Speaking my Soul: Race, Life and Language

Summary

Speaking My Soul is the honest story of linguist John R. Rickford's life from his early years as the youngest of ten children in Guyana to his status as Emeritus Professor of Linguistics at Stanford, of the transformation of his identity from colored or mixed race in Guyana to black in the USA, and of his work championing Black Talk and its speakers.

In this engaging memoir, Rickford recalls landmark events for his racial identity like being elected president of the Black Student Association at the U of California, Santa Cruz; learning from black expeditions to the South Carolina Sea Islands, Jamaica, Belize, and Ghana; and meeting or interviewing civil rights icons like Huey P. Newton, Rosa Parks, and South African Dennis Brutus. He worked with Rachel Jeantel, Trayvon Martin's friend and key witness in the trial of George Zimmerman for his murder. Zimmerman's exoneration sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.

This is the account of a former director of African and African American studies whose work has increased our understanding of the richness of African American language and our awareness of the education and criminal justice challenges facing African-Americans. It is key for students and faculty in linguistics, mixed-race studies, African American studies, and social justice.