Dawn Durante
@dawnd.bsky.social
Editorial Director at @uncpress.bsky.social • acquiring books in history, Black studies, girlhood studies, carceral studies • H-Net's #FeedingTheElephant • real housewife of the other Orange County
Pinned
Dawn Durante
@dawnd.bsky.social
· May 30
I'm humbled and excited to share the news that I have the opportunity to lead the @uncpress.bsky.social acquisitions department in the role of Editorial Director.
With all the powerful coverage from @startribune.com about what is going on in Minnesota right now, I'm especially grateful that they created space for this piece on @drshabazzz.bsky.social's new book, PRINCE'S MINNEAPOLIS which traces the Minneapolis Sound since the city's founding.
Book shows how Prince’s sound grew out of the place he called home
Local nonfiction: “Prince’s Minneapolis” traces the Minneapolis sound all the way back to the founding of the city.
www.startribune.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:51 PM
With all the powerful coverage from @startribune.com about what is going on in Minnesota right now, I'm especially grateful that they created space for this piece on @drshabazzz.bsky.social's new book, PRINCE'S MINNEAPOLIS which traces the Minneapolis Sound since the city's founding.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
A dresser inside a museum in New York City has been discovered as a secret stop on the Underground Railroad — the first of its kind discovered in Manhattan in over 100 years
February 11, 2026 at 3:43 AM
A dresser inside a museum in New York City has been discovered as a secret stop on the Underground Railroad — the first of its kind discovered in Manhattan in over 100 years
Reposted by Dawn Durante
I wrote a book about how Americans have remembered, forgotten, and fought over George Washington and slavery for the past 250 years. It comes out on April 7—but you can win an advance copy and read it before anyone else by entering this giveaway on Goodreads! Please share.
February 9, 2026 at 12:16 PM
I wrote a book about how Americans have remembered, forgotten, and fought over George Washington and slavery for the past 250 years. It comes out on April 7—but you can win an advance copy and read it before anyone else by entering this giveaway on Goodreads! Please share.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
February 9, 2026 at 12:25 PM
1/ ProPublica collected handwritten letters in mid-January from children held at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center, the same facility where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was taken.
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Hundreds of kids are still detained.
We’ll let the children’s words speak for themselves. 🧵
Reposted by Dawn Durante
"The clearest, most accessible account of the scandal ever written. . . . a strong case that Iran-Contra matters now more than ever."
Check out this review of THE BREACH by Alan McPherson in @nacla-report.bsky.social
nacla.org/the-breach-i...
Check out this review of THE BREACH by Alan McPherson in @nacla-report.bsky.social
nacla.org/the-breach-i...
The Breach: Iran-Contra and the Assault on American Democracy (Review)
Alan McPherson’s book treats the Iran-Contra affair as a turning point in U.S. history which normalized the erosion of key democratic principles and helped birth our current (dis)order.
nacla.org
February 9, 2026 at 8:13 PM
"The clearest, most accessible account of the scandal ever written. . . . a strong case that Iran-Contra matters now more than ever."
Check out this review of THE BREACH by Alan McPherson in @nacla-report.bsky.social
nacla.org/the-breach-i...
Check out this review of THE BREACH by Alan McPherson in @nacla-report.bsky.social
nacla.org/the-breach-i...
When libraries get good news, that is good news for everyone. Library support is community support. #FundLibraries
New: Thanks to advocates from across the country, library funding was not only included in the FY26 federal budget, it was increased. Your advocacy made a difference for libraries!
Share your appreciation for the library funding measures: app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-pag... #FundLibraries
Share your appreciation for the library funding measures: app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-pag... #FundLibraries
February 9, 2026 at 4:20 PM
When libraries get good news, that is good news for everyone. Library support is community support. #FundLibraries
With all the pieces coming out about the big game's halftime show, it seems like a good day to spend some time with the #BadBunnySyllabus: www.badbunnysyllabus.com/home.
February 9, 2026 at 3:10 PM
With all the pieces coming out about the big game's halftime show, it seems like a good day to spend some time with the #BadBunnySyllabus: www.badbunnysyllabus.com/home.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
This is the thing the cultural commodity spectacle of Super Bowl Sunday requires we bracket: the sport is predicated on human sacrifice.
The players you watch today are being killed in front you, slowly, whether it looks like it or not.
And the NFL can only get away with it because *we* watch.
The players you watch today are being killed in front you, slowly, whether it looks like it or not.
And the NFL can only get away with it because *we* watch.
no matter how hard you twist and turn to justify it, tackle football will never be an ethical form of commodity spectacle
February 8, 2026 at 7:32 PM
This is the thing the cultural commodity spectacle of Super Bowl Sunday requires we bracket: the sport is predicated on human sacrifice.
The players you watch today are being killed in front you, slowly, whether it looks like it or not.
And the NFL can only get away with it because *we* watch.
The players you watch today are being killed in front you, slowly, whether it looks like it or not.
And the NFL can only get away with it because *we* watch.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
ICE has grabbed so many people from their vehicles that there are abandoned cars across Minnesota.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
Twin Cities tow truck driver returns abandoned vehicles to families after ICE arrests
Juan Leon sends a "chase" car to check out where abandoned vehicles are located and arranges discreet drop-offs. Since late December, he estimated they have dropped off 250 cars.
www.cbsnews.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:30 AM
ICE has grabbed so many people from their vehicles that there are abandoned cars across Minnesota.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
This tow truck driver returns the cars for free as a public service, and he’s been getting death threats.
They hate the helpers.
Which is why must keep helping.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
“You need only know this: Whatever is happening with your data, it is important enough to the most egregiously lawless administration in American history that it be collected and consolidated.” Always read @tressiemcphd.bsky.social (gift link)
Opinion | Democracy Dies by Database
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:19 PM
“You need only know this: Whatever is happening with your data, it is important enough to the most egregiously lawless administration in American history that it be collected and consolidated.” Always read @tressiemcphd.bsky.social (gift link)
Reposted by Dawn Durante
“In just a few weeks, the United States reported four times as many cases than typically seen throughout an entire calendar year, the CDC said… Declining vaccination rates have left approximately 300,000 kindergarteners unprotected from measles infection.” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social
4 times as many measles cases in a few weeks than US typically averages in a whole year: CDC
It comes as South Carolina is dealing with the largest outbreak recorded since measles was declared eliminated within the U.S. in 2000.
abcnews.go.com
February 7, 2026 at 7:10 PM
“In just a few weeks, the United States reported four times as many cases than typically seen throughout an entire calendar year, the CDC said… Declining vaccination rates have left approximately 300,000 kindergarteners unprotected from measles infection.” @jackiantonovich.bsky.social
Reposted by Dawn Durante
This is Maria, a 6-year-old detained by ICE last year.
She began to unravel soon after arriving at a detention center in Texas, wetting the bed after years without accidents, crying through the night and begging to breastfeed again.
Most of all, she wanted to be reunited with her cat, Milo. 1/
She began to unravel soon after arriving at a detention center in Texas, wetting the bed after years without accidents, crying through the night and begging to breastfeed again.
Most of all, she wanted to be reunited with her cat, Milo. 1/
February 6, 2026 at 6:25 PM
This is Maria, a 6-year-old detained by ICE last year.
She began to unravel soon after arriving at a detention center in Texas, wetting the bed after years without accidents, crying through the night and begging to breastfeed again.
Most of all, she wanted to be reunited with her cat, Milo. 1/
She began to unravel soon after arriving at a detention center in Texas, wetting the bed after years without accidents, crying through the night and begging to breastfeed again.
Most of all, she wanted to be reunited with her cat, Milo. 1/
Reposted by Dawn Durante
I read this not too long ago:
February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I read this not too long ago:
Reposted by Dawn Durante
What happens when the power grid fails & you rely on electricity to survive?
Angela Frederick's "Disabled Power" examines how disabled Texans navigated Winter Storm Uri—and why individual preparedness isn't enough when infrastructure collapses.
Read about it on @grist.org:
Angela Frederick's "Disabled Power" examines how disabled Texans navigated Winter Storm Uri—and why individual preparedness isn't enough when infrastructure collapses.
Read about it on @grist.org:
What a crumbling power grid means for disabled Americans
Angela Frederick’s new book calls to put disability at the center of disaster planning.
buff.ly
January 6, 2026 at 7:01 PM
What happens when the power grid fails & you rely on electricity to survive?
Angela Frederick's "Disabled Power" examines how disabled Texans navigated Winter Storm Uri—and why individual preparedness isn't enough when infrastructure collapses.
Read about it on @grist.org:
Angela Frederick's "Disabled Power" examines how disabled Texans navigated Winter Storm Uri—and why individual preparedness isn't enough when infrastructure collapses.
Read about it on @grist.org:
Reposted by Dawn Durante
It’s me (again)
AASLH's John Garrison Marks believes that despite all the chaos in the history world lately the 250th can be a transformative moment for how Americans understand history and its relevance.
Why I’m Still Excited about the U.S. 250th
250 and Beyond is a monthly newsletter that is sent to AASLH members each month, and will be published through June of this year. Become a member to receive future issues of the newsletter.
Why I’m Still Excited about the U.S. 250th
By John Garrison Marks, Vice President of Research & Engagement
We’ve officially arrived in 2026, the
aaslh.org
February 7, 2026 at 12:09 AM
It’s me (again)
Reposted by Dawn Durante
VICTORY: A federal district court judge ordered UNC to lift campus bans for protesters involved in an encampment in spring 2024.
Read more here:
https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/press-releases/judge-orders-unc-to-list-campus-bans-for-protesters/
Read more here:
https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/press-releases/judge-orders-unc-to-list-campus-bans-for-protesters/
Judge Orders UNC to List Campus Bans for Protesters
www.acluofnorthcarolina.org
February 6, 2026 at 6:30 PM
VICTORY: A federal district court judge ordered UNC to lift campus bans for protesters involved in an encampment in spring 2024.
Read more here:
https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/press-releases/judge-orders-unc-to-list-campus-bans-for-protesters/
Read more here:
https://www.acluofnorthcarolina.org/press-releases/judge-orders-unc-to-list-campus-bans-for-protesters/
My kindergartener just called me ***coworker*** and I think that is a definitive sign there have been too many snow/remote learning days in the last two weeks.
February 6, 2026 at 10:37 PM
My kindergartener just called me ***coworker*** and I think that is a definitive sign there have been too many snow/remote learning days in the last two weeks.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
AAUP President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement in response to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's Executive Order issued today immediately eliminating academic tenure at the state’s public regional universities and community colleges.
AAUP President on the Elimination of Tenure at Oklahoma Regional Universities and Community Colleges.
WASHINGTON—AAUP President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement in response to the Governor of Oklahoma’s signing of Executive Order 2026-07, which immediately eliminates the conferral of academ...
www.aaup.org
February 6, 2026 at 12:40 AM
AAUP President Todd Wolfson issued the following statement in response to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's Executive Order issued today immediately eliminating academic tenure at the state’s public regional universities and community colleges.
@publisherswkly.bsky.social on @drshabazz.bsky.social’s PRINCE’S MINNEAPOLIS (@uncpress.bsky.social) as a book that celebrates Black history: “Shabazz analyzes Prince’s life, career, and discography, showing how it was intrinsically shaped by Minneapolis, and shaped Minneapolis in turn.”
10 Books that Celebrate Black History
Among the new books hitting the shelves for Black History Month are two novels about the legacy of Black American soldiers in WWII, works of history that trace the fight for freedom and justice, and b...
www.publishersweekly.com
February 6, 2026 at 10:42 AM
@publisherswkly.bsky.social on @drshabazz.bsky.social’s PRINCE’S MINNEAPOLIS (@uncpress.bsky.social) as a book that celebrates Black history: “Shabazz analyzes Prince’s life, career, and discography, showing how it was intrinsically shaped by Minneapolis, and shaped Minneapolis in turn.”
Reposted by Dawn Durante
When I think about measles I think about the number 1,000. Thats the number that epidemiologists use to explain harm from measles in children. With 1,000 cases, about 200 children will require hospitalization, 50 will develop pneumonia, and one to three will die.
South Carolina is at 789.
South Carolina is at 789.
January 28, 2026 at 3:11 PM
When I think about measles I think about the number 1,000. Thats the number that epidemiologists use to explain harm from measles in children. With 1,000 cases, about 200 children will require hospitalization, 50 will develop pneumonia, and one to three will die.
South Carolina is at 789.
South Carolina is at 789.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
This is a huge win for higher ed! Unfortunately, many institutions complied in advance and already folded many of their DEI efforts. This is an example of why it’s so important to resist until there is no other option. Most of the programs that were terminated won’t be resurrected. What a loss.
"After a lawsuit and a defeat in court, however, the Trump administration says it is dropping the matter entirely."
Trump letter banning DEI in schools is dead after legal appeal is dropped
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump letter banning DEI in schools is dead after legal appeal is dropped
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump letter banning DEI in schools is dead after legal appeal is dropped
The Education Department said it would accept a federal judge’s order killing guidance issued by the Trump administration in February on civil rights law.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 29, 2026 at 8:36 PM
This is a huge win for higher ed! Unfortunately, many institutions complied in advance and already folded many of their DEI efforts. This is an example of why it’s so important to resist until there is no other option. Most of the programs that were terminated won’t be resurrected. What a loss.
Reposted by Dawn Durante
Next Thursday February 5 at 6:30, in person AT the SCHOMBURG Center, we're going to have a powerful conversation on the history of political repression and police violence and Black organizing against it. Please join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/policing-b...
Policing Blackness: Resisting Repression, Police Violence, and Surveillance
CBFS: Scholars discuss the history and effects of American policing as it relates to Blackness. An in-person event.
www.eventbrite.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Next Thursday February 5 at 6:30, in person AT the SCHOMBURG Center, we're going to have a powerful conversation on the history of political repression and police violence and Black organizing against it. Please join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/policing-b...
Reposted by Dawn Durante
thanks to everyone who came to the meeting! a reminder, too, that PAGES members have a standing invitation to review our book selections for #FeedingTheElephant, so if you'd like to review BLACK FEMINIST WRITING, please do get in touch!
We had a fabulous time at our May PAGES meeting yesterday! Thanks all who joined us. We look forward to seeing you again next time, more details to come on our next PAGES meeting.
Happy long weekend!
Happy long weekend!
May 23, 2025 at 3:07 PM
thanks to everyone who came to the meeting! a reminder, too, that PAGES members have a standing invitation to review our book selections for #FeedingTheElephant, so if you'd like to review BLACK FEMINIST WRITING, please do get in touch!
Reposted by Dawn Durante
Great episode with @mfkantor.bsky.social, author of DARE TO SAY NO: Policing and the War on Drugs in Schools 👏
Dear @feministkelly.bsky.social
Thank you for this interview on the history of D.A.R.E!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
@uncpress.bsky.social
Thank you for this interview on the history of D.A.R.E!
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/u...
@uncpress.bsky.social
The History of DARE
Podcast Episode · Unsung History · 04/08/2024 · 45m
podcasts.apple.com
January 26, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Great episode with @mfkantor.bsky.social, author of DARE TO SAY NO: Policing and the War on Drugs in Schools 👏
Reposted by Dawn Durante
I know I don't have a ton of media followers, but I'll put this out there anyway: if you need someone to comment/offer context on the removal of the slavery exhibit at the President's House site in Philly, get in touch. I just finished an entire book on Americans' fight over Washington and slavery.
January 23, 2026 at 12:04 AM
I know I don't have a ton of media followers, but I'll put this out there anyway: if you need someone to comment/offer context on the removal of the slavery exhibit at the President's House site in Philly, get in touch. I just finished an entire book on Americans' fight over Washington and slavery.