Young people stepping up and calling this moment for what it is, is the best thing on the interwebs today.

Law is not a neutral or static force; it is a tool used to maintain power and shape hierarchies. Systems of control that disproportionately affect marginalized communities, particularly communities of color, should challenge us to think critically about the law, and concepts of legal and illegal.

It’s the last day of #SunshineWeek — and we’ve got something sweet to serve! Our Sweet Tea w/Transparency site, our toolkit for government transparency in southern states, just got an update!

What is ICWA? Why is it important? Link to Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mlO...

Families of color are often targeted under the Child Welfare system, in particular there has been an disproportionate amount of Native families losing parental rights compared to others. This graph shows the discrepancies between Indigenous families and other families www.hrw.org/news/2022/11...

Prison Abolition, A World without Prisons Upending our current system and putting the needs of those who are harmed first. Right now prisons are used too often for dealing with the inequalities and problems that our health, welfare, education and employment systems aren't solving.

(1/3) What is DEI and why is meritocracy so bad? In the presentation below, I go into what DEI is, what it means for people, and how merit-based systems simply do not work because of structural inequalities in America. #DEI #Meritocracy

5/6 Immigration is often a hot topic in our current society and politics; impacting how immigrants are viewed and law is used to prevent them from succeeding in their attempt to look for a better life. Recent executive orders and bills proposed challenge the role law plays in immigration.

Good evening everybody, Today I wanted to write about a concept we talked about in class called carceral creep. It reminded me of an issue that happens often in games that I have played and I think that the comparison would help new people access this topic of conversation. (1/3)

In the 70s & 80s, feminists connected violence against women to a critique of state violence. Emily Thuma @haymarketbooks.org traces how this anti-carceral feminism got hijacked by tough-on-crime lawmakers—then revived in the modern prison abolition movement.

Must read: Mahmoud Khalil speaks out for the first time since his arrest by the Trump administration in an exclusive letter, dictated over the phone to his family, from ICE detention in Louisiana.

Settlercolonialism has been a hot topic for years, but it isn’t a thing of the past, it shapes the world we live in today. The effects of land loss and systemic inequalities are still felt by indigenous communities everyday. #Decolonize

What defines America? How do the lasting effects of settler colonialism and racial capitalism shape the society? I created this post to highlight how these systems were presented in the world, influencing economic and social structures. #UWTREAL

Racialized policies and laws can be found throughout history. Scott Michaelsen shows the connection with Japanese internment and the Patriot Act and how they led to the border policies of today. Steven Salaita argues that the Palestine exception to free speech shows it's functionality. -CME

For @truthout.org I wrote about Mahmoud Khalil’s detention, how Trump is capitalizing on the normalization of incarcerating immigrants to enforce his creeping fascist agenda, and why this moment calls for us to bridge across our movements for social change. truthout.org/articles/kha...

What is the exception to free speech for Palestine? How can we, as individuals, help support Palestine? I’ve created this post to spread awareness on this issue and share knowledge of how you can help. #UWTREAL

Did you know that 80% of the world’s biodiversity is on indigenous lands? Indigenous stewardship serves as an example for how we can heal our broken relationship with the natural world. It serves as an act of resistance against environmental racism and capitalist exploitation.

The prison abolition movement argues that incarceration harms society more than it helps society, and that our system for dealing with those that break the law needs to fundamentally change away from incarceration.

Good Evening everyone, Today I wanted to present to you all a discussion on the concept of the prison nation. We had a really good discussion in class and I figured that it would be beneficial for more people to be aware about. (1/2)

In our class, we learned about how Black women are treated in the criminal justice system based on author Richie’s 2012 novel “Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America’s Prison Nation. How are black women targeted in these prisons, and how can we change the cycle #ArrestedJustice

Fast fashion in Bangladesh is a case study in racial capitalism and in resistance. As a student watching student-led protests in Bangladesh, this story reminds me of the key role young people play in demanding social progress.

Economic and social exclusion doesn't just hurt individuals — it holds entire communities back. We need to prioritize equitable access to education and create an inclusive society where financial stability is a right, not a privilege.

“The interface between violence against women law enforcement intervention, the use of technology, the boundary between citizen rights and institutional policies, and the creation of laws to regulate the above collided” - Beth E. Richie shows the realities and complexities of the US criminal system.

I interned at OIG and got to see first hand the great work they are doing. It really showed me that even though we don’t always see it, change is happening when you put good people and institutions in place. Change doesn't happen overnight; it takes hard work from professionals to get it done.

The 3 pronged Seattle police accountability system. It not only identifies problems on an individual level but a departmental level offering solutions to problems through community input and empirical evidence. By creating oversight a safer community is born by continuously making change.

Hadi Khoshneviss has done excellent research on what resistance means and how it relates to the U.S. government's surveillance of MENA groups. What does this mean? Let’s learn! #UWTREAL #MENA

Ian shows how laws & whiteness created the racialist institutions we have today. Common knowledge is the science courts of the past used to understand who was not white. In whiteness as property, we saw how the law constructed race and in doing so made whites superior to non-whites in the US.

The idea of Elastic Empire by @lbhungalia.bsky.social stood out to me the most— elastic implying the US empire stretching and expanding more and more— does this foreshadow the future of the US empire whose elasticity will reach the point of breaking/popping?

Neoliberalism and authoritarianism feed off each other. As democracy erodes, lawyers must step up to challenge the systems that feed these twin crises — in the U.S. and beyond. We've compiled so many resources for you as you face these challenges. buff.ly/IxDiYd6

(1/3) Let's talk about settler colonialism and how it shaped what the United States is today. To illustrate this, I would like to turn your attention to the Lakota people, who were mistreated at the hands of the US government and still have not had some of their most sacred lands returned to them.

(1/2)Settler colonialism is a worldwide issue in which racial hierarchy and legal frameworks cooperate to displace Indigenous communities and establish settler dominance. According to Bhungalia, the law frequently serves as a means of marginalizing Indigenous groups and defending against land theft

(1/3) USA settler militarism is the systematic transfer of land from Indigenous ppl to military control (J. Nebolon). Settlers use big 🔫 & troops to uproot Indigenous ways of life. They impose their foreign laws to steal land. 30% of Guam was stolen for the "public good." img: linktr.ee/hitalitekyan

It is necessary to understand the impact of set racial hierarchy; which as the root of racial capitalism, this system ensures minorities benefit white folks. As a result, POC are forced to navigate a system that enforces restrictions and limits access to resources needed to succeed.

Racial capitalism in urban studies: From spaces of victimisation to spaces of benefit #CriticalCommentary by Jason Hackworth and @docdantzler.bsky.social buff.ly/2KYwDB0 #OpenAccess #urbanisation #beneficiaries

(1/2) Today I’ll discuss one of the readings from class. “Whiteness as Property” was written by Cheryl Harris and discusses how whiteness can be more than just an identity. If you find this post interesting, be sure to give it a read! Have a wonderful night!

What shifts when we understand US as a racial empire? Reading Moon-Kie Jung’s work made it so clear that US is a (Racial) Empire State— different from a nation state— defined by racialization used to justify laws of invasion, acquisition, genocide & economic exploitation. Think Guam, PR, Hawaii… 1/3

The most basic reality of the US, that race is a political and legal category, rather than a biological one (courtesy: Dorothy Roberts) is key to understanding the legacy of racial oppression in this country— and this political moment is but the most painful & crude proof of this reality.

(1/3) Viewing Empire through a fictional lens Many authors use art to create social commentary for the world around them, today we will take a look into some of my favorite fictional worlds and how they display empire. Through this lens, we will make a connection to race and law.

(1/2) Good Afternoon everyone, today I will take a look at the concept of scientific racism. We learned about this concept in class and I believe it is one of the building blocks for many of the concepts regarding race, law, and ethnicity that we see both in past and in present.

Have you read @julietneb.bsky.social’z Settler Militarism yet?— in this the 'wartime necessity' argument used to justify extralegal tactics of seizing Hawaiian land is laid out in a compelling manner.

U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark set the latest precedent for birthright citizenship. The 14th amendment guarantees birthright citizenship and equal protection under the law. Bottom line: Threats to dismantle our constitutional rights are alarming. Knowing your rights is powerful and necessary!

Your influence goes well beyond the US when you vote, do your civic duty and help create a better world for all through democracy! Don’t forget about your local election where you and our neighbors are affected the most. You are a crucial part of making the world better by casting an informed vote!

The US economic empire was born out of WWII. The US technological and economic domination of the last century has allowed it to create an empire with around 750 military bases abroad. A combination of military and economics creates a new empire. Using US spending power to create military reliance.

Don't let it fool you the US is an empire. They follow the same formula just updated to match our globalized world. All empires have ways to project their power, are technologically dominant, and other groups of people in order to control and use them to their advantage. Image credit: Valeriia

(3/3) Changing policies or laws will not be a quick or easy process, rather one that changes over time. While there has already been progress made, with voting rights, equal opportunity, and affirmative action. However, much remains to be done to ensure equal footing for all.

(2/2) In U.S. History, repeatedly there have been examples of how the color of someone's skin determines their value and that value is perpetuated through policies and laws. First through the dispossession of Native land and later through Jim Crow Laws and Segregation.