"We've never been a 'show your papers' country." *stares in African American history* #Blackademics #EduSky

Out today: THE CROWN'S SILENCE I'm delighted to share that my new book is officially out! It traces the British monarchy's involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial slavery over hundreds of years. Please buy a copy, tell your library, & spread the word. bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

Who knew AI had feelings? 🙄 The responses are *chef’s kiss*

Historians! We’ve gotta stay motivated. Keep bringing your expertise to the public. It’s imperative.

None of this is ok.

I’ve got my copy. How about you? #fearandfury #berniegoetz #nyc @historianheather.bsky.social

It’s so cold but there are tens of thousands of people out here

M I N N E A P O L I S #strike

I thought he said he was going to support the protesters.

It boils down to this: They want the founding without the violence that made it possible.

Videos show dozens of incidents of immigration agents using life-threatening tactics. In nearly 20 cases, agents appear to use neck restraints that the Department of Homeland Security prohibits unless there is a threat of deadly or serious harm.

This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars

They’re traumatizing children. This is so damned inhumane.

Late to the game but he got there. Pressure works, people. Keep calling your reps and senators. Not another dime for these goons.

Fiona Hill is brilliant. This interview with her is worth reading to understand where things stand between the US & world & where it is likely headed. It’s not just about the U.K. www.newstatesman.com/internationa...

Historians! We’ve gotta stay motivated. Keep bringing your expertise to the public. It’s imperative.

Today's writing haul: 1700 words. ✍️ 🗃️

I remain baffled that Democrats think they need to make grocery prices a central part of their message. We already know the prices are high and we already know who to blame. You don't need to pile on here. Why don't you shine a light on the problems that *aren't* in our faces every single day?

Every time Trump breaks the clear letter of the law, the NYT and WaPo write a story about how he’s “pushing boundaries” or “testing the limits of his authority” He's not Chuck Yeager, guys. He's a crook.

"Many of the people who supported us in Selma, in Birmingham, were outraged towards the extremist behavior towards [Black people] but they were not then, and are not now, committed to genuine equality for" Black people. Worth watching all of it of course.

Shameful.

Writing, writing, writing. #amwriting

Finally got my copy. Thanks @uncpress.bsky.social

She’s a delight. 😒

How it started/how it's going

For your holiday weekend reading & reflection, here’s my 259th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books from the past week. Add more below, share as widely as possible, & solidarity, all! 🗃️ blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

The Madness of King Trump

Are twenty pages of single-spaced notes enough (already) to write a chapter? This is a rhetorical question.

He got a hand me down Nobel like he got his inheritance—he didn’t earn it.

Release the Epstein files.

They're also famous these days for refusing to accept Indian tribal IDs. Indigenous actor Elaine Miles of Northern Exposure says a masked agent dismissed her Umatilla tribe ID as "fake" and that both her uncle and her son had also been stopped by agents who refused to accept their tribal ID. /4

I hope the book continues to be of service in the ongoing fight for racial justice.

Senate Democrats absolutely have to shut the govt down to stop this ICE insanity in the Twin Cities. This is not sustainable & cannot be normalized. Any Democratic vote to provide money to the thugs who are brutalizing this community is a grave betrayal to the people here. Accountability can't wait.

Second edition. That’s what’s up. Out February 2026. #monuments #booktok #readbannedbooks @uncpress.bsky.social

“Maybe by telling my story — something I was afraid to do for a long time — kids will have a better understanding about what the civil rights movement was about.”🗃️

A Black man was killed by ICE (off duty) in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve. And like Renée Good, he was an American citizen. But most people have not heard about Keith Porter. I need y’all to realize this. Black people experience this lack of visibility all the time when it comes to being victims.

Writing an endorsement for a book, if done with care, is more than a so-called “blurb.” It requires time and finesse. I want to do justice by an author because that’s what I’d want. #booksky

Thinking about this song tonight. Love me some Dinah Shore. #jazzsky youtu.be/cj7qdWdol_c?...

The film “Sinners" is on the short list for the Oscars. It has also received a number of Grammy nominations. And one of the stars of the film is the blues legend Buddy Guy. NPR’s Scott Simon speaks with Buddy Guy. #JazzSky #JazzMusic #Jazz #Music www.npr.org/2026/01/10/n...

I have some congresspeople who follow me, so I'll just throw this out there: As a taxpayer, I would actually prefer that you *not* continue to fund the fascist military machine that is being used to kill and kidnap people from our communities.

I cannot shake what happened yesterday. I have a hard time putting into words. Her name was Renee Nicole Good. Say it. www.nytimes.com/video/us/100...

I reshared @siembranc.bsky.social's excellent toolkit "How We Dealt with Border Patrol" in NC just this morning in my newsletter before this horrible killing. It's worth people reading and then acting on: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

I hope I live long enough to see the people in this administration held accountable for the damage, and death, that they've caused.

"Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” her mother said. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.” www.startribune.com/she-was-an-a...

Jacob Frey: "To ICE -- get the fuck out of Minneapolis"

It is a sad fact—but a fact nonetheless—that we have in the White House a fundamentally anti-American administration.

Current events & the Jan 6 anniversary have prompted people to say this is the "new" Lost Cause. As someone whose research on the LC is exhaustive, I can tell you this: it is a shape-shifting racist narrative--useful in the late 19thc., then again at mid-20thc., and again from Reagan to Trump.

Not new. Just adapted to the moment as has been the case since the end of the Civil War.

The current flu out there is seriously brutal. Everybody needs to be vaccinated against flu and COVID-19 too—no matter what propaganda is being spread by RFK Jr. When the health secretary gives medical advice, get a second opinion.

Watch this when you can.