Justin Smith, Ph.D.
@justinsmithphd.bsky.social
-PhD, English and African American Studies
-Assistant Prof. of English and Black Studies at Randolph-Macon College
-Opions are my own
-He/him
-Assistant Prof. of English and Black Studies at Randolph-Macon College
-Opions are my own
-He/him
Pinned
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
African American Literature and Culture Society Call for Papers American Literature Association 37th Annual Conference May 20-23, 2026 Palmer House Hilton 17 E Monroe St,Chicago, IL 60603 The …
aalcsblog.wordpress.com
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral positions available at Yale's Digital Ethics Center.
They are renewable for up to 4 years, and provide plenty of benefits. Highly successful postdocs can be promoted to a faculty position after 2 years. Please apply and share with interested candidates 🤓
dec.yale.edu/join-us...
They are renewable for up to 4 years, and provide plenty of benefits. Highly successful postdocs can be promoted to a faculty position after 2 years. Please apply and share with interested candidates 🤓
dec.yale.edu/join-us...
January 7, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Postdoctoral positions available at Yale's Digital Ethics Center.
They are renewable for up to 4 years, and provide plenty of benefits. Highly successful postdocs can be promoted to a faculty position after 2 years. Please apply and share with interested candidates 🤓
dec.yale.edu/join-us...
They are renewable for up to 4 years, and provide plenty of benefits. Highly successful postdocs can be promoted to a faculty position after 2 years. Please apply and share with interested candidates 🤓
dec.yale.edu/join-us...
Also this 👇🏾
And, if you are interested, I am working on putting together an AALCS panel on Black Artistic and Literary Responses to Misinformation that you can view here.
call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/10/...
call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/10/...
cfp | call for papers
call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu
January 7, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Also this 👇🏾
Deadline in 5 days! We would love to have you come present with us!
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
African American Literature and Culture Society Call for Papers American Literature Association 37th Annual Conference May 20-23, 2026 Palmer House Hilton 17 E Monroe St,Chicago, IL 60603 The …
aalcsblog.wordpress.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Deadline in 5 days! We would love to have you come present with us!
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Writing is hard. It can feel lonely too, the process itself and then releasing it to the world. That’s why as much as I can, I love giving writers their flowers
December 20, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Writing is hard. It can feel lonely too, the process itself and then releasing it to the world. That’s why as much as I can, I love giving writers their flowers
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Accessibility without verifiability isn’t clarity—it’s risk transfer. AI summaries don’t simplify truth; they abstract accountability. If readers can’t validate claims, the output degrades from aid to liability.
I don't know how many times this needs to be said, but apparently a lot: If you are not in a position to verify the accuracy of some synthetic text, the synthetic text is not useful/has a high potential to be misleading.
This is one of those cases.
This is one of those cases.
The rationale I was given for AI Summaries *alongside* ordinary abstracts:
* The AI-generated summaries are intended to be more accessible to non-experts.
(1/3)
* The AI-generated summaries are intended to be more accessible to non-experts.
(1/3)
December 18, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Accessibility without verifiability isn’t clarity—it’s risk transfer. AI summaries don’t simplify truth; they abstract accountability. If readers can’t validate claims, the output degrades from aid to liability.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Really seriously please take the 30 seconds and actually fill out the form.
Tomorrow, the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that bans gender-affirming medical care for any transgender person under 18, and threatens any medical professional providing this care to youth with 10 years in prison.
Tell Congress to protect trans youth and vote NO.
Tell Congress to protect trans youth and vote NO.
Protect Trans Care Now
As wave after wave of extreme measures to criminalize and strip trans people of rights and safety continue, tell Congress to act.
action.aclu.org
December 16, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Really seriously please take the 30 seconds and actually fill out the form.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Coke admitted they had to generate 70,000 video clips for their latest Christmas slopvertising
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
December 17, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Coke admitted they had to generate 70,000 video clips for their latest Christmas slopvertising
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
BY MY CALCS:
- 4x the CO2 impact of a normal ad project
- 1 day of 2-5 medium hospitals
- 1 month of 250 households
- 44 years of continuous Netflix viewing
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
We are going to focus @douglassday.bsky.social in Feb 2026 on the Colored Conventions and their visions for citizenship.
We need to tell a much fuller story about the 14th amendment. The history is crystal clear. The Constitution is crystal clear.
We need to tell a much fuller story about the 14th amendment. The history is crystal clear. The Constitution is crystal clear.
December 8, 2025 at 12:06 AM
We are going to focus @douglassday.bsky.social in Feb 2026 on the Colored Conventions and their visions for citizenship.
We need to tell a much fuller story about the 14th amendment. The history is crystal clear. The Constitution is crystal clear.
We need to tell a much fuller story about the 14th amendment. The history is crystal clear. The Constitution is crystal clear.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Save the date!
Douglass Day 2026
"All Rights for All"
Fri, February 13
Sign up today!
DouglassDay.org
Feat. the Colored Conventions Project! @ccp-org.bsky.social @digblk.bsky.social
Douglass Day 2026
"All Rights for All"
Fri, February 13
Sign up today!
DouglassDay.org
Feat. the Colored Conventions Project! @ccp-org.bsky.social @digblk.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Save the date!
Douglass Day 2026
"All Rights for All"
Fri, February 13
Sign up today!
DouglassDay.org
Feat. the Colored Conventions Project! @ccp-org.bsky.social @digblk.bsky.social
Douglass Day 2026
"All Rights for All"
Fri, February 13
Sign up today!
DouglassDay.org
Feat. the Colored Conventions Project! @ccp-org.bsky.social @digblk.bsky.social
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
You could purchase my monograph Pitfalls of Prestige: Black Women and Literary Recognition via Bookshop for Small Business Saturday! bookshop.org/p/books/pitf...
Pitfalls of Prestige: Black Women and Literary Recognition
Black Women and Literary Recognition
bookshop.org
November 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
You could purchase my monograph Pitfalls of Prestige: Black Women and Literary Recognition via Bookshop for Small Business Saturday! bookshop.org/p/books/pitf...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
African American Literature and Culture Society Call for Papers American Literature Association 37th Annual Conference May 20-23, 2026 Palmer House Hilton 17 E Monroe St,Chicago, IL 60603 The …
aalcsblog.wordpress.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:34 PM
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
We must never forget the lives lost to anti-transgender violence & discrimination. 🏳️⚧️ Share to support the #TransgenderDayofRemembrance! #NOH8 #TDOR
November 20, 2025 at 3:47 PM
We must never forget the lives lost to anti-transgender violence & discrimination. 🏳️⚧️ Share to support the #TransgenderDayofRemembrance! #NOH8 #TDOR
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
CFP: “Those who have must turn around and give:” Celebrating Forty Years of Preserving Black History and Education
Great opportunity to present work on archives, education, community memory, etc!
avery.charleston.edu/cfp_avery_me...
Great opportunity to present work on archives, education, community memory, etc!
avery.charleston.edu/cfp_avery_me...
CFP: “Those who have must turn around and give:” Celebrating Forty Years of Preserving Black History and Education – Avery Research Center
blog site template description
avery.charleston.edu
November 20, 2025 at 9:22 PM
CFP: “Those who have must turn around and give:” Celebrating Forty Years of Preserving Black History and Education
Great opportunity to present work on archives, education, community memory, etc!
avery.charleston.edu/cfp_avery_me...
Great opportunity to present work on archives, education, community memory, etc!
avery.charleston.edu/cfp_avery_me...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
today's unprecedented foreign terror designation of Antifa has resulted in exactly zero (0) cable news segments 👍
November 13, 2025 at 11:55 PM
today's unprecedented foreign terror designation of Antifa has resulted in exactly zero (0) cable news segments 👍
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
in retrospect the metoo movement did not go too far and in fact should have been given spanish inquisition levels of power and authority
November 13, 2025 at 12:06 PM
in retrospect the metoo movement did not go too far and in fact should have been given spanish inquisition levels of power and authority
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Yes! The thing abt public libraries that is so beautiful & crucial is the idea that *anybody* could do this — you need no credential, there’s no gatekeeping, literally any person can be an intellectual. You can come from absolutely nothing & yet, by means of curiosity + work, create real knowledge
I wrote a significant chunk of my first book at a Chicago Public Library, an amazing public space where people could read books and newspapers, access the internet, or just keep warm for a while on a cold day. This is appalling.
CPL is an absolute palace to the people and these proposed cuts are abominable. Artificial austerity. Chicago folks, read this, check the links to bug the mayor and your alders—this can be fought and won.
November 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Yes! The thing abt public libraries that is so beautiful & crucial is the idea that *anybody* could do this — you need no credential, there’s no gatekeeping, literally any person can be an intellectual. You can come from absolutely nothing & yet, by means of curiosity + work, create real knowledge
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant/Associate Professor Black Feminisms, University of Maryland - College Park
117/
networks.h-net.org/jobs/69404/u...
117/
networks.h-net.org/jobs/69404/u...
University of Maryland - College Park - Assistant/Associate Professor Black Feminisms | H-Net
The University of Maryland, College Park, invites applications for a tenure-track/tenured appointment as assistant or associate professor in the Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. We seek a colleague with a well-established record of research and pedagogy that focuses on Black Feminisms and/or Black Queer and Sexuality Studies and/or Black Women’s Studies.
networks.h-net.org
October 29, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Assistant/Associate Professor Black Feminisms, University of Maryland - College Park
117/
networks.h-net.org/jobs/69404/u...
117/
networks.h-net.org/jobs/69404/u...
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
African American Literature and Culture Society Call for Papers American Literature Association 37th Annual Conference May 20-23, 2026 Palmer House Hilton 17 E Monroe St,Chicago, IL 60603 The …
aalcsblog.wordpress.com
October 24, 2025 at 5:34 PM
ALA 2026 CFP: Come Present with AALCS in Chicago!
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Please share and submit an abstract!
aalcsblog.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
I'll cautiously say I've noticed more skepticism about AI in the corporate world and it's mostly because people's coworkers are creating extra work for them. They don't have the vocabulary to describe it yet but it's basically the "Why should I read what you couldn't be bothered to write" thing
October 23, 2025 at 2:54 AM
I'll cautiously say I've noticed more skepticism about AI in the corporate world and it's mostly because people's coworkers are creating extra work for them. They don't have the vocabulary to describe it yet but it's basically the "Why should I read what you couldn't be bothered to write" thing
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
“AI” isn’t a tool or technology or even a cluster of technologies with a misleading name. It’s the infrastructure at the foundation of a form of capitalism dependent on data brokering. We should be teaching our students about this and not teaching them about “responsible” use.
September 28, 2025 at 1:38 AM
“AI” isn’t a tool or technology or even a cluster of technologies with a misleading name. It’s the infrastructure at the foundation of a form of capitalism dependent on data brokering. We should be teaching our students about this and not teaching them about “responsible” use.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
I'm an autistic person working in autistic advocacy. I'm reading the White House transcript so you don't have to. Stay tuned for my commentary.
And please consider inviting me onto your podcast! I've got a lot of experience speaking!
#ActuallyAutistic
And please consider inviting me onto your podcast! I've got a lot of experience speaking!
#ActuallyAutistic
September 23, 2025 at 3:09 PM
I'm an autistic person working in autistic advocacy. I'm reading the White House transcript so you don't have to. Stay tuned for my commentary.
And please consider inviting me onto your podcast! I've got a lot of experience speaking!
#ActuallyAutistic
And please consider inviting me onto your podcast! I've got a lot of experience speaking!
#ActuallyAutistic
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
We’re gonna need a bigger reconstruction.
September 22, 2025 at 9:09 PM
We’re gonna need a bigger reconstruction.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
weird that neither of these articles two main stories decrying censorship mention WaPo's firing of @karenattiah.bsky.social I guess democracy really does die in darkness
September 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
weird that neither of these articles two main stories decrying censorship mention WaPo's firing of @karenattiah.bsky.social I guess democracy really does die in darkness
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
In the deserved uproar over Kimmel's suspension, don't forget WaPo & Bezos's gutless firing of the last Black columnist on their Opinions team. I've been following Karen since her bravery over Jamal Kashoggi's death and she walks the walk that so many of us are afraid to.
The last political column I was allowed to write in the @washingtonpost.com was a criticism of Obama.
His people took issue with my piece, but we were respectful.
Now he is tweeting in support of me.
This is how free political speech and respect for debate *actually works*.
Or used to work.
His people took issue with my piece, but we were respectful.
Now he is tweeting in support of me.
This is how free political speech and respect for debate *actually works*.
Or used to work.
September 19, 2025 at 2:11 AM
In the deserved uproar over Kimmel's suspension, don't forget WaPo & Bezos's gutless firing of the last Black columnist on their Opinions team. I've been following Karen since her bravery over Jamal Kashoggi's death and she walks the walk that so many of us are afraid to.
Reposted by Justin Smith, Ph.D.
We’d be in a much stronger position right now if mainstream Democrats had taken a common sense stand for First Amendment principles instead of piling on undergraduate standing up for Palestine.
September 18, 2025 at 12:29 AM
We’d be in a much stronger position right now if mainstream Democrats had taken a common sense stand for First Amendment principles instead of piling on undergraduate standing up for Palestine.