Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 13h

Teaching today in HC 444:

Toni Cade Bambara, "Preface" from The Black Woman (1970)

Combahee River Collective, "A Black Feminist Statement" (1977)

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 13h

Teaching today in HC 101:

Paul Laurence Dunbar, "Douglass" (1903)

Robert Hayden, "Frederick Douglass" (1947)

Langston Hughes, "Frederick Douglass: 1817-1895" (1966)

Evie Shockley, "from The Lost Letters of Frederick Douglass" (2011)

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 16h

Earlier this year, I finally got the opportunity to do a broadcast with Subrina. She had her own show, CinnCinne Goes SyFy, where she'd pick a movie talk, in depth.

We chose Wandering Earth 2 as our movie.

I had so much fun, just trying to keep up with her.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQtG...

CinneCine Goes SyFy | The Wandering Earth 2 | Ep 2.01 | Guest Prof. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein

YouTube video by SyFy Sistas Inc.

www.youtube.com

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 16h

Today I want to write some appreciation of the one and only Subrina Wood, our Afronaut who is now far beyond the stars.

I met Subrina because she is 1/4 of @syfysistas.bsky.social, which is a barrier-breaking podcast/production company featuring Black women and friends celebrating sci fi.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 1d

I’ve spent a lot of this evening in tears because my friend Subrina has joined the ancestors.

May she rest in power. I’ll be writing more later. But for now, my thoughts are with her family, her SyFy Sistas, and all my fellow #Trekkies who were impacted by her brilliant presence.

Two smiling women standing next to a poster in a convention settings

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 16h

I’m so sorry for your loss. Sending hugs.

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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 17h

ASKS in LA

1) Join our campaign and write a letter to the Presidents of the UL System and SLU in support of Dr. Emami.

2) Donate to Professor Ken Levy's GoFundMe.

3) Let us know if you hear of any incidents where academic freedom is under attack in Louisiana.
www.la-cac.org/threats-to-a...

THREATS TO ACADEMIC FREEDOM | Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship

Louisiana has recently seen an alarming increase in both direct and indirect censorship of university professors and students. Protecting academic freedom is central to protecting democracy. Find out ...

www.la-cac.org

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Deborah McDowell @dem8z.bsky.social · 1d

PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!

The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/

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Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 2d

portland continues to serve up a protest that confuses the feds and totally disrupts the false narrative they're pushing via propaganda channels...

The Oregonian @oregonian.com · 2d

“We’re cold, but not as cold as ICE,” said a sign on one rider’s back.

Portland cyclists strip down in pouring rain to protest ICE facility and Trump troop deployment

“We’re cold, but not as cold as ICE,” said a sign on one rider’s back.

www.oregonlive.com

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 2d

Pretty effective for pant hems.

I’m not too proud to admit that I know from experience that a hair flat iron works well too.

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Capital B @capitalb.bsky.social · 2d

We write the untold stories of Black America. Sign up for our free newsletters to read them each week.

Newsletters

We write the untold stories of Black America. Sign up now for Capital B's national, Atlanta, Gary and Everything's Politics newsletter emails.

capitalbnews.org

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Ricardo Levins Morales Art Studio @rlmartstudio.bsky.social · 2d

This week in 1988: 1,000+ ACT UP demonstrators shut down the FDA headquarters, demanding (and eventually winning) action on developing HIV/AIDS treatments. ACT UP's militant and creative actions always included powerful visual artwork, and paved the way for movements in the decades to come.

A photograph from the 1988 ACT UP demonstration outside the FDA. Many people are participating in a die-in on the front steps, holding mock tombstones with messages like "RIP - killed by the FDA" and "Dead from lack of drugs." A line of police officers (some with classic 80s mustaches) wearing riot helmets stands between them and the building; one cop wearing white gloves is walking through the demonstrators. Affixed to the 2nd story windows of the building is a series of posters and a large blank banner reading Silence = Death.

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Zohran Kwame Mamdani @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social · 3d

It’s pronounced cyclist.

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Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 3d

I’m not trying to give @pbs.org ideas for raising money—but I am. I would buy women’s fit T-shirts of all my favorite childhood shows. Reading rainbow, 321 contact, square one, zoobiliee zoo. I feel like two generations will run to donate even more money for shirts with Levar Burton on them…

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Mike Stabile @mikestabile.bsky.social · 3d

There are few more chilling phrases than “Children’s Detention Center.”

LongTime🤓FirstTime👨‍💻 @longtimehistory.bsky.social · 3d

ICE secretly kidnap autistic boy during bathroom break—never notify parents.

Mother reported him missing a week ago—turns out ICE had him detained the whole time.

He was helping sell fruit and asked to go to the restroom—by the time she was done helping a customer he was gone.

Houston, Texas

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Angie Rasmussen @angierasmussen.bsky.social · 3d

For more information about the Friday night massacre at CDC, I wrote up an analysis of who got terminated and what that means for public health.

Grateful to @saveamericamvmt.bsky.social for supporting and amplifying. We are in really terrible trouble.

rasmussenretorts.substack.com/p/the-death-...

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 3d

www.torchliteraryarts.org/post/october...

October 2025 Feature: Patricia Spears Jones

Patricia Spears Jones is a celebrated poet, playwright, and educator. She served as the New York Poet Laureate from 2023-2025.Arkansas-born Patricia Spears Jones has lived and worked in New York City ...

www.torchliteraryarts.org

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NightMar on Hicks Street, Part 4: The Rabbit’s Revenge @histoftech.bsky.social · 4d

The Virginia Senate just told UVA it’s not getting state funding if it accepts the compact since UVA exists to serve Virginia, its residents, & their interests—not be a tool of the federal govt. Scoop from our student newspaper, who’ve been doing vital reporting www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025...

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dr. caitlin m. green @caitlinmoriah.bsky.social · 5d

there are SO many more inflatable costumes tonight. clearly we have settled on a motif

Wide shot of many people in inflatable costumes

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 4d

Oh what wonderful news! Congratulations. ✨📚✨

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers @blklibrarygirl.bsky.social · 5d

Remember when I said something nice was coming today? Well: I was asked to write the introduction to the new edition of Toni Morrison’s BELOVED! I’m so honored and happy! Here’s the new cover—that’s my name down at the bottom!!!!

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Rebecca Colesworthy @rcolesworthy.bsky.social · 4d

🚨🚨 @utaustin.bsky.social is working to eliminate its Black studies, Latin studies, and gender studies depts -- utterly reneging on its mission and depriving students of the full educational opportunities they deserve. Please--scholars AND publishers--share & write to UT leaders. #SaveUT

UT Austin wants to eliminate its Black studies, Latino Studies, and gender studies departments. Tell them you won't stand for it.
UT President, Jim Davis, president@utexas.edu
UT Executive Vice President and Provost, William Inboden, provost@utexas.edu
College of Liberal Arts Interim Dean, David Sosa, david_sosa@austin.utexas.edu
#EducationalLiberty #SaveUT

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Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 4d

This is a new primer. It's 15 minutes and you will leave better informed.

Prisonculture @prisonculture.bsky.social · 5d

2. Libraries 101 - An audio and visual follow up to our popular zine: www.librariesforthepeople.org/resources#10...

Resources — For The People

www.librariesforthepeople.org

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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 5d

Drake lost that rap battle so badly that I wrote about it in my book about SPACE-TIME

A rap battle loss of literally cosmological proportions

Find out how by preordering a copy!!

The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: 9780593701683 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

A fresh, charming, socially conscious tour of the mysteries of space-time, from the award-winning author of The Disordered Cosmos In her highly acclaimed debut, distinguished cosmologist and particle...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 5d

www.wweek.com/culture/2025...

Can you put into words what that purpose is? You and the frog have really become icons of this protest.

There’s been a nice overall whimsy that has shown up. The frog is amazing. We had a bunch of other inflatable people here last night, too. I saw people playing Twister the other day.

What they rely on is fear. So by coming out in an absurdist manner, it speaks to them, to some extent, that we’re actually not that afraid.

It also dismantles their narrative a little bit. When they try to describe this situation as “war-torn,” it becomes much harder to take them seriously when they have to post a video saying [U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security] Kristi Noem is up on the balcony staring over the Antifa Army and it’s, like, eight journalists and five protesters and one of them is in a chicken suit.

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Courtney Thorsson @courtneythorsson.bsky.social · 5d

Can confirm.

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andré carrington @andrecarrington.bsky.social · 5d

The work continues. The world continues. New issue of Utopian Studies is out! Special Issue on AFROTOPIA feat. my review of Ekow Eshun's otherworldly《In the Black Fantastic》 #SpecList #BlackSky

Table of contents from the journal Utopian Studies

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