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Caleb Smith

@smithcal.bsky.social
736 followers 534 following 360 posts

Historian, Professor at Hamilton College (all views and opinions expressed are mine alone), PhD, writing about the neoliberal shift of Black politics in Chicago from 1929 to 1994, race, class, and 20th century U.S. political history. he\him\his

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Reposted by Caleb Smith
Justin Zimmerman @jztidecat.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A large portion of Americans have learned nothing and still don’t understand their responsibilities as voters.
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Paul Marvin @paulmarvin.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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jenn m. jackson @jennmjacksonphd.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I'm so excited to share my newest publication at @thejop.bsky.social "Intersectional Threat" argues that all threats are experienced based on social location and orientation to power. This paper has been under review since Jan 22. I'm SO happy it is finally out. www.academia.edu/176155961/In...
First page of publication
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Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 25/09/2026
“Sure, it’s true that many Black people have reclaimed the word. But the lawsuit is about non-Black Tesla employees and managers abusing Black workers — including allegedly hurling the slur at them in ways that don’t sound like anything resembling gestures of ‘respect and endearment.’”
futurism.com
Tesla Argues in Court That the N-Word Is Acceptable Under Certain Circumstances
An important trial in California kicked off with Tesla's lawyers arguing that the n-word is a term of "respect and endearment."
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Punk Rock History @punkrockhistory.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
44 years ago today Joe Strummer at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. September 25, 1982 What did Joe think at that moment? 🫣 Photo by Ebet Roberts #punk #punks #punkrock #joestrummer #theclash #history #punkrockhistory #otd
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Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The nearly decade-long case of Crystal Mason, who was sentenced to 5 yrs in prison over a voting error, will end with an acquittal The wife of the current district attorney, who fought to keep her conviction in place, asked Crystal if she would consider voting for him
theguardian.com
Texas woman triumphs as court upholds acquittal in voting error case
Crystal Mason has spent nearly a decade fighting conviction for casting provisional ballot that ultimately wasn’t counted
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 24/09/2026
Never been to the opera before? Now’s your chance. We’re giving away 70,000 free tickets to the @metopera at the iconic Lincoln Center. Go to on.nyc.gov/opera to enter the lottery. There’s not a bad seat in the house.
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Lilly Wachowski @lillywachowski.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Cassie Workman is Witchy AF ep 2 is out! Support trans art!!!
youtu.be
Victorian Ghosts, Séances & the Women Who Changed History | #WITCHYAF
YouTube video by Etch
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David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My old boss has asked me to give his new book a social media bump, because he has wisely chosen never to set up his own account! So I’m happy to announce that ‘Britain’s Slave Traders: A Hidden History’ is available today in all good bookshops! www.penguin.co.uk/books/460026...
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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
happy first (full) day of fall, bluesky
ina garten in a witch hat saying “If you can't summon the flames directly from hell, store-bought is fine.”
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Mother of Renee Good: I voted for Trump under the impression that these agents were here to protect the citizens of the US, innocents like our family and the others here, against terrorists. Certainly not to accuse those of us here of being terrorists and take precious lives. This is madness.
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Gail Simone @gailsimone.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Writing "wisdom" I hate: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. This is the worst advice ever. It would be better if it was KNOW MORE SO YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT IT. Every good writer I know is constantly researching and getting new information and asking experts. It's a terrible bit of advice!
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John Gramlich @johngramlich.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
NEW @pewresearch.org survey (n=10,548) shows increasingly negative views about data centers in the US. Just since January, there have been big attitudinal shifts across the demographic and political spectrum. Full analysis: www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...
Bar chart showing that a growing share of Americans think data centers are mostly bad for the environment, home energy costs, local quality of life, local jobs and local tax revenue. The chart is based on two Pew Research Center surveys of U.S. adults, one conducted in January 2026 and the other in August 2026.Chart showing that views of data centers' impact on the environment have become more negative among Americans in a range of demographic and political subgroups. The chart is based on two Pew Research Center surveys of U.S. adults, one conducted in January 2026 and the other in August 2026.
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Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Headline says it all
confrontthehate.com
As CNN, MS NOW, Politico Booted, White Nationalist Outlet Snags White House Press Slot
The White House moves to silence critical reporting—while handing access to a fringe outlet with explicit white nationalist ties.
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Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This aired just the once in 1998 on the live SNL show for which McKay wrote it. It was effectively banned as it never aired again. I wonder why. MEDIA-OPOLY
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Barred and Boujee aka Madiba Dennie @audrelawdamercy.blacksky.app · 21/09/2026
ngl I was stunned by this article's cite to a study showing that 5.4 million children & teens in the US have family caregiving responsibilities @jessicacalarco.com has done lotsa interesting work on how the US uses women in lieu of a social safety net but I had no idea how much labor falls on..kids
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Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 20/09/2026
Americans: oh, look, a systemic issue. I will solve it individually
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Eoin Higgins @eoinhiggins.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
You’re right—that plane shouldn’t have gone there. That’s my fault, and I should have made sure there wasn’t a terminal in the landing path. Would you like me to call emergency services, or assist with lining up takeoffs?
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Yael Schacher @yaelschacher.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
ICE is now disappearing people within the U.S. detention system apnews.com/article/ice-...
apnews.com
AP Exclusive: ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding most detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, in a move that has made it harder for lawyers an...
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Jack Jenkins @jackjenkins.me · 20/09/2026
You, a fall person: Ohmygosh I love fall!! Pumpkins! Cozy sweaters! Hot tea and cider! Pumpkins! Pumpkin Spice Lattes! The changing colors of leaves!!!! Me, a spring and summer person: :: pulls hoddie tight over head :: beware: the time of darkness, cold, decay, and death is nigh
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Anyway, panic is a psy-op. Stay furious. Stay serious. Organize.
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Wear The Peace @wearthepeace.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Dave Matthews from the Dave Matthew's Band holds two signs during his concert reading “stop killing children” and “stop the genocide” in solidarity with Palestine
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Martha S. Jones @marthasjones.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Grateful to be part of this team and its commitment to telling the hard stories with courage and compassion. #francesellenwatkinsharper #hopkinsorphanasylum #hardhistories www.afro.com/archives/re-...
afro.com
Re-Reading the News: Examining the legacy of Frances Ellen W...
Afro Charities hosts “Re-Reading the News” legacy series with Johns Hopkins University during its 150 year anniversary to honor the life and legacy of Frances E...
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Punk Rock History @punkrockhistory.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
47 years ago today Pennie Smith photographed Paul Simonon of The Clash at the New York Palladium, September 20, 1979. She made one of the most famous images in music history. #punk #punks #punkrock #theclash #PaulSimonon #penniesmith #history #punkrockhistory #otd
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Punk Rock History @punkrockhistory.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
37 years ago today HR of Bad Brains at The Ritz, New York City – September 20, 1989. Photo by BJ Papas #punk #punks #punkrock #hardcorepunk #HR #badbrains #history #punkrockhistory #otd
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 19/09/2026
I created a live anti trans ad tracker that tracks all anti trans ad spending on meta and Google. It runs and updates nightly. You can see ad campaigns in real time. adtracker.lgbtqlegislation.com
adtracker.lgbtqlegislation.com
2026 anti-trans ad tracker
Anti-trans political ads in the 2026 US midterms on Meta and Google, flagged nightly by a classifier.
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Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Family history and genealogy, media juicing up controversy and fawning over science while failing to get that yes the historical analysis was conclusive. I couldn't not write about this! Shorter: just read @agordonreed.bsky.social. karinwulf.com/trove/the-fa...
karinwulf.com
The Family History of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson, and the Politics of Genealogy. - Karin Wulf
[The cover image is a page from Jefferson’s “Farm Book” at the Massachusetts Historical Society where he listed enslaved recipients of “Bread” at Monticello in 1810 –including Sally Hemings and four o...
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Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg @theradr.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
O hey Reminder that in (homophobic) '94 as Dookie was blowing up, Green Day picked queercore Pansy Division to open for them + a lot of venues pressured them to drop them as openers -- Green Day told the venues they wouldn't play if PD didn't - and the venues (mostly? all?) backed down. huh.
green day x pansy division flyer
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Caleb Smith @smithcal.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Laugh Out Loud!
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Gail Simone @gailsimone.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
NEWS: I don’t like transphobes and here is a short list of why. 1) They are full of shit.
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Every regime has one true sociopath among the opportunists.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 18/09/2026
lmao
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Alex Ip 葉清霖 @alexip718.com · 18/09/2026
This guy who assaulted a sitting member of Congress got 28 years and 10 months less jail time than a Texas resident who transported a box of zines that contained constitutionally protected content opposing ICE reason.com/2026/06/25/t...
reason.com
Texas man gets 30 years in prison for transporting 'anti-government' pamphlets
The case stems from a violent anti-ICE protest, but critics say the government's prosecution threatens First Amendment rights.
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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 18/09/2026
i am genuinely bewildered by people who say that the rise of white nationalism in the republican party is a response to the "woke left." like, did the woke left cause pat buchanan's 1992 presidential campaign? is the woke left why steve king had a long career in congress?
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Kyle Griffin @kylegriffin1.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Civil rights groups and labor unions have sued the Trump admin — asserting that its aggressive immigration enforcement and suggestions that it could send armed agents to polling sites amounted to voter intimidation and violated the Voting Rights Act.
nytimes.com
Civil Rights Groups Sue to Keep Armed Agents Away From Voting Sites
The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement and suggestions that it could send agents to polling stations violate the Voting Rights Act.
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Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 18/09/2026
it's funny but also a reminder that the fundamental premise here is that a Black man can't be objective when talking about race while a white man can because Black people do identity politics and white people do facts and this my friends is what I have named "white empiricism"
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Dr. Todd Arrington @btarrington.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
OTD in 1850, Congress passed the second Fugitive Slave Act. Part of the Compromise of 1850, it aggressively extended the original 1793 law. It required law enforcement to arrest anyone suspected of escaping enslavement. It applied everywhere, even states where slavey was illegal. Image: LOC.
This black and white image shows a political cartoon entitled "Effects of the Fugitive Slave Law."
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Shefali Luthra @shefali.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Big news: The family of Tierra Walker, who died after she couldn't get an abortion, is suing a slate of Texas actors in state court, including AG Ken Paxton. They say the state ban is unconstitutional. This is the first suit of its kind. 19thnews.org/2026/09/texa...
19thnews.org
Tierra Walker died after she couldn’t get an abortion. Her family is suing Ken Paxton
The case, filed Tuesday, argues that Texas’ near-total abortion ban violates the state and U.S. Constitutions, which “prohibit state actors from killing their citizens.”
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Needhi Bhalla 💅🏽 @needhibhalla.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"To reinstate the SAT is to follow the pack rather than to lead, to grasp at a dubious shortcut rather than tackle more intractable underlying issues, chief among them the reality that the best public university in the country relies on one of the weakest, most inequitable public school systems"
nytimes.com
Opinion | The University of California Dumped the SAT. Let’s Not Bring It Back. (Gift Article)
There are more intractable underlying issues to tackle.
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🫶🏻Layla🫶🏻 @laylabelle3.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
It’s not 1950 and I hope you get your ass beat. Beyond beat!!!
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Ibram X. Kendi @ibramxk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Heading back out for the Chain of Ideas tour this week. The events today at the Lawrence Public Library and tomorrow at Boston’s Just Book-ish are sold out. But there are still tickets for Cleveland Public Library on Wed. and Baldwin & Co. in New Orleans on Thurs! 🎟️ www.ibramxkendi.com/events
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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 14/09/2026
Cis people do not understand how much trans people's rights have regressed in just 5 years. 5 years ago, there were none of these restrictions. 19 states banned legal recognition 21 states have bathroom bans 8 states ban gender marker changes on DLs 25 ban gender affirming care for trans youth
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King Algamemnon @adamrothman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Alan Taylor is astonishingly prolific for a historian. His new book looks like it might be another classic. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/b...
nytimes.com
Piercing the Delusions of a ‘Humane’ Plantation (Gift Article)
In “Tower Hill,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar Alan Taylor pulls apart the twisted logic of a Virginia slave owner and his descendants.
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Caleb Smith @smithcal.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Che was so mad he cloned himself to debate twice
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FLAVOR FLAV ⏰ @flavorflav.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Today I'm honoring 9/11 Day by turning remembrance into action. 25 years later,,, we remember those we lost and honor the heroes who stepped up by continuing to do GOOD. If you a NYC school teacher,,, drop yo wish list and imma hook up the first 25. Join me and @911day and #UNITEFORGOOD.
Flavor Flav serving up meals at Bowery mission NYC
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Brian Goldstone @brian-goldstone.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A Labor Day reminder: having a job is no longer enough to protect millions of Americans from homelessness. For many workers, the greatest threat isn't losing their job. It's that their job will never pay enough, never provide enough hours, never offer enough stability to keep them housed.
nytimes.com
Opinion | America Is Pushing Its Workers Into Homelessness (Gift Article)
The working homeless are casualties of our prosperity.
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Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
“Noticing” is basically “I’m not a bigot, I’m just noting [stereotype] is true.” In the context of antisemitism, it’s “I’m not antisemitic, I just notice that there are a lot of Jews in charge.” Hard to see this racist framing from Vance as accidental or incidental.
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CLAYFACE: CELEBRITY DIRT #3 out now @judedoyle.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
People of All Genders Empowered to Maintain Delusion That They Have A Chance With Gillian Anderson
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