.2025 40

The New York Times

John McWhorter

The Single Word That Explains Why Chatbots Sound So Human

It comes down to a single word, but one that speaks volumes.

29.08.2025 20

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Springsteen Isn’t Who I Thought He Was

I stopped listening to Bruce Springsteen’s music. I heard something more.

08.08.2025 60

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Do These Jeans Make My Ad Look Racist?

Fashions change. So do words.

30.07.2025 20

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Trump Has a Terrible Idea for American Sports Teams

Hint: It’s also a terrible idea for American Indians.

25.07.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Listen Up. Ketanji Brown Jackson Is Speaking to You.

Purists are freaking out over her informal locutions, but at least they’re taking notice.

18.07.2025 30

The New York Times

John McWhorter

It’s Time to Let Go of ‘African American’

Why not just say what we mean?

11.07.2025 40

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Viewed From Any Angle, This Station Is a Wonder and an Inspiration

Michigan Central Station taught me what education is for.

13.06.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

They’re Exquisite. They’re Divine. They’re Incomprehensible. Why?

Opera’s greatest composers wanted us to understand the words. English, please!

30.05.2025 9

The New York Times

John McWhorter

The Future of Black History Lives on Donald Trump’s Front Lawn

A journey to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture took me places I will not soon forget.

18.05.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Why These 10 Old Movies Are Really Worth Your Time

Some things can be seen more clearly in black and white.

11.04.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

She Crossed a Line That Even the Saltiest Speech Should Avoid

What the controversy about Jasmine Crockett’s comments got wrong — and right

04.04.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

I Have a Capital Suggestion for a New Pronoun

It involves a capital letter, and it might just resolve some significant confusion.

28.03.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

How a Plane to Australia Took Me to ’90s Oakland

How a pidgin became a Creole

21.03.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

An Unkind Policy for a Nonexistent Problem

The story of how a gendered word became a universal pronoun says a lot about how language evolves.

07.03.2025 20

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Trump Can Pry Congestion Pricing From My Cold, Dead Hands

New Yorkers are not going back to the days of noisy, smelly gridlock.

28.02.2025 6

The New York Times

John McWhorter

The Twisting Tale of ‘Woke’ Is the Story of the English Language

From pejoration to semantic broadening, the word has done it all.

20.02.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter

Black and White Weren’t Always as Black-and-White as They Seemed

The past was more racially fluid than we assume — and maybe even more than the current day.

24.01.2025 10

The New York Times

John McWhorter