John McWhorter | Time

John McWhorter

John McWhorter is an associate professor of English and comparative literature at Columbia University.

USA, Kansas, Topeka, White and Colored segregation signs

The Difference Between Racial Bias and White Supremacy

‘The rhetorical brush is being applied much too broadly’

‘The rhetorical brush is being applied much too broadly’

Eric Reid #35 and Colin Kaepernick #7 of the San Francisco 49ers kneel on the sideline, during the anthem, prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 18, 2016.

Colin Kaepernick Had No Choice but to Kneel

'We must understand what Kaepernick is protesting'

'We must understand what Kaepernick is protesting'

A Model, beauty details, walks the runway at the Marc Jacobs fashion show durin New York Fashion Week at at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on Sept. 15, 2016.

Don’t Rage Over Dreadlocks While African Americans Are Dying in the Streets

'Come on, folks—fight the real enemy'

'Come on, folks—fight the real enemy'

When engineers make racially insensitive mistakes, it doesn’t always mean they are racists

'Racist' Technology Is a Bug—Not a Crime

Why do we consider it our jobs to say that mistakes indicate 'racism'?

Why do we consider it our jobs to say that mistakes indicate 'racism'?

Ellen DeGeneres attends the UK Premiere of Finding Dory at Odeon Leicester Square in London on July 10, 2016.

Ellen DeGeneres Is Not Racist

And never has been

And never has been

Officers at Jeremy N. Henwood memorial service in San Diego.

Police Kill Too Many People—White and Black

It’s unclear whether bigotry plays a role

It’s unclear whether bigotry plays a role

Comedian Larry Wilmore speaks during the White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2016.

Stop Policing the N-Word

There’s a difference between the slur and the sign of affection

There’s a difference between the slur and the sign of affection