This article revisits the legacy of Ken Goodman, specifically his work on African American Language and reading. In this body of scholarship, Goodman and like-minded scholars entered a fray of competing interests, political agendas, and economic stakes, which continue to plague current debates about the teaching of reading. To make sense of Goodman's contribution, I briefly explore the context in which the research was conducted. I then discuss Goodman's attention to language variation and African American Language, including an illustrative study the compared the reading of elementary grade students from eight linguistic communities. I end by linking this historical body of research to current debates about the reaching of reading.