John McWhorter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John McWhorter
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McWhorter in 2017
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| Born |
John Hamilton McWhorter V
October 6, 1965 |
| Education |
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| Occupation | Academic and Commentator |
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| Thesis | Toward a New Model of Genesis (1993) |
John Hamilton McWhorter V (born October 6, 1965) is an American linguist. A linguist is someone who studies language. He is a professor of linguistics at Columbia University. He also teaches about American history and music there.
McWhorter has written many books. These books are often about how different groups of people get along. He also writes about African-American culture. He often shares his ideas as a writer for The New York Times.
Contents
Early Life and School
John McWhorter was born and grew up in Philadelphia. His father, John Hamilton McWhorter IV, worked as a college leader. His mother, Schelysture Gordon McWhorter, taught social work at Temple University.
He went to Friends Select School in Philadelphia. After tenth grade, he went to Simon's Rock College. There, he earned an Associate of Arts (AA) degree. This is a two-year college degree. McWhorter has said his family was part of the Black middle class. He also believes his time at the Quaker school helped shape his ideas.
Later, he went to Rutgers University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in French in 1985. He then got a Master of Arts (MA) degree in American Studies from New York University. In 1993, he earned his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in linguistics from Stanford University. A PhD is the highest university degree.
Career
Teaching at Universities
Early Teaching Roles
From 1993 to 1995, McWhorter taught linguistics at Cornell University. After that, he became a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He taught there from 1995 to 2003. He then worked as a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. This is a research group that studies public policy.
Columbia University
Since 2008, McWhorter has taught at Columbia University. He teaches linguistics and American studies. He also teaches classes that are part of Columbia's main learning program. When he first started, the linguistics department was closed. So, he taught in the English department. Now, the linguistics program is part of the Slavic Languages department.
Other Teaching Work
McWhorter also teaches courses for a series called The Great Courses. These courses help people learn about many topics. His courses include "The Story of Human Language" and "Understanding Linguistics: The Science of Language." He also teaches about language families and ancient writing.
Studying Languages
Much of McWhorter's work is about creole languages. These are new languages that form when different languages mix. He often studies Saramaccan, a creole language from Suriname. He also looks at how languages change when adults learn them as a second language.
How Creole Languages Form
McWhorter believes that languages naturally become more complex. They often develop many rules and exceptions. But when adults learn a new language, they tend to simplify it. Creole languages are a strong example of this. They become simpler because many adults learn them at the same time.
He says that languages like English, Mandarin Chinese, and Swahili have also become simpler over time. He has written books about these ideas. Some of his books are Language Interrupted and What Language Is.
Languages on Flores Island
The languages spoken in the center of Flores Island in Indonesia are interesting. They are part of the Austronesian language family. But unlike most languages in this family, they don't use many prefixes or suffixes. Prefixes are word parts added to the beginning of a word (like "un-" in "unhappy"). Suffixes are added to the end (like "-ness" in "kindness").
McWhorter thinks these languages became simpler because adults learned them. He connects this idea to stories about Homo floresiensis. These were small human-like creatures who lived on Flores Island long ago. Local legends tell of "little people" called ebo gogo. These stories say the ebo gogo lived among people until recent times. These legends are strongest in the middle of Flores Island.
The Language Hoax
McWhorter does not agree with the idea that language completely controls how we think. This idea is called the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis. In his 2014 book, The Language Hoax, he says that language does influence our thoughts a tiny bit. And culture is shown through language. But he believes language itself does not create different ways of thinking. It does not decide how we see the world.
Language Skills
McWhorter speaks English, French, and Spanish very well. He also knows some Russian and a few other languages.
Views on Society and Politics
McWhorter calls himself a "cranky liberal Democrat." This means he generally supports the Democratic Party. But he also has some different ideas. For example, he doesn't always agree with common ideas about Civil Rights. But he supports things like gay marriage and opposes the War on Drugs. He also sees African American Vernacular English as a proper way of speaking.
He has said that the Manhattan Institute, where he worked, welcomes Democrats. McWhorter is also a regular guest on The Glenn Show. This is a podcast about current events.
Views on Racism
In 2001, McWhorter wrote that the attitudes of some Black people, not just white racism, were holding African Americans back. He said that ideas like focusing on being a victim, wanting to be separate, and not valuing education were problems. He also said that white people should not excuse bad behavior just because it comes from Black people.
Racism and Technology
McWhorter believes that computer programs, called algorithms, cannot be racist on their own. This is because they don't have feelings or intentions like humans do. If a program seems to treat people of different backgrounds unfairly, he thinks it's a mistake in the code. He sees it as a "bug" that needs to be fixed. He doesn't see it as racism unless the people who made the program meant for it to be unfair.
Race and Education
McWhorter has shared his thoughts on education. He has criticized some educators who focus heavily on activism.
He has also talked about critical race theory in schools. This theory looks at how race and racism have shaped laws and society. McWhorter says that critical race theory itself is not usually taught to young children. But he worries that some teaching influenced by it might be too simple for kids. He thinks it might not lead to helpful discussions.
McWhorter believes that programs like affirmative action should help people based on their economic background, not just their race. Affirmative action aims to help groups who have faced discrimination.
Views on Anti-Racism
McWhorter has said that some forms of anti-racism have become as harmful as racism itself in the United States. Anti-racism is the act of actively working against racism. He has criticized the term "microaggression." This term refers to small, everyday actions or words that can be hurtful to minority groups. He also thinks that people too easily mix up small biases with serious white supremacy.
As early as 2018, McWhorter described anti-racism as being like a "religious movement."
Woke Racism
In his 2021 book, Woke Racism, McWhorter expands on these ideas. He argues that a certain type of anti-racism is like a religion. He calls it "Electism." In this "religion," he says, "white privilege" is seen as a kind of "original sin." He compares books like White Fragility to religious texts.
McWhorter believes that this "religious" way of thinking explains why some people act the way they do. He advises that since this way of thinking is like a faith, arguing with its followers is not helpful. Instead, he suggests focusing on real actions to fight racism. He proposes three main ideas:
- Ending the war on drugs.
- Teaching children to read using phonics, especially those who don't have many books at home.
- Offering free vocational education. This type of education teaches practical skills for jobs. He believes not everyone needs a four-year college degree to succeed.
McWhorter has also shown some support for reparations for African Americans. This means giving money or other forms of payment to make up for past wrongs. He especially supports it for those whose families were affected by redlining. Redlining was a practice that made it hard for Black people to buy homes in certain areas.
Personal Life
John McWhorter separated from his wife in 2019. He has two daughters. He enjoys playing the piano and has been in musical theater shows. McWhorter is an atheist, meaning he does not believe in God.
Images for kids
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McWhorter in 2017
