Essential

Life in the 1900s

“We call on Emory to make substantive commitments to limit cooperation w/ federal immigration agents to the minimum required by law. We urge Emory to inform the community precisely where ICE may or may not enter without a warrant…”

— Emory AAUP

the fencing visualization system i worked on with rhizomatiks
is coming to los angeles this weekend 🤗

After building the best public education system in the world brought us the Counterculture and the Anti-War Movement, conservatives in the US began a 50+ year assault to destroy public education.

I'm excited to share that we've made a collection of historic Supreme Court Records and Briefs available via
@archive.org

I've written a blog post where I go into detail about the importance of this collection.

blog.archive.org/2026/04/20/u...

The Faculty Are the Problem, Apparently | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson Those who want to diminish the faculty’s decision-making authority, or who think universities should be run more like companies, should be careful what they wish for.

Pls read this editorial by @kirstenweld.bsky.social
about how our Provost's plan for "viewpoint diversity" hires further erodes faculty governance at my university. (And never mind "veritas"!)
8 hires--but humanities hiring generally has been frozen since 3/25.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2026...

More to read!

www.americanprogress.org/article/stab...

States Grapple With Effects of OBBBA Cuts on Higher Ed New report shows colleges and universities could suffer as states move to compensate for lost SNAP and Medicaid funding. How much depends on individual states’ policies and priorities.

I'm quoted in this article looking at a report on state higher ed funding effort heading into challenging times. It gives me flashbacks to Great Recession-era proposals, except for state maintenance of effort provisions not being discussed now.

We filed suit against the Trump administration (again) today to block the implementation of an unlawful executive order that seeks to undermine inclusion & equal opportunity, threatens government contractors w/ criminal prosecution, & chills protected speech.

These are not normal times.

The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, ev...

ProPublica obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, even nothing.

(Published 2021)

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸-𝗢𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟮𝟮𝗻𝗱, 𝟰-𝟲𝗣𝗠
This is a chance to speak out and hear about the conditions that affect our health while working at @cuny.edu. For more info & to RSVP: psc-cuny.org/calendar/hea....

Union Now Is America’s New Strike Fund - The American Prospect The new nonprofit will put money directly into the hands of workers so they can fight harder and win bigger.

It was exciting to talk to Sara Nelson and Bernie Sanders about their new plan to strengthen and expand organized labor. It's pretty straightforward: give workers money.

I share Steve’s concerns. An observation:

The Court’s immense power, such as it is, is contingent upon its at least plausibly appearing to do law. This may seem like an academic debate, but it’s literally over whether the Court is doing law or something else. That matters.

What kind of object is this?

bsky.app/profile/suny...

It's been a long time since anyone gave me a closing quote that so beautifully captured everything about a moment (and thus a column) as the way Sebastian Moore described what throwing out first pitch on Jackie Robinson Day meant to 84-year-old Al Gunn, in Syracuse. Image by Mike Greenlar:

you: please act normal Ed you need these people to like you

people: hello Ed nice to meet you

me: the British discoverer of aluminum called it “aluminum” like Americans do now and a couple of editors decided “aluminium” would be better because it matches the cadence of sodium and calcium

1/4 Are schools truly preparing students for college and careers?

We don’t fully know because we’re not tracking what happens after high school.

Feat. Khalil Shakir

Sharing this again since my last post got a bit more engagement than usual – my new book is available to read online now!

Equal On Paper As with "massive resistance" to Brown v. Board, Republicans today argue for a legal landscape where rights exist on paper but cannot be enforced.

“In the years after Brown (. . .)most states did not openly violate the ruling. Instead, they pursued what became known as “massive resistance” by closing public schools, redirecting funds to private institutions, and advancing legal theories designed to limit federal court authority.”

I finished Brooke Newman's book over the weekend. It's a compelling read backed with many kinds of historical evidence, including analysis of paintings, which I enjoyed the most. No question of the royal family's involvement in slavery and how the Crown financially profited from the institution.

Thankfully

I’m pretty sure the shot of the dude wearing a Fredonia hat in the front row came a little later

May Day Strong: Students and Workers Rise Up on May Day · Sunrise Movement Students and workers are rising up on May Day! Join us for a MASS CALL to hear how students and workers are organizing for freedom, affordability, and safety all across the country. Get the tools you...

This is going to be such a good week!

mobilize.us/s/8LQwWE

Wednesday, April 22 at 8pm ET: Join HELU, @sanders.senate.gov, @sunrisemvmt.bsky.social, @ydsa.org, @aaup.org, @ueunion.org, and more to gear up for May Day. Hear how students and workers are organizing for freedom, affordability, and safety all across the country. www.mobilize.us/sunrisemovem...

Two days to this discussion on labor rights in higher education, with two professors and union organizers from St. John's University's branch of @aaup.org, a professor at BMCC, and the vice-president of the newly recognized faculty union at @michiganstateu.bsky.social. Please join us this Tuesday!

Hoping Swayman is broken. He was the only thing keeping them in that game. That and the Sabres’ power play. That said if I was worrying about how we’d react if he shut us out.

Have to wonder if my heart is tough enough for Buffalo Sabres playoff hockey

Can we hold on for 6.2 seconds please? Every Bruins goal was kinda fluky