“You Have to Keep Fighting”: Interview with John R. Rickford

Abstract

In this interview, John R. Rickford reflects on his career working on sociolinguistics in Guyana and the United States. The interview focuses on sociolinguistics and social justice, with particular focus on the potential for linguistic expertise in legal contexts. He addresses the concept of the creole continuum, and the concept of the conflict theory of social class, advocating for the importance of both. The interview also touches on Rickford's stroke and his thoughts on disability and sociolinguistics. Rickford makes a strong case for a positive future for the field of sociolinguistics and its changing position relative to linguistics, more generally. Through personal stories both in and out of academia, Rickford's career is a shining example of how the intertwining of the personal and the political is central to a life in sociolinguistics.