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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Read what @nhannahjones.bsky.social wrote. Putting her choices on trial is a waste of everyone's time. Instead, this essay should have us all talking about why racism still so powerfully shapes the education our children receive—and what we’re going to do about it.

nytimes.com

In Fighting for Every Black Child, Did I Betray My Own? (Gift Article)

A decade ago, I made a decision about my daughter’s education that I hoped would challenge New York City’s separate and unequal school system. Now 16, she thinks I made the wrong choice.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Here is what I can’t get past: if the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission stops collecting employer reports, no future administration can fill in the missing years. They’re just gone. That’s how civil-rights enforcement gets weaker without the law changing. My latest for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

The US agency that fights workplace discrimination just voted to stop measuring it | Jamil Smith

Republicans have moved to dismantle a 60-year-old demographic reporting system. Now the agency wants to choose what it sees

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Democracy asks power to submit to the public’s judgment and accountability. Trump is trying to reverse that relationship: to make the public submit to his. Every loss becomes fraud, every voter who rejects him a suspect, every rule that might restrain him negotiable. I wrote about where it leads.

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Rebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The Trump family and administration's embrace of the Tate brothers and intervention on their behalf shows that whatever Donald Trump doesn't want us to know about his association with Jeffrey Epstein, the same vicious misogyny persists. The Tates are the new Epstein.

According to Heidi Blake’s thorough investigation of Tate in the New Yorker earlier this month, the Trump administration intervened last year to buffer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan from the consequences of their criminal charges in Romania. The Tate and Trump circles, she also reports, have overlapped at Mar-a-Lago.

‘Petro-masculinity’ is destroying the planet. Can eco-masculinity help save it?
Read more
She’s not the only one digging into the connections. A December New York Times report by Megan Twohey and Isabella Kwai quotes a text message by Tate, reviewed by the outlet, from January 2025: “I had word from The Trump admin that theyre on top of things. Ive been told ill be free soon but Trump needs to see me in Miami.” Two Trump sons, Don Jr and Barron, have reportedly cultivated friendships with Andrew, though the White House told the Times that it was not involved in the Tates’ legal matters, and the Tates’ lawyer said the outlet’s findings about Andrew and Barron were “fake news”.

It’s pointless to debate who’s worse, Epstein or Tate. Their monstrous misogyny echoes their respective eras. Epstein seemed a relic of the 1980s obsessed with clawing his way into elite circles and obsessed with recruiting and abusing pubescent to young adult women. Tate on the other hand, came up through the 21st-century machinery of the manosphere, which is in turn largely a part of the internet and the powerful men who run it. But both seem to define masculinity through the dehumanization of women and girls.

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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 14/07/2026

"A government that conceals its identity cannot demand perfect recognition from frightened civilians," writes @jamilsmith.bsky.social. "ICE mistook Lorenzo Salgado Araujo for another man. He was expected to identify ICE instantly. Only one side was allowed to make an error."

theguardian.com

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is dead. How long will ICE be allowed to hide its face? | Jamil Smith

A government that demands instant obedience while concealing its identity cannot expect trust – or escape responsibility for the consequences

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Calling this Fourth “America’s 250th birthday” indulges a comfortable fiction. Juneteenth is our more honest Independence Day, and the American experiment dates back well before 1776. Yet we’re getting a birthday party when what this nation needs is us focused on repair.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

Montgomery Square, the newest @eji.org Legacy Site, memorializes the Montgomery bus boycott and modern Civil Rights Movement. It is also a warning to all of us. I talked with Bryan Stevenson about memory, erasure, and what history demands for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

New monument turns Rosa Parks’s booking number into warning on US erasure

‘We have come too far to turn around now,’ the monument on Alabama’s Montgomery Square reads

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Mississippi’s governor just called Bennie Thompson’s time in Congress a “reign of terror.” Who, precisely, is terrified here? And of what, or whom? My new column for @us.theguardian.com on what the post-Callais redistricting wave is actually building.

theguardian.com

The Republican project isn’t to win in November. It’s to make November cease to matter | Jamil Smith

New electoral maps are erasing Black representations. The effort takes its cues from American history

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is all but dead. We’re going to need a new one. My latest column for @us.theguardian.com, in which I argue that the next VRA must include a total ban on federal gerrymandering.

theguardian.com

The next Voting Rights Act must outlaw gerrymandering | Jamil Smith

The supreme court has gutted one of the strongest federal tools we had against the most effective weapon in US politics

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Guardian US @us.theguardian.com · 04/05/2026

"The court has essentially ruled that unless a legislator records a confession of their own bigotry, the map is constitutional – making the only person allowed to define a racist act the person committing it," writes @jamilsmith.bsky.social.

theguardian.com

The supreme court trusts America not to be racist. I don’t | Jamil Smith

The Callais decision is predicated on the idea that American leaders will act justly on their own. That premise has already been proven hollow

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Clara Jeffery @clarajeffery.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

The political project is to guide millions of Brads to the realization that they fell for a con and to give them hope that better futures are possible and theirs is not a zero sum game against others.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Protesters in 2020 dumped a Christopher Columbus statue into Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Trump just installed a replica on the White House grounds. This isn’t about preserving history. It’s about asserting the power to rewrite it. My latest for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

Protesters dumped a Columbus statue in 2020. Trump installed a replica near the White House

The statue isn’t about preserving history – it’s about asserting the power to rewrite it

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 15/03/2026

Threatening broadcast licenses over war coverage isn’t media oversight. It’s the language of governments that want obedience instead of journalism. What FCC chairman Brendan Carr wrote should alarm anyone who cares about a free press. And “anyone” needs to be all of us.

nytimes.com

F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses Over War Coverage

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Six years ago today, police killed Breonna Taylor during a no-knock raid at her home. She wasn’t even the target of the investigation. Now the Trump DOJ is doing away with the rules meant to prevent another tragedy like hers. My latest for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

Six years after Breonna Taylor’s death, America is weakening the rules that could have saved her | Jamil Smith

Following Taylor’s death, the US limited no-knock warrants. But the Trump administration has quietly rescinded those limits

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

When presidents ask the country to support a war, honesty is not optional. Those disfiguring decisions outlast the headlines. They survive the presidents who made them. What remains are the people left to carry the consequences. My latest for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

In a Trump war, with great power comes no responsibility | Jamil Smith

When presidents ask the country to support a war, honesty is not optional

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Grateful for the chance to join @sykescharlie.bsky.social on "To the Contrary." We discussed tariffs, executive power, and how racism continues to function as a structural vulnerability in American democracy. Watch here, or listen wherever you get your podcasts. youtu.be/9Cx6i8r1ldQ?...

youtu.be

"Trump Uses Racism to Weaken American Democracy"

YouTube video by To the Contrary With Charlie Sykes

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

I’ve joined @us.theguardian.com as a columnist. I’ll be on my usual beat, covering power, identity, and culture — with an eye on how people advance civil rights outside of electoral politics. I'm looking forward to the work ahead.

theguardian.com

The Guardian announces Jamil Smith as new columnist

A renowned commentator and media critic, Smith brings more than 25 years’ experience shaping public discourse on the intersection of politics, culture and identity

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Hatred cannot govern a country effectively. Prior to this morning's arrest of journalists for doing their jobs, I wrote about this government using fear as policy in the Twin Cities, and why racist governance is bad governance. My first column for @us.theguardian.com.

theguardian.com

Minneapolis is in a state of chaos. Racist immigration policies are to blame | Jamil Smith

What is happening in Minnesota is proof that racist ideas lead to racist policies – and it produces bad, dangerous governance

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Don’t say this is “un-American.” If journalists are being arrested for doing journalism, then we are not the America we claim to be. That just means we have work to do. I stand with Don Lemon and Georgia Fort and those demanding their immediate release.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Indeed. We and our forebears have been sounding this warning for generations.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

My final article as @theemancipator.org’s Editor-in-Chief, with contributions from @renee.bsky.social, @victorerikray.bsky.social, and many more who have helped make this magazine what it has been. Please read and share.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

Racism is an emergency. Why don’t enough journalists and media outlets treat it as such? For my final article as @theemancipator.org’s Editor-in-chief, I addressed the need for our industry to do better, and quickly. theemancipator.org/2025/06/12/t...

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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

If like any sane, moral person you think this administration's immigration policy is cruel, inhumane, and brutal, there are probably better ways to spend your time than lecturing the people harmed by that policy about patriotism and proper decorum when protesting what's being done to them.

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Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 09/06/2025

Homan recently said Newsom hasn't done anything yet to warrant arrest and Trump making it clear he wants his political opponents jailed.

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Adam Rose @adamrose.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

Law enforcement is violently targeting press at protests around Los Angeles, from easily recognizable "mainstream" outlets to freelancers and independents. ALL press have explicit legal protections in California. #JournalismIsNotACrime. This evidence thread may get graphic. 🧵👇

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Since the AG doesn't seem to be getting ethics guidance from her team these days, I wanted to make sure she has the rule in the Justice Manual in front of her, which expressly prohibits this.

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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

DOJ as we have known it, as a place where prosecutors from the AG on down do the right thing, for the right reason, in the right way, is over.

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 06/06/2025

not enough said about how, by turning the national government against states on the basis of ordinary political disagreement, trump is undermining the idea that the union is worthwhile. www.cnn.com/2025/06/06/p...

cnn.com

Trump preparing large-scale cancellation of federal funding for California, sources say | CNN Politics

The Trump administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding to California, an effort which could begin as soon as Friday, according to multiple sources.

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Marcelius Braxton @marceliusb.bsky.social · 01/03/2025

The tactics Trump used with Zelensky don’t shock Black USians because the gov has always used the same with us: 1) Be respectful/“professional” even if they aren’t. 2) To get help, expect to give up resources. 3) Be thankful/grovel for crumbs or be punished. 4) Say/do what they want or expect rage.

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

Literal villainy. I suspected this may have been at least one motivation behind the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Standing alongside Netanyahu, Trump made it plain.

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Frankie Huang 黄碧赤 @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Can we please remember that very recently South Korea showed us all what we should do when the president does illegal shit

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Note for fellow journalists reporting or commenting on this story.

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 29/01/2025

Dr. Leah Barlow, an African American Studies professor, went viral on TikTok when she shared course syllabus intended for her undergraduate students. To her surprise, "HillmanTok University," a free virtual educational community, was created. www.tiktok.com/@the_emancip...

tiktok.com

It’s time for class! Leah Barlow @Dr. Barlow’s Intro to Af-Am, an African American Studies professor at North Carolina A&T State University, went viral on TikTok when she shared course syllabus and r...

TikTok video by The Emancipator

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Jamil Smith @jamilsmith.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

Follow the thread, read the op-ed. Grateful that @victorerikray.bsky.social published this with us in @theemancipator.org.

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🗽LOLGOP🗽 @lolgop.bsky.social · 25/01/2025

One consequence of abortion no longer being a right is that it sets Trump and Project 2025 free to do everything they can to eliminate family planning and increase unwanted pregnancies and abortions along with pregnancy-related deaths.

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 24/01/2025

Americans’ health has long been unequal, but a new study shows that the disparity between the life expectancies of different populations has nearly doubled since 2000. Via @kffhealthnews.bsky.social theemancipator.org/2025/01/24/t...

theemancipator.org

The growing inequality in life expectancy among Americans

To deliver on pledges from the new Trump administration, policymakers will need to close gaps in longevity among racial and ethnic groups.

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 24/01/2025

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts' message is, in the end, resolutely anti-American. "According to him there is but one way to structure your household, one way to pray (and one God to worship), only one way to live," culture critic Tope Folarin writes. theemancipator.org/2025/01/24/t...

theemancipator.org

'Dawn’s Early Light': Kevin Roberts’ vision for America is a dark rejection of pluralism

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts’ vision in “Dawn’s Early Light,” argues for a homogenous America defined by conservative values.

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 21/01/2025

Civil rights scholar Peniel Joseph reflects upon the unfortunate synchronicity the nation experienced on Jan. 20th. "In an Orwellian display of dissemblance, President Donald Trump’s inaugural address tried to claim parts of King’s legacy." theemancipator.org/2025/01/21/t...

theemancipator.org

The jarring juxtaposition of Trump’s inauguration on MLK Day

A civil rights scholar reflects upon the unfortunate synchronicity the nation experienced on January 20th.

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Frankie Huang 黄碧赤 @ourobororoboruo.bsky.social · 20/01/2025

It’s coronation day on the hill, brilliantly depicted by the inimitable @jeremywins.bsky.social for @theemancipator.org

MAGA shaman, Vance, Mike Johnson and Musk on stage with a smug Trump crowning himself Napoleon style. Off stage, hungry supplicants Bezos and Zuckerberg look on amidst cheering MAGA crowd waving guns, tiki torches, and a noose

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 20/01/2025

Martin Luther King Jr. and a multiracial coalition of other leaders recognized shared struggles against racial and economic injustice. More than 30 activists, scholars, and leaders told us how Black and Brown communities can build a modern-era coalition. theemancipator.org/2025/01/20/t...

theemancipator.org

How can Black and Brown communities combine their collective might for the fight ahead?

As Donald Trump retakes office, activists, lawmakers, and academics build on Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of community organizing.

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The Emancipator @theemancipator.org · 06/01/2025

“January 6th was a continuation of White people rioting when they don’t get their way,” the Enfield mayor told The Emancipator, calling the seditionist siege an instance of “the unchecked benefit of Whiteness.” theemancipator.org/2025/01/06/t...

theemancipator.org

The all-American violence of the Jan. 6 insurrection

Throughout our history, periods of transformative change are inextricably linked to violent uprisings.

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