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Cord J. Whitaker

@profcwhit.bsky.social
253 followers 57 following 48 posts

Professor and author at Wellesley. Substacker at DIVERSITY DIFFERENTLY: diversitydifferently.substack.com; Consultant at sagelycreative.com.

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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Excitedly on my way to UT Arlington for the 2026 Hermanns Lecture Series: The Global Middle Ages. And joyously whiling away my flight with Learning to Talk Shop from Susie Phillips and @pennpress.bsky.social .
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
Colored Conventions Project celebrating Fred Douglass’s bday right now. So Good! www.youtube.com/live/-pnjHzD...
youtube.com
Douglass Day 2026
YouTube video by Douglass Day
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Reposted by Cord J. Whitaker
Claire E. Aubin @ceaubin.com · 10/02/2026
Hey, Bluesky history nerds! Who are your favorite pre-modern historians on here?
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Proud to publish this reflection in Pasts Imperfect. Thank you to PI’s incredible team!
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Deserving Martin Luther King Jr. Join us for today’s special podcast interview with friend, colleague, teacher, and spiritual leader Maurice Wallace! #mlk diversitydifferently.substack.com/p/deserving-...
diversitydifferently.substack.com
Deserving Martin Luther King, Jr.
A Conversation with Rev. Dr. Maurice Wallace
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
substack.com/@diversitydi... listen here for our interview with documentary filmmaker Sheila Marshall on working with story toward “a vision of going forward…together…without fear”
substack.com
Learning without Judgment
Listen now | An Interview with Filmmaker Sheila Marshall
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 02/11/2025
In my world, the holiday season IS deviled egg season (and my mom makes a mean one!). And of course it’s medieval. Many, many of the good things are!
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 11/10/2025
Had a beautiful night in DC at Folger Shakespeare Library last night exploring resistance through the dual lenses of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and the life and legacy of Malcolm X. I highly recommend Julius X. Running through Oct 26. If you can get to DC, see it. www.folger.edu/whats-on/jul...
folger.edu
Folger Theatre: Julius X
Al Letson harmonizes with Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" in his retelling of the story, "Julius X: A Re-envisioning of The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare."
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
Philly area folks, Major benefit concert next weekend! With some of my fave ppl singing and benefiting my fave community orgs @calvaryumcphilly.bsky.social & Calvary Ctr for Culture & Commy. Come! Support Love!
Poster for Benefit Concert Sat, Oct 4, 1 pm for Calvary. At 4801 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia. Songs of Justice & Inclusion
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Thursday 7 ET/ 4 PT. Join us for Myth Making, Myth Breaking: California at 175. I’ll be speaking on California as Medieval Dream.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
New logo. New season. New pod. Diversity Differently is back! Episode 1: The Story of Your Morning Coffee: and what you can do about it--is available now. Link in the comments.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
This was one of my favorite projects to be a part of in recent memory. Get your syllabus ready for the fall. Check out Throughlines today.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
From my favorite commentator on the soul, culture, and life: my wife!-on the #Fourth and never asking permission for what’s already yours.
Title: “Freedom Cut Me Loose.” 
Hello and Happy Friday,
In the United States, today is a day that we celebrate our country’s Declaration of Independence from its colonial power, England. This year, as with many before, a lot of people do not feel like celebrating.As an academic, I could tell you lots of stories about the concept of nation, how humans tend to use it to categorize themselves and others, what has worked and what hasn’t in history as far as peaceful coexistence. But I don’t want to go into all of that. You’d certainly stop reading quickly. Instead, I want to talk about Beyoncé.

This summer, Beyoncé is touring the world claiming her southern, cowboy heritage, draping herself in the American flag, and stating proudly that you should “never ask permission for what already belongs to you.” It’s genius. And she’s doing work at a level that we can all contribute to. She’s changing what we call in French “l’imaginaire” - the broad common cultural conception of what’s possible. Instead of accepting something the way it is, she’s inserting herself into it and therefore transforming it. She’s saying: “why not me? What if I was never not part of this?”

I often read lamentations on social media about how hard it is to be okay at a time when things feel oppressive and harsh. There is a very normal and common tendency for us to match or mirror the experience of others in order to show care. Most of us are trained to do it so early in our lives that we have never not done it.

But, what’s powerful, is that when you actually allow yourself to be okay, to claim joy, to stand steady in the knowing of what already belongs to you, then you become a resource. Your okayness works at the level of the imaginary—that’s where seeds grow.

What is it to be free now?

If you’d like to know more about this practice, follow the links below. We’re starting our easy-access one-month class on July 15th. Leadership coaching is available as well and we’re starting a new program for healthcare and medical professionals soon.

Have a lovely weekend,

Lesley

“If I could not be peaceful in the midst of danger, then the kind of peace I might have in simpler times is meaningless.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 26/03/2025
punkrockflea.market/livestream/4... If you’re a vintagehead like me, check out my buddy The Captain’s live sale going on right now!
punkrockflea.market
Vintage T-shirts Live Sale!
Shop @captainsvintage's stream on District
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 25/03/2025
In some exciting medieval manuscript news! This makes me downright happy... bbc.com/future/artic...
bbc.com
Lost manuscript of Merlin and King Arthur legend read for the first time after centuries hidden inside another book
For centuries, an intriguing sequel to the tale of Merlin has sat unseen within the bindings of an Elizabethan register. Cutting-edge techniques have revealed it for the first time.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
I ran across this opinion piece today, and it irked me--for a few reasons. Mainly its breezy and self-assured association of Christianity with the political right. Nah, that's not gonna fly anymore. www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...
usatoday.com
'White Lotus' reflects new reality. We voted for Trump − and we're not weird. | Opinion
A scene from HBO's 'The White Lotus' highlighted a vibe shift in America, where even the entertainment industry has to admit that conservatives exist.
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U.S. Representative Al Green @algreen.house.gov · 16/03/2025
Mary Prince escaped in 1828, sharing her story and those of enslaved women. In 1831, The History of Mary Prince became the first account of a Black enslaved woman’s life published in the UK, inspiring the anti-slavery movement. 158 days to Slavery Remembrance Day. #CountDowntoSRD
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
The objective of Premodern Critical Race Studies distilled: “….Let us be necromancers of the past in order to steward lives in the present. It is in rising up that revolution breaks out of orbit and creates universes entirely new.”
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
Were I not so preoccupied with the medievalist fascism on display in the current White House I’d write about the medievalist fashion on display at London Fashion Week. www.vogue.com/article/lond...
vogue.com
At London Fashion Week, Lots of Armor—and a Literal Knight
From Denzil Patrick’s jousting brotherhood to Di Petsa’s male and female knights in shining armor—chestplates and armory were approached with differing perspectives.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
A lovely op-ed (mirroring some of my own thoughts) on a beautiful GREEN morning. www.usatoday.com/story/sports.... #flyeaglesfly
usatoday.com
Opinion: Super Bowl a rejection of Trump's vision for America
New Orleans jazz, Kendrick Lamar's halftime show, even the Philadelphia Eagles' victory a reminder of all that's good in America.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 08/02/2025
My nail artist is a freehand badass. Let's do this! GO BIRDS!!! 🦅 #flyeaglesfly
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Why did I briefly consider buying this? 😂 Go Birds! #flyeaglesfly 6abc.com/post/snow-co...
6abc.com
Snow collected from Lincoln Financial Field after Eagles' playoff win is now for sale
You can own a piece of Philadelphia Eagles playoff history - just don't let it get too warm.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 20/01/2025
First episode in our new podcast! As we celebrate (and grieve) #MLK and grieve today’s new chapter in the U.S., what is it to grieve well? Give us a listen. We keep it short.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
A conference worth attending if you can. It’s always a treat to hear Alastair Minnis—and St Andrews is nice in July!
Poster for Global Glossing: Transnational Commentary in the Later Middle Ages. A conference to be held July 19 at U of St Andrew’s, in person and online
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Reposted by Cord J. Whitaker
Erich Hatala Matthes @ehatmat.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
A starter pack for folks who want to follow @wellesleycollege.bsky.social faculty and staff. Happy to add more folks: just let me know.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 11/12/2024
Hello again Bluesky! @sagelyculture.bsky.social has had such response to our Healing Racism Intensive that we have added options. Please check it out and join us with the option that works best for you. Link in comments.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Also, a new favorite lately.
Poem: “Hope Is Not a Bird, Emily, It’s a Sewer Rat” (Caitlin Seida)
Hope is not the thing with feathers That comes home to roost
When you need it most. [Poem continues from here and can be found in its entirety in accessible formats online]
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Hi Bluesky! At Sagely, we're offering a 3-evening online intensive for white-identified leaders. Come learn how to do #antiracism work better, w/ less burnout, and w/ yourself as your main tool. Currently scheduled Dec 17, 18, 19 (hmu if ur interested yet need diff dates or have ?s). Link in cmts
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
And since many of us are struggling with grief right now--for the nation and its future. There are skills to get through, and even thrive, in times like these. Read Essential Skills in Turbulent Times. Link in bio and comments.
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Cord J. Whitaker @profcwhit.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
Hello Bluesky! I am a prof of English in medieval lit & culture and the history of race @wellesleycollege.bsky.social. I consult in how to build inclusive org cultures with @sagelyculture.bsky.social. I love cats, adore dogs, and get good energy from being with other people and with very old books.
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