Alexander Karn
@xankarn.bsky.social
Assoc. Prof. of History at SLAC (NY, USA). Not representing employer.
Interests: the politics of history, historical justice, historical dialogue, reconciliation.
Commentary: Mother Jones, The Progressive, Salon, HuffPost.
Resist Much, Obey Little.
Interests: the politics of history, historical justice, historical dialogue, reconciliation.
Commentary: Mother Jones, The Progressive, Salon, HuffPost.
Resist Much, Obey Little.
Pinned
Trump whitewashes Black History Month
A celebration is acceptable only when it becomes a sanitized MAGA vision of America.
www.motherjones.com
My first piece for @motherjones.com. I’d be honored if you read it and grateful if you shared it.
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
My first piece for @motherjones.com. I’d be honored if you read it and grateful if you shared it.
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump whitewashes Black History Month
A celebration is acceptable only when it becomes a sanitized MAGA vision of America.
www.motherjones.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:54 PM
My first piece for @motherjones.com. I’d be honored if you read it and grateful if you shared it.
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
Presidents have always instrumentalized the past to advance their political agendas. But Trump’s efforts to change the shape and meaning of Black History Month are something different.
"It's his determination to use the past for baldly illiberal purposes."
"It's his determination to use the past for baldly illiberal purposes."
Trump whitewashes Black History Month
A celebration is acceptable only when it becomes a sanitized MAGA vision of America.
www.motherjones.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Presidents have always instrumentalized the past to advance their political agendas. But Trump’s efforts to change the shape and meaning of Black History Month are something different.
"It's his determination to use the past for baldly illiberal purposes."
"It's his determination to use the past for baldly illiberal purposes."
Black History Month and the Struggle for Memory
I have a piece in Mother Jones today (Feb. 9) on Black History Month in the Age of Trump, which I hope you'll read and share. Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present. But we know--and Black and Indigenous…
I have a piece in Mother Jones today (Feb. 9) on Black History Month in the Age of Trump, which I hope you'll read and share. Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present. But we know--and Black and Indigenous…
Black History Month and the Struggle for Memory
I have a piece in Mother Jones today (Feb. 9) on Black History Month in the Age of Trump, which I hope you'll read and share. Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present. But we know--and Black and Indigenous Americans know better than anyone--that the fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy. The struggle for memory is a struggle for justice. Image credit: Mother Jones
xankarn.net
February 9, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Black History Month and the Struggle for Memory
I have a piece in Mother Jones today (Feb. 9) on Black History Month in the Age of Trump, which I hope you'll read and share. Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present. But we know--and Black and Indigenous…
I have a piece in Mother Jones today (Feb. 9) on Black History Month in the Age of Trump, which I hope you'll read and share. Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present. But we know--and Black and Indigenous…
My first piece for @motherjones.com. I’d be honored if you read it and grateful if you shared it.
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump whitewashes Black History Month
A celebration is acceptable only when it becomes a sanitized MAGA vision of America.
www.motherjones.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:54 PM
My first piece for @motherjones.com. I’d be honored if you read it and grateful if you shared it.
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump wants to dictate the past, just like he wants total obedience in the present.
The fight for history encompasses the fights for truth and democracy.
www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
Thinking back to how people were "hysterical" for calling trump white supremacist and now he's doing nordic theory on the campaign trail
December 10, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Thinking back to how people were "hysterical" for calling trump white supremacist and now he's doing nordic theory on the campaign trail
Reposted by Alexander Karn
“It is not so much that proponents of ‘patriotic education’ want to end any discussion of slavery because they don’t believe it happened, but more that they don’t want people to see how slavery continues to shape social inequality in America today.”
October 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
“It is not so much that proponents of ‘patriotic education’ want to end any discussion of slavery because they don’t believe it happened, but more that they don’t want people to see how slavery continues to shape social inequality in America today.”
Reposted by Alexander Karn
He sees to the heart of the matter.
“The Trump administration’s attempt to reshape what is taught in museums and classrooms is fundamentally an attempt to obscure the relationship between the past and the present.”
“The Trump administration’s attempt to reshape what is taught in museums and classrooms is fundamentally an attempt to obscure the relationship between the past and the present.”
October 25, 2025 at 3:46 PM
He sees to the heart of the matter.
“The Trump administration’s attempt to reshape what is taught in museums and classrooms is fundamentally an attempt to obscure the relationship between the past and the present.”
“The Trump administration’s attempt to reshape what is taught in museums and classrooms is fundamentally an attempt to obscure the relationship between the past and the present.”
Reposted by Alexander Karn
Clint Smith @theatlantic.com is doing more than any popular writer to ensure that the right questions are asked about America’s past and how it is interpreted (and by whom).
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
What Is Colonial Williamsburg For?
Telling the full story of the town’s past is an easy way to make a lot of people mad.
www.theatlantic.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Clint Smith @theatlantic.com is doing more than any popular writer to ensure that the right questions are asked about America’s past and how it is interpreted (and by whom).
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
For Secretary Noem.
October 31, 2025 at 10:01 PM
For Secretary Noem.
Folks are rationing heat and scrambling to eat with healthcare costs set to explode.
But this man wants $230 million for his pain and suffering.
But this man wants $230 million for his pain and suffering.
October 27, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Folks are rationing heat and scrambling to eat with healthcare costs set to explode.
But this man wants $230 million for his pain and suffering.
But this man wants $230 million for his pain and suffering.
I spoke to Laura Herges (U. Heidelberg) for the 1st ep of “Research Rabbit Holes.”
We talked about the upcoming US Semiquincentennial, authoritarian mobilizations of history, and what it means to have a MEMORY TROLL in the Oval Office.
#history #memory #democracy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIG5...
We talked about the upcoming US Semiquincentennial, authoritarian mobilizations of history, and what it means to have a MEMORY TROLL in the Oval Office.
#history #memory #democracy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIG5...
The US turns 250 - What Can We Expect? (Interview with Dr. Alexander "Xan" Karn (Colgate Universi...
YouTube video by Hergesson
www.youtube.com
October 27, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I spoke to Laura Herges (U. Heidelberg) for the 1st ep of “Research Rabbit Holes.”
We talked about the upcoming US Semiquincentennial, authoritarian mobilizations of history, and what it means to have a MEMORY TROLL in the Oval Office.
#history #memory #democracy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIG5...
We talked about the upcoming US Semiquincentennial, authoritarian mobilizations of history, and what it means to have a MEMORY TROLL in the Oval Office.
#history #memory #democracy
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIG5...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
One great thing to see at the Cincinnati #NoKings rally was lots of people engaging with local organizations that had tables – there were political organizers, labor unions, charitable organizations, human rights groups. Looking for a next step? Reach out to your local organizations.
When we say No Kings, we mean Freedom.
My speech in Cincinnati for the No Kings rally of October 18th.
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/when-we-sa...
My speech in Cincinnati for the No Kings rally of October 18th.
(video)
snyder.substack.com/p/when-we-sa...
When we say No Kings, we mean Freedom (video)
My speech in Cincinnati for the No Kings rally of October 17th
snyder.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 4:48 PM
One great thing to see at the Cincinnati #NoKings rally was lots of people engaging with local organizations that had tables – there were political organizers, labor unions, charitable organizations, human rights groups. Looking for a next step? Reach out to your local organizations.
Clint Smith @theatlantic.com is doing more than any popular writer to ensure that the right questions are asked about America’s past and how it is interpreted (and by whom).
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
What Is Colonial Williamsburg For?
Telling the full story of the town’s past is an easy way to make a lot of people mad.
www.theatlantic.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Clint Smith @theatlantic.com is doing more than any popular writer to ensure that the right questions are asked about America’s past and how it is interpreted (and by whom).
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
NBC News finds that:
-- ICE has shortened its training from 13 weeks to six.
-- Nearly half of recruits couldn’t pass an open-book written exam.
-- Recruits "are supposed to attest" they can pass the physical-fitness test, which requires them to run ... 6 mph.
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
-- ICE has shortened its training from 13 weeks to six.
-- Nearly half of recruits couldn’t pass an open-book written exam.
-- Recruits "are supposed to attest" they can pass the physical-fitness test, which requires them to run ... 6 mph.
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
Some new ICE recruits have shown up to training without full vetting
The recruits have had criminal backgrounds or failed drug tests or were unable to meet physical or academic standards, raising concerns about the agency’s rush to hire immigration officers, sources to...
www.nbcnews.com
October 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
NBC News finds that:
-- ICE has shortened its training from 13 weeks to six.
-- Nearly half of recruits couldn’t pass an open-book written exam.
-- Recruits "are supposed to attest" they can pass the physical-fitness test, which requires them to run ... 6 mph.
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
-- ICE has shortened its training from 13 weeks to six.
-- Nearly half of recruits couldn’t pass an open-book written exam.
-- Recruits "are supposed to attest" they can pass the physical-fitness test, which requires them to run ... 6 mph.
www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcn...
My take on the #NoKings achievements. It felt good because it was. Moral decontamination.
When you click the progressive media angels sing!
progressive.org/latest/what-...
When you click the progressive media angels sing!
progressive.org/latest/what-...
What the ‘No Kings’ Protests Accomplished
Massive displays of resistance build unity and enable moral decontamination.
progressive.org
October 22, 2025 at 2:11 PM
My take on the #NoKings achievements. It felt good because it was. Moral decontamination.
When you click the progressive media angels sing!
progressive.org/latest/what-...
When you click the progressive media angels sing!
progressive.org/latest/what-...
Reposted by Alexander Karn
New piece on the value of #NoKings
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
What the ‘No Kings’ Protests Accomplished
Massive displays of resistance build unity and enable moral decontamination.
progressive.org
October 21, 2025 at 6:42 PM
New piece on the value of #NoKings
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
New piece on the value of #NoKings
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
What the ‘No Kings’ Protests Accomplished
Massive displays of resistance build unity and enable moral decontamination.
progressive.org
October 21, 2025 at 6:42 PM
New piece on the value of #NoKings
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
1) repudiating the moral ugliness of the regime;
2) revitalizing the rights/duties that democracy aims to instill;
3) locking arms with one another to build the country we want.
Hope you'll read and share.
#uspol #democracy
progressive.org/latest/what-...
JD Vance defends Young Republicans' group chat as kids joking around online.
Mike Johnson defends Trump's AI shit bombardment video as "satire."
Why aren't we laughing?
#uspol #democracy #MAGA
www.salon.com/2024/11/18/t...
Mike Johnson defends Trump's AI shit bombardment video as "satire."
Why aren't we laughing?
#uspol #democracy #MAGA
www.salon.com/2024/11/18/t...
The corruption of MAGA comedy - Salon.com
The cruelty and crassness of Donald Trump’s dark sense of humor is quickly spreading
www.salon.com
October 21, 2025 at 1:46 PM
JD Vance defends Young Republicans' group chat as kids joking around online.
Mike Johnson defends Trump's AI shit bombardment video as "satire."
Why aren't we laughing?
#uspol #democracy #MAGA
www.salon.com/2024/11/18/t...
Mike Johnson defends Trump's AI shit bombardment video as "satire."
Why aren't we laughing?
#uspol #democracy #MAGA
www.salon.com/2024/11/18/t...
There are assholes out here trying to tell you that today’s demonstrations were useless virtue signaling.
Asserting your values and showing up for each other is never an empty gesture.
We build together. We live in truth. We say NO to moral contamination.
#uspol #democracy #NoKings
Asserting your values and showing up for each other is never an empty gesture.
We build together. We live in truth. We say NO to moral contamination.
#uspol #democracy #NoKings
October 19, 2025 at 2:29 AM
There are assholes out here trying to tell you that today’s demonstrations were useless virtue signaling.
Asserting your values and showing up for each other is never an empty gesture.
We build together. We live in truth. We say NO to moral contamination.
#uspol #democracy #NoKings
Asserting your values and showing up for each other is never an empty gesture.
We build together. We live in truth. We say NO to moral contamination.
#uspol #democracy #NoKings
The thing to remember is that the MAGA fascists want you to feel demoralized. They want you to feel disempowered and complicit. It’s part of their nihilistic plan to dirty everything until you no longer care enough to fight for its preservation.
open.substack.com/pub/xankarn/...
open.substack.com/pub/xankarn/...
Moral Contamination
They Want You to Feel Depleted and Demoralized
open.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 1:47 PM
The thing to remember is that the MAGA fascists want you to feel demoralized. They want you to feel disempowered and complicit. It’s part of their nihilistic plan to dirty everything until you no longer care enough to fight for its preservation.
open.substack.com/pub/xankarn/...
open.substack.com/pub/xankarn/...
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history.
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
substack.com/@xankarn/p-1...
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
substack.com/@xankarn/p-1...
#NoKings and Moral Decontamination
It's been nine months of MAGA degradation. Time for a detox.
substack.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:01 PM
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history.
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
substack.com/@xankarn/p-1...
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
substack.com/@xankarn/p-1...
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history.
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
xankarn.net/2025/10/17/n...
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
xankarn.net/2025/10/17/n...
#NoKings and Moral Decontamination
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal governme…
xankarn.net
October 17, 2025 at 2:39 PM
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history.
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
xankarn.net/2025/10/17/n...
What's it for?
#NoKings #uspol #democracy
xankarn.net/2025/10/17/n...
#NoKings and Moral Decontamination
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal government is now animated by a mixture of incompetence, criminality,…
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal government is now animated by a mixture of incompetence, criminality,…
#NoKings and Moral Decontamination
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal government is now animated by a mixture of incompetence, criminality, cruelty, and cowardice. All of this produces real harm which impacts countless individuals. It could be you or someone else.
xankarn.net
October 17, 2025 at 2:31 PM
#NoKings and Moral Decontamination
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal government is now animated by a mixture of incompetence, criminality,…
We are on the eve of something consequential. With more than 2,600 events planned for tomorrow, this could be the biggest exercise of civil resistance in the country’s history. The federal government is now animated by a mixture of incompetence, criminality,…
Reposted by Alexander Karn
Roberts has always felt that the suggestion that white people might discriminate on the basis of race is a profound moral injustice, much greater than black people being denied the right to vote bsky.app/profile/jayw...
Everything about John Roberts's approach to the Voting Rights Act makes sense when you remember that John Roberts has has always been hostile to the Voting Rights Act, never believed it was appropriate, and has spent most of his 45-year legal career working to hollow it out.
One of the Biggest Cases of the Supreme Court’s Term Is John Roberts’ Decadeslong Pet Project
If there’s one thing the Roberts court has been consistent on, it’s this.
slate.com
October 16, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Roberts has always felt that the suggestion that white people might discriminate on the basis of race is a profound moral injustice, much greater than black people being denied the right to vote bsky.app/profile/jayw...
October 15, 2025 at 1:45 AM