Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 7h

I just want to think up cool new courses about all kinds of things and offer students snacks from my snack drawer and tell them they can do a group quiz on quiz day and write my book and be left alone by fascists. Why is this becoming difficult?

7

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 7h

I just want to think up cool new courses about all kinds of things and offer students snacks from my snack drawer and tell them they can do a group quiz on quiz day and write my book and be left alone by fascists. Why is this becoming difficult?

1 2 29

Reposted by Lauren MacIvor Thompson

Jacqueline Antonovich @jackiantonovich.bsky.social · 8h

There is a GoFundMe for Mark Bray and his family. I've confirmed with a friend who knows them that this is legit. Please donate if you can.

"Help us leave safely" on FreeFunder

Click here to support "Help us leave safely" by Dara on FreeFunder!

www.freefunder.com

1 27 41

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 8h

Please acknowledge what is happening to American professors right now.

We do not deserve this.

8 60 280

Reposted by Lauren MacIvor Thompson

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 12h

Friends and comrades made a crowdfunding page for my family.

It’s really hard to post this. I know that there are a lot of other important issues asking for money but things have gotten to the point where we need to open ourselves up to your support.

Thank you for your consideration.

"Help us leave safely" on FreeFunder

Click here to support "Help us leave safely" by Dara on FreeFunder!

www.freefunder.com

37 660 1.5K

Reposted by Lauren MacIvor Thompson

Mary Rizzo @maryrizzo.bsky.social · 2d

What's happening to my colleague Mark Bray is disgusting. Him and his family are being doxed and getting death threats by right wing supposed "free speech" advocates bc wrote a book about anti fascism. You can't make this shit up! Our universities must fight back.

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 5d

I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’

I have been forced to move my classes online.

If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.

5 68 210

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 4d

This story has gripped me. I just shared the GoFundMe all over the place in all the groups I'm in. I really want to help out if we can

1 1

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 4d

Hope folks can chip in a bit to help with this child's therapy and healing. www.newsnationnow.com/missing/miss...

1

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 4d

I am so sorry for what this Atlanta family has gone through. So happy she is home.
www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-br...

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 5d

Ya'll should definitely sign up for this!

Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era @shgape.bsky.social · 6d

Writing group alert!! Our popular program is back! Check out all the details of the SHGAPE-Sponsored Writing Groups! If interested, please fill out this Google form before Oct. 10! urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...

a cat wearing a blue shirt is sitting on a laptop computer

ALT: a cat wearing a blue shirt is sitting on a laptop computer

media.tenor.com

3 5

Reposted by Lauren MacIvor Thompson

Erin Grievances @erinbartram.bsky.social · 12d

One easy way to see that those were labor issues was the fact that many of your colleagues with a different employment status didn't have those rights and protections. Instead of seeing that as a problem to be fixed for the good of all, too many saw it as a sad fate they'd avoid because of ✨merit✨

Justin Joque @jjoque.bsky.social · 12d

I think one of the biggest mistakes we’ve made in academia over the last few years was treating tenure and academic freedom as a guaranteed right and not a labor relation. Had more understood it as the latter perhaps we would have been better prepared to protect it

Jonathan Cohn @jonathancohn.bsky.social · 12d

“I’m emotionally shellshocked right now,” said one professor in the Texas Tech system. “What does it say about academic freedom? It says we don’t have it.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/26/u...

1 31 110

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 13d

Yup. And as my forthcoming book Women's Bodies, Doctors' Rights: The Politics of Birth Control in America argues: contraception was always much bigger than Sanger and to constantly use her as the only lens denies that complexity

Kathleen Belew @kathleenbelew.bsky.social · 13d

Before everyone gets all freaked out about this: yes, Margaret Sanger was a eugenicist who believed in contraception to eliminate less desirable babies. Yes, super icky and unfortunate. But yes, she was also a pioneer for women's bodily autonomy. Complexity is one of the lessons of history.

2 3 44

Reposted by Lauren MacIvor Thompson

Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era @shgape.bsky.social · 14d

The October 1st deadline is approaching! Remember to submit your proposals for SHGAPE's first stand-alone conference! www.shgape.org/shgape-confe... #Skystorians #History #CFP #HistorySky #GildedAge #ProgressiveEra

Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era @shgape.bsky.social · Jul 23

SHGAPE is hosting its first stand-alone conference June 4-6, 2026, at Loyola University in Chicago! We plan to offer seminars, workshops, roundtables, & traditional paper panels. Submit your proposal by October 1st! Full guidelines here: www.shgape.org/shgape-confe... #skystorians #history #CFP

Conference - SHGAPE

Call for Papers The Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era is delighted to host its first stand-alone conference, June 4-6, 2026, at Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois. We we...

www.shgape.org

3 3

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 15d

I'll be talking Progressive Era Federal Regulations!

American Association for the History of Medicine @aahmhistmed.bsky.social · 16d

Are you ready for History of Medicine week? Join us October 6-10 for a week of conversations & community building for anyone interested in the history of medicine. And there's more - check our website for other events happening online and around the country! #histmed histmed.org/history-of-m...

A promotional flyer for History of Medicine Week Events, October 6-10th. The flyer has a light gray background with dark text and red highlighting for emphasis. It displays five event boxes:
Monday, 11 ET/12 CT: "Communicating Beyond the Academy: Historians, the Media, and the Public" with a bonus event at 9 ET/10 CT titled "Faith, Hope, and Science in the Time of AIDS - A Talk by Dr. Catherine Burns" hosted by the University of Nebraska.
Tuesday: "Perspectives on Science" podcast release about "Federal Regulations: Progressive Era and Beyond" with hashtag #histdrugregs, plus a bonus at 3 ET/2 CT called "Surviving the Graduate Degree."
Wednesday, 2 ET/3 CT: "Teaching as the University Burns: Practical Tips" with a note to check AAHM email for the link.
Thursday, 1 ET/2 CT: "Medicine Crossing Borders: Immigration and Health."
Friday, 2 ET/3 CT: "Trans & Intersex Health From Past to Future" with a note to check AAHM email for the link.
At the bottom, italicized text states "Click on titles for registration links. For details and updates visit the website." The website URL www.histmed.org/history-of-medicine-week/ appears at the bottom.

5

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 15d

Make no mistake - the firestorm over Tylenol and autism is deeply related to the abortion debate and the larger conversation about the "responsibilities" of American motherhood and women's status.

11 45 200

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 16d

👀

1

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 16d

Me too darn it

1

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 16d

Ok but is the rapture here yet?

2 7

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 17d

Stacie Kershner of GSU Law and I wrote this because we just couldn't let the Florida surgeon general's comments about vaccine mandates go without a public correction.

theconversation.com/vaccine-mand...

Vaccine mandates misinformation: 2 experts explain the true role of slavery and racism in the history of public health policy – and the growing threat ignorance poses today

Removing vaccine mandates in Florida will worsen health disparities among populations that already have lower vaccination rates.

theconversation.com

3 9

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 19d

Oh how beautiful. Thank you for sharing this. ❤️

1

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 19d

After a nutty week, it's nice to have just gotten up and be having coffee at 8:30 on a Saturday. Everything's exhausting and awful in the U.S. so it's the small things that we have to focus on now.

12 12 240

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 20d

I wrote both an op-ed and a full draft of an article this week. Current brain status at 3:22 on a Friday:

elmo from sesame street is making a funny face while sitting on a table .

ALT: elmo from sesame street is making a funny face while sitting on a table .

media.tenor.com

6 4 230

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 22d

Just joined the AAUP. I've meant to do it for years, but just never got around to it. I know, I know.

I know they just sent out a weird social media advice thing, but it's what we've got.

And things are deteriorating too quickly to take any chances now.

4

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 22d

Gonna have an op-ed out this week on vaccines

A bit nervous about it, I will not lie.

Jen Bendery @jbendery.bsky.social · 22d

We've reached the point where CDC medical experts are declining to speak publicly about vaccine safety because they’re afraid of being violently targeted by anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists. www.huffpost.com/entry/cdc-ex...

Fearing Violent Threats, CDC Medical Experts Are Scared To Talk About Vaccine Safety

"I have many that won't speak about vaccines now and have removed their names off of papers," said former CDC chief medical officer Debra Houry.

www.huffpost.com

2 10 58

Lauren MacIvor Thompson @lmacthompson1.bsky.social · 26d

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

How Teacher Evaluations Broke the University

“We give them all A’s, and they give us all fives.”

www.theatlantic.com

9 22 61