Before getting into today’s topic, I encourage you to check out the latest episode of the Boogie Down Scholar Podcast. In that episode, I talk about this issue and walk listeners through how we arrived at this moment. This blog post expands on my podcast episode. What we are seeing in conservative media is a…
Scholars who want to hear the fuller conversation should also check out my Boogie Down Scholar podcast and YouTube episode on this same topic. I recorded an in-depth discussion with a friend of the show where we unpack how the math crisis shows up in real classrooms, real families, and real policy debates. The episode…
When a loud voice suddenly walks away from power, it rarely happens for just one reason. Typically, it is complicated. That is the case with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, whom I will refer to as the Agitator, and her recent bombshell decision to resign from Congress effective in early January. But as I move through…
These are early notes. Rough by intent. I am naming what is hard and what is working while the work is still moving. Because this topic matters, I expect to produce a careful, sourced, and formal piece next that builds these ideas with data, law, and program evidence. In the past two years, new statutes…
Context and Purpose People are talking more about a new civil war in the United States. This shows up a lot on social media. Some users treat it like a game or a way to feel brave. In an earlier video, I speak plainly about people in our lives, people we probably grew up with,…
The Trap and the Ladder If someone controlled your schedule, your newsfeed, your inner voice, and your feelings, would you notice? That is the kind of subtle trap Steven Hassan describes in Combating Cult Mind Control. The book is both a personal story and a field guide. Hassan explains how destructive groups can shape people’s…
A Poll That Stopped the Scroll Every so often a statistic pops up that makes you stop mid-scroll and reread it twice. I ran across this stat today and decided that I should investigate further. Holy shit. It’s a real poll. Of course this is a small sample but God Almighty how anyone could not…
For decades, the Supreme Court has been treated as if it were a sacred temple hovering above politics. Yet behind that façade, trust in the institution has plummeted. Revelations about undisclosed gifts, lavish travel, and entanglements with political interests have fueled calls for reform. Representative Jamie Raskin, a constitutional law professor turned legislator, has emerged…
Introduction When the Aspiring Orange Dictator announced plans to approve 600,000 visas for Chinese students, the move shocked even his own loyalists. The right erupted in outrage, calling it a betrayal of the “America First” agenda. Social media lit up with racist dog whistles about spies and stolen opportunities, while conservative media scrambled to spin…
This past Sunday I did what many of us love to do when the work week finally lets go of our shoulders. I ate well. I stopped by the Oviedo Food Factory and tried a new spot called Tacos My Guey. Let me tell you, those tacos were the kind of good that makes you…
Introduction There is a storm swirling around us, terrifying, complicated, heavy, and relentless. It shakes our sense of safety daily and forces us to see things we wish we could ignore or unsee. We cannot. Storms do not just test structures; they test people. I have often said, “If you want to know what someone…
Introduction In a digital era teeming with algorithms and vanity metrics, Karen Rodriguez, founder of Social with Karen, offers a refreshing take: cut the fluff, and keep it real. Her philosophy on social media strategy aligns with what many of us in student affairs and higher education have been shouting from the rooftops…authenticity is not…
Years ago, I found myself submerged in books and research about mass incarceration. Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow ignited my curiosity, but what kept me reading, what shook me, was the pattern that kept revealing itself. Incarceration in America is not just a tool of control. It is big business. A billion dollar business….
A Nation of Contradictions In America, it’s considered normal for CEOs to receive $100 million bonuses while millions of hardworking people live paycheck to paycheck. This grotesque gap is accepted as just part of our economy. Meanwhile, we hesitate to provide financial help to an elderly widow in Nebraska raising three children after her husband…
Local and National Politics: The Reach of The G Word In 2022, Netflix teamed up with comedian Adam Conover and former U.S. President Barack Obama to create The G Word, a limited documentary series that uses comedy to educate viewers about the inner workings of the U.S. government. Conover and Obama set out to make…
I fear it is coming and small businesses and owners should be prepared. History has a way of repeating itself, especially when politicians make reckless economic decisions. Small businesses, particularly in the food and hospitality industry, have long been at the mercy of policymakers who either fail to consider the consequences of their actions or…
Lately, I’ve been increasingly curious about Canks aggressive stance toward Canada, Greenland, and Panama. It’s not just posturing. It looks like he’s actively trying to gain control over their lands and resources. But why? What’s the bigger picture? I can’t shake the feeling that this is all the brainchild of Vladimir Putin. Trump’s entire “Make…
Paola Ramos’ Defectors presents a bold examination of the Latino electorate, shedding light on the surprising alignment of some Latino communities with far-right ideologies. Through nuanced narratives like those in Chapter 5, the book challenges assumptions about political monoliths and uncovers identity, belonging, and misinformation as potent factors in reshaping allegiances. This phenomenon, while intriguing…
It. Is. Not. Too. Late. If we act NOW. Welcome back, scholars. Let’s cut through the noise. The past week has been relentless, with the current administration’s authoritarian overreach growing bolder by the day. What should terrify all of us isn’t just the power grab—it’s the eerie silence from everyday people, going about their lives…
I want to start by sharing my love for cinema, a passion that has stayed with me since I was a little boy. Movies often reflect life, offering valuable lessons if we pay attention. Lately, I’ve been drawn to characters who betray their own group to align with those who neither care for nor respect…