Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
@underthetreepod.bsky.social
A podcast that takes you on a journey to reimagine how we can bring freedom & liberation to life.
https://linktr.ee/underthetree
https://linktr.ee/underthetree
Pinned
NEW EPISODE!
We met up at @pilsencommbooks.bsky.social with Aaron Hughes and @ajpeddakotla.bsky.social of
@vetsaboutface.bsky.social, a dynamic and powerful group involved in building an irresistible movement for peace and against war and fascism.
bit.ly/47ifHu6
We met up at @pilsencommbooks.bsky.social with Aaron Hughes and @ajpeddakotla.bsky.social of
@vetsaboutface.bsky.social, a dynamic and powerful group involved in building an irresistible movement for peace and against war and fascism.
bit.ly/47ifHu6
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
Trying to get 50 more people to send a letter to your City Council member in NYC demanding that they increase and stabilize public library funding. actionnetwork.org/letters/city...
City Council, we demand half a percent of the overall city budget for libraries!
In response to the NYC FY2026 Budget, adopted this June, the Brooklyn Public Library, the New York Public Library, and the Queens Public Library released a joint statement thanking City Leaders for in...
actionnetwork.org
November 25, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Trying to get 50 more people to send a letter to your City Council member in NYC demanding that they increase and stabilize public library funding. actionnetwork.org/letters/city...
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
“If your crime is being poor, you won’t be able to get your record clear because it’s costly,” said Sheena Meade of the Clean Slate Initiative. “You have to get an attorney, you have to jump through hoops, you have to take off work — it’s just really complicated.”
‘Clean Slate’ Laws Could Help Millions of Black Americans Clear Their Records
Advocates say automatic expungement could open doors to jobs, housing, and a fresh start for millions long held back by old convictions.
capitalbnews.org
November 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
“If your crime is being poor, you won’t be able to get your record clear because it’s costly,” said Sheena Meade of the Clean Slate Initiative. “You have to get an attorney, you have to jump through hoops, you have to take off work — it’s just really complicated.”
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
“Striking down Mississippi’s law would mandate massive nationwide overhauls of essential post-election activities and destabilize election administration,” Joshua Tom, the legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, told Capital B.
Supreme Court Case Threatens Mail-in Ballots for Black Voters
Various historical barriers to casting ballots in person make having a mail-in option crucial.
capitalbnews.org
November 24, 2025 at 11:45 AM
“Striking down Mississippi’s law would mandate massive nationwide overhauls of essential post-election activities and destabilize election administration,” Joshua Tom, the legal director of the ACLU of Mississippi, told Capital B.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
This month, federal troops were deployed to Democratic-led cities throughout North Carolina, even as a federal judge ruled the administration’s 30-day takeover of Washington, D.C., this summer was unlawful. https://capitalbnews.org/trump-national-guard-city-updates/
A City-by-City Breakdown of Trump’s Immigration Raids and Troop Deployments
The Trump administration has deployed federal troops into at least nine cities, and there are no signs of a slowdown.
capitalbnews.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This month, federal troops were deployed to Democratic-led cities throughout North Carolina, even as a federal judge ruled the administration’s 30-day takeover of Washington, D.C., this summer was unlawful. https://capitalbnews.org/trump-national-guard-city-updates/
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
In 1855 Elizabeth Jennings Graham brought a suit that initiated the desegregation of NYC transit. Raised by politically active parents (her was mother formerly enslaved, her entrepreneur father was awarded a patent in 1821) Ms. Graham was a teacher, organist, & kindergarten founder.
November 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM
In 1855 Elizabeth Jennings Graham brought a suit that initiated the desegregation of NYC transit. Raised by politically active parents (her was mother formerly enslaved, her entrepreneur father was awarded a patent in 1821) Ms. Graham was a teacher, organist, & kindergarten founder.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
While Trump may believe it’s ‘seditious’ for members of Congress to remind the US military that some orders might be illegal and shouldn’t be followed blindly, a survey of troops earlier this year found that most understand what the law requires buff.ly/Kq2TASq
Just follow orders or obey the law? What US troops told us about refusing illegal commands
A majority of service members understand the distinction between legal and illegal orders.
theconversation.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:48 PM
While Trump may believe it’s ‘seditious’ for members of Congress to remind the US military that some orders might be illegal and shouldn’t be followed blindly, a survey of troops earlier this year found that most understand what the law requires buff.ly/Kq2TASq
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
The Israeli military’s genocide isn’t over, it’s expanding.
The Israeli government has violated the truce nearly 500 times in 44 days, killing over 342 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, including 28 Palestinians in the past three days.
The Israeli government has violated the truce nearly 500 times in 44 days, killing over 342 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, including 28 Palestinians in the past three days.
November 25, 2025 at 2:49 PM
The Israeli military’s genocide isn’t over, it’s expanding.
The Israeli government has violated the truce nearly 500 times in 44 days, killing over 342 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, including 28 Palestinians in the past three days.
The Israeli government has violated the truce nearly 500 times in 44 days, killing over 342 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office, including 28 Palestinians in the past three days.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
In other NEWS: Masked agents took at least 15 street vendors from Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz. “Worst of the worst,” they aren’t. Story by @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social & @zareensyed.bsky.social about neighbors rallying to support culture under attack www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/c...
As ICE detains longtime Chicago street vendors with no criminal history, neighbors rally with emergency funds
As longtime vendors quietly disappear from the corners they’ve held for years, community organizations and neighbors are scrambling to support those taken, their families and those still working on…
www.chicagotribune.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:54 PM
In other NEWS: Masked agents took at least 15 street vendors from Chicago during Operation Midway Blitz. “Worst of the worst,” they aren’t. Story by @lauranrodriguez.bsky.social & @zareensyed.bsky.social about neighbors rallying to support culture under attack www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/25/c...
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
There's a long history of People's Tribunals & community members in the cities where the regime has sent troops and where ICE/Border Patrol are running wild can organize their own: www.nlg.org/wp-content/u... - they can be used as organizing tools & as a way to force local pols to take action.
www.nlg.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:57 PM
There's a long history of People's Tribunals & community members in the cities where the regime has sent troops and where ICE/Border Patrol are running wild can organize their own: www.nlg.org/wp-content/u... - they can be used as organizing tools & as a way to force local pols to take action.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
"Ira" has worked for the last 50 years CAs fields. "I'm proud of the work I do cultivating the land. My hard work brings produce like these heads of fresh lettuce to people's tables. Without farm workers, consumers won't have fresh vegetables." #WeFeedYou
November 25, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"Ira" has worked for the last 50 years CAs fields. "I'm proud of the work I do cultivating the land. My hard work brings produce like these heads of fresh lettuce to people's tables. Without farm workers, consumers won't have fresh vegetables." #WeFeedYou
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
Baltimore and Atlanta: I'm doing two more talks in 2025. Two cities that have been home, and I'm looking forward to both. Tues, 12/02 at the Enoch Pratt Central Library with Senator Emerita @jillpc.bsky.social + Thur, 12/04 at Auburn Ave Research Library with @jduffyrice.bsky.social. Come say hello!
November 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Baltimore and Atlanta: I'm doing two more talks in 2025. Two cities that have been home, and I'm looking forward to both. Tues, 12/02 at the Enoch Pratt Central Library with Senator Emerita @jillpc.bsky.social + Thur, 12/04 at Auburn Ave Research Library with @jduffyrice.bsky.social. Come say hello!
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
"Don't let them bury my story."
Rest in power to Viola Ford Fletcher, who spent years fighting for justice for all those harmed by the Tulsa Race Massacre—from 1921 to the present day.
We owe it to Fletcher to remember and to right these brutal wrongs.
Rest in power to Viola Ford Fletcher, who spent years fighting for justice for all those harmed by the Tulsa Race Massacre—from 1921 to the present day.
We owe it to Fletcher to remember and to right these brutal wrongs.
Viola Ford Fletcher, one of last survivors of Tulsa race massacre, dies aged 111
Fletcher spent years pushing for justice after deadly racial attack on thriving Black Oklahoma community in 1921
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
"Don't let them bury my story."
Rest in power to Viola Ford Fletcher, who spent years fighting for justice for all those harmed by the Tulsa Race Massacre—from 1921 to the present day.
We owe it to Fletcher to remember and to right these brutal wrongs.
Rest in power to Viola Ford Fletcher, who spent years fighting for justice for all those harmed by the Tulsa Race Massacre—from 1921 to the present day.
We owe it to Fletcher to remember and to right these brutal wrongs.
But this is probably the point.
Where I work, grad student enrollment in Engineering and Business is down 70% and 40%, respectively.
Now, to cover the loss in revenue from these Departments, the rest of the colleges have to take MASSIVE hits. History Dept alone has cut/closed 6 TT lines. Forget about raises or salary equity. 🫠
Now, to cover the loss in revenue from these Departments, the rest of the colleges have to take MASSIVE hits. History Dept alone has cut/closed 6 TT lines. Forget about raises or salary equity. 🫠
Enrollment by international students from China dropped by 3 percent, from India by 4 percent, and enrollment from students from Mexico has flatlined. Here are the likely consequences for Texas' education and economy:
November 25, 2025 at 3:15 PM
But this is probably the point.
📢 Executive Orders do not have the power of law! 📢
1. In Tennessee, public libraries have closed for up to a week to facilitate a Trump-inspired book purge.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) has ordered most of the state's public librarians to remove children's books with LGBTQ characters or themes.
Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) has ordered most of the state's public librarians to remove children's books with LGBTQ characters or themes.
Tennessee public libraries close for Trump-inspired book purge
One hundred and eighty-one public libraries in Tennessee are reviewing their children’s collections after Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) ordered them to remove books with LGBTQ themes…
popular.info
November 25, 2025 at 3:14 PM
📢 Executive Orders do not have the power of law! 📢
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
As we work on our next judicial election guide, we want to hear from you: What should voters know about these attorneys and judges? If you recognize any of these names, send us your tips. buff.ly/DlOqYRA
November 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
As we work on our next judicial election guide, we want to hear from you: What should voters know about these attorneys and judges? If you recognize any of these names, send us your tips. buff.ly/DlOqYRA
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
Child care workers are building a network of resistance against ICE, @the19thnews reports. blockclubchi.co/44wlKum
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Child care workers are building a network of resistance against ICE, @the19thnews reports. blockclubchi.co/44wlKum
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
"Vietnam has been hit by 14 typhoons this year. Five was the average a few decades ago. The rain from the past few days did not even come from a cyclone — but to add inundation on top of injury, a 15th major storm has just formed off the country’s south central coast."
Vietnam’s Year of Floods, Mud and Death
www.nytimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:20 PM
"Vietnam has been hit by 14 typhoons this year. Five was the average a few decades ago. The rain from the past few days did not even come from a cyclone — but to add inundation on top of injury, a 15th major storm has just formed off the country’s south central coast."
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
we're going to win
Page One in Cincinnati:
“.. I need to be able to look my grandkids in the eye and say I did not remain silent.”
#ICE
“.. I need to be able to look my grandkids in the eye and say I did not remain silent.”
#ICE
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
we're going to win
Releasing those additional text messages would have likely resulted in even more malfeasance on the part of these goons being exposed to the public.
The decision by the DOJ to dismiss the charges against Martinez and Ruiz came a day after a federal judge in Chicago ordered the government to turn over to the defense additional text messages by the CBP agents involved in the incident.
Judge dismisses charges against 2 people accused of ramming vehicle of federal agents conducting Chicago immigration sweeps
A federal judge on Thursday dismissed the indictment against two people accused last month of "ambushing" federal agents conducting an immigration sweep in Chicago.
abcnews.go.com
November 22, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Releasing those additional text messages would have likely resulted in even more malfeasance on the part of these goons being exposed to the public.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
In a special project on extreme cold in prison, 27 PJP contributors in 17 states describe winter behind bars — and the small dignities that could make it more bearable.
What Extreme Cold Feels Like in Prison
Prison writers from across the U.S. describe how cold their prisons get in the winter — and what small dignities could make it more bearable.
prisonjournalismproject.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:50 AM
In a special project on extreme cold in prison, 27 PJP contributors in 17 states describe winter behind bars — and the small dignities that could make it more bearable.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
“We are the ones that are saying what the forest is demanding. We are the ones that are saying what the river is asking for. We are going through a lot of violence in our territories," says Alessandra Korap Munduruku, an Indigenous leader from the Amazon.
“We Need to Be Heard”: Indigenous Amazon Defender Alessandra Korap Munduruku on COP30
Thousands of Amazonian land defenders, both Indigenous peoples and their allies, have traveled to the COP30 U.N. climate conference in Belém, Brazil. On Friday night, an Indigenous-led march arrived a...
www.democracynow.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
“We are the ones that are saying what the forest is demanding. We are the ones that are saying what the river is asking for. We are going through a lot of violence in our territories," says Alessandra Korap Munduruku, an Indigenous leader from the Amazon.
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
Extremely good long read on how prisons shape local economies and politics. So many moments of clarity where the absurdity of the prison-as-industry proposition just slaps you in the face
The construction of prisons in rural areas can create relationships in which residents ultimately become engulfed by incarceration. “The prison almost begins to imprison the community in a way,” says a prison researcher.
The Prison Next Door
How Arkansas’ secretive plan for a new state lockup angered people in a deep red corner of rural America—and changed how some see incarceration.
boltsmag.org
November 21, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Extremely good long read on how prisons shape local economies and politics. So many moments of clarity where the absurdity of the prison-as-industry proposition just slaps you in the face
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
21 Nov 2025 -- Alabama Public Library Service votes to move all books in teens and children's sections with any content on “transgender procedures, gender ideology or the concept of more than two biological genders” and move them to adult sections. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Alabama board votes to remove books about being transgender from public library youth sections | CNN
The board overseeing Alabama public libraries on Thursday voted to remove books that discuss being transgender from the teen and children’s sections of all public libraries in the state.
www.cnn.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:17 PM
21 Nov 2025 -- Alabama Public Library Service votes to move all books in teens and children's sections with any content on “transgender procedures, gender ideology or the concept of more than two biological genders” and move them to adult sections. @rikiwilchins.bsky.social
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
Reposted by Under the Tree w/Bill Ayers - A Seminar on Freedom
New: cops used Flock AI-enabled cameras to monitor No Kings protests around the country. Also monitored No Hands protests and protests against DOGE.
"Should serve as a warning of how it may be used in the future to suppress dissent."
www.404media.co/cops-used-fl...
"Should serve as a warning of how it may be used in the future to suppress dissent."
www.404media.co/cops-used-fl...
Cops Used Flock to Monitor No Kings Protests Around the Country
A massive cache of Flock lookups collated by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) shows as many as 50 federal, state, and local agencies used Flock during protests over the last year.
www.404media.co
November 21, 2025 at 2:14 PM
New: cops used Flock AI-enabled cameras to monitor No Kings protests around the country. Also monitored No Hands protests and protests against DOGE.
"Should serve as a warning of how it may be used in the future to suppress dissent."
www.404media.co/cops-used-fl...
"Should serve as a warning of how it may be used in the future to suppress dissent."
www.404media.co/cops-used-fl...