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Michelle S. Phelps

@michellesphelps.bsky.social
3.3K followers 1.2K following 486 posts

Professor at UMN, Sociologist, Mom | Books: Breaking the Pendulum on criminal justice & The Minneapolis Reckoning on the politics of policing | www.michellesphelps.com.

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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Remember friends, just because you (cough, AI) can run wildly complex regression model doesn't always mean you should. Sometimes a line graph will do, truly.
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Matt DeLong @mattdelong.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
University of Minnesota announces $225 million in budget cuts across all campuses
startribune.com
University of Minnesota announces $225 million in budget cuts across all campuses
It comes after the U approved a budget in June raising students’ tuition by 3.8%, the sixth consecutive year of increases for the U.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is such depressing news. Canopy Roots' BCR was one of the few big innovations in public safety after 2020 that Minneapolis continued. I am skeptical that bringing in a new org from AZ is the right move.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Follow here for a live thread on new research and advocacy related to Operation Metro Surge in MN.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Do you know a student thinking about a PhD in Soc? @umnsociology.bsky.social is running a how to apply workshop in October and encourage all to join! More info at: cla.umn.edu/sociology/gr...
Event flyer for event on Oct. 21, 1-2:30pm featuring professors Mike Esposito and Michelle Phelps. Learn more about the Ph.D program at the University of Minnesota.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Apparently I managed to come down with both a sinus infection & bronchitis in first (two) weeks of the semester. Yayyyy, really starting F26 with a bang (of snot).
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Delighted to be included in Racket's Flyover news this week, talking about how the people of Minneapolis and the broader Twin Cities metro area built up a muscle memory of resistance before the DHS winter occupation.
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I feel like we’re really overdue for a thread of things that have changed for women in your lifetime. I’m interested in good and bad things. Any little life moment that would feel unbelievable if it happened in 2026.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I keep getting these AI-written emails with banger subject lines like "Michelle, your Minneapolis Reckoning won two major awards and has 4 Amazon reviews two years later." 😂 Authors -- are there actually things to you can do to improve the book pages' keywords and such (w/o the scammy cash grab)?
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American Sociological Association @asanews.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Watch this interview w/ ASA member Michelle Phelps for insights into how the Minneapolis 2020 protests grew out of years of organizing and also built networks that powered this year's resistance to ICE. @michellesphelps.bsky.social @perrybaconjr.bsky.social @newrepublic.com
bit.ly
How the 2020 Minneapolis Protests Set Up the City To Fight ICE
In the latest episode, Perry is joined by sociologist Michelle Phelps to trace how Minneapolis’s 2020 protests built the networks that powered this year’s resistance to ICE.
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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Link to Michelle Phelps' website and information about her excellent book published in 2024: The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America
michellesphelps.com
Policing in Minneapolis
The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America was published in May 2024 with Princeton University Press. The book traces the history of the MPD, from its founding ...
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Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"Minneapolis was on Trump’s target list." There were indications the administration wanted to prompt a redux of the unrest of 2020, and to instigate state violence. "The helicopters circling reminded people of traumatic memories, but so did the community coming together in protest and solidarity."
But the other thing that’s important to tie to 2020, and that doesn’t have to do with Minneapolis in and of itself and its resistance capacity, is that we were on Trump’s target list, right? And there were lots of indications that the administration was directly trying to prompt a redux of the unrest of 2020, and to have it end with more state violence. And that was in people’s minds too, this idea that the president is attacking the city politically, that this is a politically motivated invasion of federal agents, and that there is an attempt of federal provocation to get people to riot, to instigate a more repressive state response.

And people remembered the memories of 2020, for both good and bad. The helicopters circling reminded people of traumatic memories, but so did the community coming together in protest and solidarity. And I think that really helped in terms of people resisting, but also resisting in ways that didn’t play into that hand, right? Resisting in ways that kept a public order, even in the midst of this pretty active resistance to a federal occupation.
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Dan Hirschman @asociologist.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Science writ large is under assault. I hope folks in the social sciences keep this in mind as we sort through competing explanations of “what went wrong” - it’s got to be more than something specific to any one field, or even to the social sciences as a whole.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The New Republic has a great series, Right Now with @perrybaconjr.bsky.social, that's been revisiting summer 2020, "woke 1.0," and calls to shrink the police. Catch convos with @devawo.bsky.social, yrs trly, and @alexvitale.bsky.social on Substack: newrepublic.substack.com/s/right-now-...
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
NEW: ICE data released under the Freedom of Information Act reveals that more than half of all ICE arrests are now people with no criminal record; no prior convictions or pending charges. In the first week of August, 55% of all ICE arrests were of people with no criminal record.
Chart showing monthly ICE arrests by criminal record, January 2025 through July 2026. The chart shows total ICE arrests rising steadily from January 2025, then peaking and falling from January 2026 to February 2026, stabilizing, then rising again in June and July to record levels. Meanwhile, the composition of ICE arrests becomes more and more weighted towards people with no criminal record, and in July 2026, the majority are people with no criminal record.
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Sam Levin @samtlevin.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
A Minnesota religious studies professor is facing six years in prison, with the DOJ saying he is part of an "antifa" conspiracy against ICE Erik Davis speaks out about his prosecution, largely based on a handful of his comments in Signal chats. He's not accused of any violence “It’s petty revenge"
theguardian.com
The professor facing prison in ‘antifa’ case: ‘They want to scare all who oppose ICE’
Erik Davis is accused by the government of a ‘conspiracy’ to obstruct ICE – experts say it’s part of a pattern to criminalize lawful organizing and ruin activists’ lives
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Sami Schalk @drsamischalk.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Police murdered a Black man in the street in Madison WI today. Shot point blank in the head while on the ground, tased, and surrounded by four cops. It looks like an execution. Multiple videos circulating online. Things are about to get very bad here.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
They made so few mistakes in Minnesota that two people were murdered, the ICE head was let go, and the agency has been sued numerous times for its crimes. Other than that? Flawless.
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Jessica Bari @jessicabari.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
With funding cuts to mental health and addiction treatment services... I've been thinking a lot about the future of 988. All the data points to there's still a demand for it... www.kff.org/mental-healt...
kff.org
988 Enters Its Fourth Year as Demand Grows and the Mental Health and Substance Use Landscape Shifts | KFF
Data as of March 2026 show that demand for 988 continues to rise, with the volume of calls, texts, and chats 15% higher than a year earlier and nearly 50% higher than two years ago. States are also an...
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I just renamed the document "Books to Buy -- Winter 2024" that I have been continuously editing (but not apparently buying fast enough) to "Books to Buy -- Running list" 😂 I am going to bury myself in books eventually
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Sarah Gollust @sarahgollust.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Did you write your comment yet on the OMB rules on federally funded science yet? No? Don’t worry, you can do it this weekend. Here are some resources that can help you get started.
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Dissent Magazine @dissentmag.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
While the phrase “worst of the worst” was already part of the lexicon of immigration enforcement before Donald Trump, his administration has routinely wielded it as a tool for advancing a radical, white-nationalist agenda.
dissentmagazine.org
The Uses and Abuses of the “Worst of the Worst” - Dissent Magazine
While the “worst of the worst” was already part of the lexicon of immigration enforcement before Donald Trump, his administration has routinely wielded it as a tool for advancing a radical, white-nationalist agenda.
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Human Rights Watch @hrw.org · 18/06/2026
NEW: The Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of federal immigration agents to Minnesota led to widespread human rights violations. In a new report, HRW documents how the US government’s “Operation Metro Surge” caused a human rights crisis in Minnesota. Learn more: bit.ly/44dMOht
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kvconner.bsky.social @kvconner.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
🎁Opinion by Will Bunch Gift Article Link in Replies/Comments The ‘Minneapolis 15’ ICE-protester indictments are meant to shut you up An outrageous federal conspiracy case against 15 anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota really seeks to silence all dissent. @willbunch.bsky.social
share.inquirer.com
The Minneapolis 15 ICE-protester indictments are meant to shut you up | Will Bunch
An outrageous federal conspiracy case against 15 anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota really seeks to silence all dissent.
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
Now in #paperback, The Minneapolis Reckoning by @michellesphelps.bsky.social is an urgent account of why it’s so difficult to reform the police. Read a free preview & save 30% with code PUP30: press.princeton.edu/books/paperb... #Sociology
The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America by Michelle S. Phelps
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Keith Ellison, Minnesota Attorney General @keithellison.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Honoring the man convicted of murdering George Floyd the week of the anniversary is frankly shocking. Chauvin was convicted by a jury of his peers and was affirmed through every appeal. It shows cruelty to the Floyd family and disrespect to our courts and all Minnesotans. No one is above the law.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis...
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Wedge LIVE!™ @wedge.live · 26/05/2026
Check out @taylordahlin.com for coverage of the Rise and Remember Festival at George Floyd Square.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Six years. Reflecting again today on learning the right lessons from summer 2020.
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Mara Abolish I.C.E. @mauratwit.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Two book recs for today: Excellent work on George Floyd’s life & ancestry before it was taken by Chauvin & the MPD. And then @michellesphelps.bsky.social book about the failures of the City of Minneapolis in the wake of his death.
HIS NAME IS
GEORGE
ONE MAN'S LIFE and THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
FLOYD
ROD-:
ROBERT SAMUELS and TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA of The Washington Post
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Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Now in #paperback, The Minneapolis Reckoning by @michellesphelps.bsky.social is an urgent account of why it’s so difficult to reform the police. Learn more: press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America by Michelle S. Phelps
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chuckmertz.bsky.social @chuckmertz.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
NEW FREE HELL! @michellesphelps.bsky.social on "The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America" (@princetonupress.bsky.social). "If you don't change culture, no policy reform, training or even accountability is going to fix it." www.patreon.com/posts/new-fr...
patreon.com
NEW FREE HELL! "Culture Eats Policy for Breakfast" | This Is Hell!
NEW FREE HELL! "Culture Eats Policy for Breakfast" by This Is Hell! on Patreon. Join This Is Hell!'s community for exclusive content and updates.
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Daniel Suitor @danielsuitor.com · 18/05/2026
I understand the frustration that charges for the killers of Renee Good and Alex Pretti haven't been filed yet, but good work takes time and that's even when the Feds aren't doing everything they can to obstruct the process. Hopefully the case for the people who shot Julio Sosa-Celis is instructive
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chuckmertz.bsky.social @chuckmertz.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Tues.: @ineteconomics.bsky.social' Arjun Jayadev on “Against Money," (@uchicagopress.bsky.social). Weds.: @michellesphelps.bsky.social, author of, "The Minneapolis Reckoning: Race, Violence, and the Politics of Policing in America" (@princetonupress.bsky.social). www.patreon.com/posts/this-w...
patreon.com
This Week in Hell!
This Week in Hell!
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ApocalypticaNow @apocalypticanow.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
Spoke recently to a friend of mine who runs a lab. This administration is profoundly, maybe irreversibly, undermining the foundations of scientific research in the US. We won't feel the effects right away but they're coming
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Every year, the remembrance around George Floyd's murder grows quieter and right-wing attempts to retcon the meaning and significance of those massive protests grows louder. Apparently we've now reached the racist joke stage of that process. It's v grim.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
My two fave typos from today's grading -- "pirate universities" [PRIVATE universities) and "killing as they wait" [killing TIME as they wait]. Just a delight. (At least it's not the other "public")
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James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 11/05/2026
Back in the day physicists used to write spoof papers to prank social science journals. Now they just need to throw in some chatbot prompts. Progress!
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Dylan Hayre @dylanhayre.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Few organizations I've worked alongside for as long as, and respect as much as #Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC). And few states have been at the center of this work the way Minnesota has been—for years. Check out this incredible conversation from the MNJRC about the future of their work.
youtu.be
Advancing Justice in Minnesota: A Forward-Looking Discussion with MNJRC (Recording - February 2026)
YouTube video by Minnesota Justice Research Center
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Yessss!! Academia would be better if the incentives were such that people read more and published less.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Linked In's no doubt AI-fueled jobs tab just suggested I apply to work as Adjunct Instructor at the university where I'm a full professor. 😂 So the good news is I don't think the robots are *quite* ready for their takeover.
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Wes Burdine @wesburdine.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Happy May Day! I fucking love it here
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Christina Wolbrecht @cwolbrecht.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
As @mcopelov.bsky.social reminds me, I'm going to have to update my voting rights timeline...
A timeline of voting rights in the US from the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 until around 2018, highlighting the restrictions of those rights on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, and age over time. The figure highlights the period between 1965 (Voting Rights Act) and 2013 (Shelby v Holder) as the high point of democratic elections in the US.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Re the Voting Rights Act: I've used this graph a lot to illustrate how the VRA largely ended the historic pattern of blocking and burdening Black voters in the south. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
graph shows a dramatic increase in black registration after the voting right act
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Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
We must understand that the Voting Rights Act was not merely about ensuring Black Americans rights, it was about democratizing America. This ruling is not just a decimation of Black rights and Black Americans’ ability to have representation, it is a fatal blow to multiracial democracy.
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Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Small point but today illustrates pretty clearly why they were so obsessed with banning critical race theory. Derrick Bell’s work predicts this type of regression on rights.
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John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
NEW from @pewresearch.org: Gun suicides in the US reached their highest level ever in 2024, according to recently published CDC data. Gun homicides declined sharply, pushing the total number of gun deaths down for the third consecutive year. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Line chart showing how the annual number of gun suicides and gun homicides in the United States has changed since 1968. The chart is based on a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
I'm going to be hooding my first solo doctoral advisee at commencement next week (🎊) and the happy occasion prompted me to recall that I haven't actually attended a graduation since my own high school ceremony. 😳 looking forward to breaking the streak, lol
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Michelle S. Phelps @michellesphelps.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
The number of AI emails I get from "marketers" using my own book description to pitch me on my work is wild. A whole new kinda spam.
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