Stephen Joel Watts
@swatts96.bsky.social
Writer. Housing. Abolition. Healing Justice.
The Bronx, Chicago, Nashville
Twitter: @swatts_96
The Bronx, Chicago, Nashville
Twitter: @swatts_96
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Join us for our next SASSI School! We will take a deep dive into techno-fascism in order to understand the people, ideas, interests, and ideologies shaping our current political moment and its impact on the South. Email us with any questions and to register: [email protected]
December 17, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Join us for our next SASSI School! We will take a deep dive into techno-fascism in order to understand the people, ideas, interests, and ideologies shaping our current political moment and its impact on the South. Email us with any questions and to register: [email protected]
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Also please don’t talk about Middle Tennessee until you’ve talked to people IN Middle Tennessee k thx bye
December 3, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Also please don’t talk about Middle Tennessee until you’ve talked to people IN Middle Tennessee k thx bye
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Nashville’s experience reflects a broader national trend: When surveillance technology can’t pass through democratic processes, route it through non-profits that operate beyond public accountability.
December 3, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Nashville’s experience reflects a broader national trend: When surveillance technology can’t pass through democratic processes, route it through non-profits that operate beyond public accountability.
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Days before Thanksgiving, the mayor of Nashville quietly submitted a resolution to enable $15 million in state surveillance funding to flow to a local nonprofit — a controversial move that could stymie accountability over the use of such surveillance technology.
A Nashville Proposal Could Outsource Surveillance and Policing to a Nonprofit
Nashville may be the latest city to leverage a local nonprofit to build a public-private panopticon.
truthout.org
December 3, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Days before Thanksgiving, the mayor of Nashville quietly submitted a resolution to enable $15 million in state surveillance funding to flow to a local nonprofit — a controversial move that could stymie accountability over the use of such surveillance technology.
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Actually incredible resource here. One click to copy all Metro Council emails? Brilliant. (They don’t check the general inbox, don’t tell anybody.)
If you don’t want to be surveilled when you go to the Ryman or Robert’s, take a sec and write them a nice email about it. 🦞
If you don’t want to be surveilled when you go to the Ryman or Robert’s, take a sec and write them a nice email about it. 🦞
I just emailed all of our CMs and would strongly encourage you to do the same. Learn more, find your CM, and get help with an email here:
November 26, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Actually incredible resource here. One click to copy all Metro Council emails? Brilliant. (They don’t check the general inbox, don’t tell anybody.)
If you don’t want to be surveilled when you go to the Ryman or Robert’s, take a sec and write them a nice email about it. 🦞
If you don’t want to be surveilled when you go to the Ryman or Robert’s, take a sec and write them a nice email about it. 🦞
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Mamdani's win reminds us that what we take for granted, the Americans call Marxism.
November 5, 2025 at 7:52 AM
Mamdani's win reminds us that what we take for granted, the Americans call Marxism.
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Moving on from Kavanaugh Stops to Kavanaugh Shootings.
US citizen shot from behind as he warned ICE agents children would be coming to get bus, lawyers say
U.S. citizen shot from behind as he warned ICE agents about children gathering at bus stop, lawyers say
Lawyers for Carlos Jimenez said he was in fear after an agent threatened him with chemical spray, then pointed a gun at him.
www.latimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Moving on from Kavanaugh Stops to Kavanaugh Shootings.
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
Trump was asked by 60 Minutes about immigration agents using aggresive"H tactics like busting people's windows.
"Have those tactics gone too far?"
"No", Trump said, "I think they haven't gone far enough."
This is what that looks like in the real world.
projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...
"Have those tactics gone too far?"
"No", Trump said, "I think they haven't gone far enough."
This is what that looks like in the real world.
projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...
“We’ll Smash the Fucking Window Out and Drag Him Out”
We’ve documented nearly 50 incidents of immigration officers shattering car windows to make arrests — a tactic experts say was rarely used before Trump took office. ICE claims its officers use a “mini...
projects.propublica.org
November 3, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Trump was asked by 60 Minutes about immigration agents using aggresive"H tactics like busting people's windows.
"Have those tactics gone too far?"
"No", Trump said, "I think they haven't gone far enough."
This is what that looks like in the real world.
projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...
"Have those tactics gone too far?"
"No", Trump said, "I think they haven't gone far enough."
This is what that looks like in the real world.
projects.propublica.org/trump-ice-sm...
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
"Equator is founded on our conviction that the storied titles of the Anglophone West cannot be internally reformed, nor redeemed by their periodic U-turns and belated mea culpas. The time has come to create something new."
Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.
Join us: www.equator.org
Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.
Join us: www.equator.org
October 9, 2025 at 9:11 AM
"Equator is founded on our conviction that the storied titles of the Anglophone West cannot be internally reformed, nor redeemed by their periodic U-turns and belated mea culpas. The time has come to create something new."
Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.
Join us: www.equator.org
Today we publish Equator's editorial declaration.
Join us: www.equator.org
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
They say phones only make us miserable but I just got this news alert and laughed for a solid minute so who is to say
August 21, 2025 at 2:28 AM
They say phones only make us miserable but I just got this news alert and laughed for a solid minute so who is to say
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
I forgot to share yesterday's excellent podcast on @citycastnash.bsky.social, which explains what a limited equity housing co-op is.
Spoiler alert: It's another tool in the affordable workforce housing arsenal.
Spoiler alert: It's another tool in the affordable workforce housing arsenal.
A New Solution for Nashville's Affordable Housing Woes? - City Cast Nashville
The Cottages at Drakes Creek are being transformed into a limited equity housing co-op, aiming to give residents an ownership stake in their commun...
nashville.citycast.fm
August 20, 2025 at 1:30 PM
I forgot to share yesterday's excellent podcast on @citycastnash.bsky.social, which explains what a limited equity housing co-op is.
Spoiler alert: It's another tool in the affordable workforce housing arsenal.
Spoiler alert: It's another tool in the affordable workforce housing arsenal.
Reposted by Stephen Joel Watts
How fortunate we are that the United States is so bereft of serious crimes that we can afford to have FBI agents standing around the Metro all day watching for turnstile-jumpers.
Unidentified federal officers were doing fare enforcement at 7th and H Street NW last night, per my colleague Jonathan Edwards:
August 19, 2025 at 1:12 PM
How fortunate we are that the United States is so bereft of serious crimes that we can afford to have FBI agents standing around the Metro all day watching for turnstile-jumpers.