ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a survey of the journal American Speech from its inception in 1925 to 2017 using a Critical Race Theory, Black feminist, intersectionality lens in order to critique the status quo of (a) American language variation/change and sociolinguistic research and researchers as White, heterosexual, and male (WHAM), and (b) African American Language research as African American, heterosexual, and male (AAHAM), to demonstrate the need for more critical, and intersectional American language variation/change and sociolinguistic research addressing more complex, diverse, and inclusive questions around language and identity as well as interrogating researcher identities and their subjectivities. The survey of American Speech revealed that most of the participants and researchers are WHAMs. Even when they are not WHAMs, they are male people of color, or POCs. When POCs and women of color, that is to say not WHAMs, engage in research and research their own communities, it is not only more representative of humanity but also broadens our understanding of all of humanity from multiple perspectives. Suggestions for redress include diversifying research and researchers, acknowledging researcher subjectivities and their impact on research methods and methodologies, and using interdisciplinary research and research methods and methodologies to address complex and fluid questions.
