Vouchers are Getting Heard by the Texas House Today. "Red for Ed" Day—Tune in here

 Friends:

Today is the day that vouchers get heard in the Texas House of Representatives, otherwise known as "Red for Ed" day, so I'm wearing red. They're just getting going, but here is the link so that you can watch it live: https://house.texas.gov/videos/21734

In the meantime, what can you do? Kaci Wright of the formidable Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (TLEEC) headed by Dr. Chloe Sikes that is the oldest and largest education coalition in the state of Texas offers these resources so that you can from the comfort of wherever you are viewing this (if you're watching online), take action:

School Vouchers (SB 2) and HB 2 will go to the House Floor, Wednesday, 4/16!

It's not too late to act - please see the call to action below:

• Make calls to TX House Representatives to oppose SB 2 with TLEEC Messaging Toolkit 

• Fill out and distribute Form to Share Your Voice against Vouchers

SB 2 Policy Resouces: 

• Google folder: CSSB 2 - Documents and Information (bill text, explainer, questions) 

I applaud TLEEC, Texas AFT, the Texas Freedom network and all the coalition member organizations that have done an excellent job in fighting school vouchers this legislative session. By all means tune in. It's going to be a long day.

-Angela Valenzuela

Harvard takes a $2B hit after defying Trump administration—Today is a Proud Day in Our Nation's History

Friends:

I wish there were more universities standing up to this bald, partisan agenda, and ever so glad to see Harvard University taking a stand and willing to take a hit for it by the Trump administration. And indeed, it has to the tune of $2 Billion, no less. What is the cost of freedom—the freedom to teach, learn, and conduct research—a question that Harvard's leadership is implicitly answering?

The Trump administration is holding universities responsible for broader cultural shifts that extend far beyond the scope of any single institution, including Harvard. These shifts challenge the outdated notion that identities—whether racial, ethnic, or gender-based—as fixed. In truth, identity is inherently fluid, continually shaped by both political and apolitical forces, by tradition and the evolving demands of the modern world. Attempting to confine such complexity within neatly labeled boxes to appease those in power is not only misguided—it’s ultimately a futile endeavor. 

As Chicana feminists, beginning with the late Gloria Anzaldúa, have long argued, the future of culture is hybridity. Its power extends far beyond the walls of the academy into the streets of Calcutta, the highways of the Americas, the songs of the diaspora, and the quiet rebellions of everyday life. It moves like water—resisting containment, carving new paths, refusing to be still. To reduce it to something static is to deny its essence, for culture lives not in boxes, but in motion, in memory, and in the ever-shifting dance of who we are becoming.

Our colleges and universities are those sanctuaries within which these processes are researched and discussed—spaces where the fluidity of culture is not only acknowledged but actively engaged. In a world increasingly polarized by rigid ideologies and political agendas, universities provide the intellectual freedom and critical distance necessary to explore the complexities of identity, belonging, and transformation. They are among the few places where competing truths can be interrogated, where the past is held up to the light of the present, and where visions for more inclusive futures can be imagined and debated.

As Chicana feminists have long reminded us, hybridity is not a flaw in culture but its future—an ever-expanding, layered process of becoming that defies singular definitions. Universities play a crucial role in cultivating this vision by nurturing curiosity, protecting dissent, and making room for voices that have historically been silenced or ignored. To weaken these institutions under the guise of control or conformity is to endanger one of the last bastions where knowledge is pursued both for its own sake and in pursuit of a more just, humane, and dynamic world. 

The university’s lawyers argued that the Trump administration's demands encroach on long-established university freedoms upheld by the Supreme Court. In their response, they emphasized that the university would not compromise its independence or forfeit its constitutional rights, asserting that neither Harvard nor any other private institution should permit itself to be overtaken by the federal government.

Today is a proud day for Harvard University and our nation's history. What is the price of freedom? It's priceless. Harvard is letting us know.

-Angela Valenzuela

Harvard’s response represents a rare show of resistance to efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to punish major institutions and law firms he views as hostile. | Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Harvard takes a $2B hit after defying Trump administration

The university said it would not comply with the list of demands that included changes to code of student and faculty conduct.

By Ali Bianco

04/14/2025 03:09 PM EDT

Updated: 04/14/2025 09:33 PM EDT

A Trump administration task force announced Monday that it would block Harvard University from receiving $2.2 billion in federal grants and $60 million in contracts after the Ivy League school defied demands to adopt new policies on student and faculty conduct and admissions.

The Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism said it was taking the measure because Harvard and other universities had not taken adequate steps to address the harassment of Jewish students in recent years.

“It is time for elite universities to take the problem seriously and commit to meaningful change if they wish to continue receiving taxpayer support,” it said in a statement that came hours after Harvard had defiantly said it would not bow to administration pressure.

Harvard President Alan M. Garber said the unprecedented demands, which include requirements to change disciplinary policies to address antisemitic acts during last year’s protests over the Israel-Hamas war, are unnecessary and infringe on free speech rights.

“No government — regardless of which party is in power — should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber wrote in the message to the campus community.

Harvard’s response, in the face of a threat of losing billions in federal grants, represented a rare show of resistance to efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to punish major institutions and law firms he views as hostile.

The loss of federal funding is a significant blow to Harvard and affiliated institutions, such as Mass General Brigham and Boston Children’s Hospital. Other schools, including Columbia University, have opted to accept administration demands to avoid the cuts.

Institutions across the country are facing probes focusing on diversity initiatives and allegations of antisemitism on campus. Trump has particularly singled out Ivy League schools that he has denounced as left-leaning and elitist. The administration has said it is also either reviewing or pausing grants to Brown, Princeton, Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania.

Princeton President Chris Eisgruber, like the leader of Harvard, has said he would resist administration demands.

Former Harvard President Larry Summers told a group of students and alumni last week that the school is positioned to resist because of its nearly $52 billion endowment. “With all of those assets — If Harvard can’t resist, who can?” he said.

The administration sent an updated list of demands Friday to Harvard that would require the university to restructure its governance, eliminate diversity as a consideration in admissions, institute new disciplinary measures for student protesters, and decertify pro-Palestinian student groups. Garber said the school had already adopted measures to address antisemitism and other misconduct that occurred during raucous protests over the war in Gaza.

“The administration’s prescription goes beyond the power of the federal government,” he said. “It violates Harvard’s First Amendment rights and exceeds the statutory limits of the government’s authority under Title VI. And it threatens our values as a private institution devoted to the pursuit, production, and dissemination of knowledge.”

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement that the administration was seeking to end “unchecked” antisemitism and that Harvard’s response puts its federal funding in jeopardy.

“Harvard or any institution that wishes to violate Title VI is, by law, not eligible for federal funding,” Fields said.

The letter the administration sent Friday — from the Department of Education, the Department of Health and Human Services and General Services Administration — accused Harvard of failing to “live up to both the intellectual and civil rights conditions that justify federal investment.”

Harvard’s response to the administration defended the university’s commitment to fighting antisemitism on campus, and said the administration disregards” the changes already made by the university. The university’s lawyers said the demands “invade university freedoms” long recognized by the Supreme Court.

“The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights,” the lawyers wrote in response. “Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government.”

Bianca Quilantan contributed to this report.

Celebrating 10 Years of the Mexican American Studies Teachers' Academy! San Antonio, Tejas

🎉 Celebrating 10 Years of the Mexican American Studies Teachers' Academy! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce the 10th anniversary of the Mexican American Studies Teachers' Academy—a powerful, community-driven program that has thrived thanks to the unwavering dedication of Dr. Lilliana Saldaña, Dr. Gloria Vasquez Gonzalez, and Christina Soliz. These amazing leaders continue to do the essential work of preparing and empowering public school teachers to bring Mexican American Studies into their classrooms—just as they’ve done for nearly a decade.

🌱 What began in 2015 with just four educators under the visionary leadership of Dr. Keta Miranda, who was a member at the time of the NACCS Tejas Foco that labored since 2014 with the Texas State Board of Education to get these courses into the schools, it has since blossomed into a dynamic and inspiring summer workshop that now welcomes around 80 teachers each year. To date, nearly 600 educators have been part of this transformative experience.

📚 If you're currently teaching Mexican American Studies—or even considering integrating MAS lessons into your curriculum—this is the place to be. You’ll join a passionate community committed to uplifting our histories, voices, and contributions in classrooms across Texas and beyond. I'll deliver a closing keynote address on the topic of creative resistance on July 11th that may be in person (details TBA).

What amazes me year after year is how this incredible work is carried out beyond the walls of academia—powered by the community, for the community. In fact, that’s been our hidden blessing: a space of learning, resilience, and liberation that stands strong, untouched by anti-DEI efforts, because its roots are deep in the community itself.

Come be part of this legacy. So proud of our colleagues in San Antonio whom I deeply admire. Let’s keep building.

Con corazón,

-Angela Valenzuela

MEDIA ADVISORY: Capitol Rally in Denver, Colorado to Protect K-12 Public Education, Higher Education, and Research on April 25, 10-11:00 AM

Friends:

Check out the Media Advisory below regarding a Capitol Rally and Press Conference in Denver, Colorado, next week to Protect K-12 Public Education, Higher Education, and Research on April 25, 10-11:00 AM at 200 E. Colfax. 

Yours truly will be one of the speakers at this rally.😊

Hope to see you there.

-Angela Valenzuela

Texas Legislators Don't Fear Indoctrination. They Fear Education. Editorial Board, Daily Texan

Diane Guo

Friends:

Note that for this post, I am using the title of the print version that appeared on April 8th (the longer, online piece is titled "Another legislative session. Another attack on higher education.")

To keep abreast of the legislative attack on higher education, I encourage you to read AAUP's regularly updated statement, Higher Ed Bills in the 2025 Texas Legislature.

Senator Creighton's horrific Senate Bill 37 (SB 37 alongside Shaheen's HB 4499), if passed, will be a self-inflicted death knell to Texas higher education. It's why I like the print version title, it is, after all, actual education that teaches critical race facts, among others, that they fear. 

This is such a backward agenda. These folks need to go back to college to fill in their own gaps in knowledge or at least sensitize them to how they are willfully and preemptively seeking to create gaps in knowledge.

Geez, in today’s rapidly evolving global landscape, the role of education has become increasingly pivotal. As societies grapple with complex challenges and transformative technological advancements, including AI and as I just learned, "AGI," artificial general intelligence, the demand for critical thinking has never been higher. Nor has the need for innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration ever been greater. 

At a juncture in human history characterized by the unprecedented acceleration of knowledge production, educational institutions must not only disseminate information but also cultivate the intellectual agility required to navigate and shape an uncertain future. Why isn't this compelling?! It most certainly should be.

Legislators need to cease and desist and take care of real issues like poverty, the environment, access to quality healthcare, protecting immigrants' and asylum seekers' rights, protecting animal life, and ensuring well-funded and PK-20 equitable education for all communities, particularly considering the recent dismantling of the federal Department of Education. Though important to challenge, bills like SB 37 and so many others, these bogus "culture wars" amount to weapons of mass distraction so that we don't actually focus on what is actually important to Texans.

-Angela Valenzuela


Texas Legislators Don't Fear Indoctrination. They Fear Education.
Senate Bill 37 is the latest attempt to exert government control over our classrooms.

The Daily Texan Editorial Board
April 8, 2025

Where do the attacks on higher education end? Not in this legislative session, apparently. Texas Senate Bill 37, written by State Sen. Brandon Creighton, passed in committee on Thursday. If passed in both chambers, it would create an Office of Excellence in Higher Education. The office, led by a governor appointee, would be responsible for investigating claims by the legislature that colleges have broken state laws or university policies.

After sending a letter to the governing boards of Texas public universities, Creighton filed the bill, claiming several instances of Texas universities breaching recent anti-DEI legislation. In the letter, he threatened to suspend funding if universities did not comply with the ban. 

Under SB 37, university governing boards, selected by the Texas governor, have the power to appoint members of UT’s leadership. These boards have the final say in hiring vice presidents, provosts and deans, which raises concerns about outside influence thrust upon the University.

This legislation represents a thinly veiled attempt to control universities by allowing the proposed Office of Excellence in Higher Education to dictate what can and cannot be taught in classrooms, a dangerous overreach that could result in intellectual suppression in higher education institutions.

“This bill would make censorship more possible,” said Pauline Strong, president of the UT chapter of the American Association of University Professors. “We don’t know what kind of agenda an official in that capacity would have, but we do know that there are attempts currently to narrow the range of topics that students learn and the range of perspectives that faculty offer.”

Topics that do not align with the Governor’s ideology, including those related to race, gender and cultural studies, will undoubtedly be first on the chopping block. Relevant curriculum created by qualified professors will take a backseat to conservative propaganda and political agendas.

For students to form independent opinions, they must be exposed to uncomfortable truths. Restricting scholarly discourse undermines the well-rounded education that students attend this University to obtain.

“We have to be quite wary of when the state is trying to tell professors and students what they can teach, what they can learn, especially in this context,” said Antonio Ingram II, senior counsel for the Legal Defense Fund. “These students could go to war, they could fight for the country, and they can’t learn about systemic racism.”

The bill states that this office will directly link curriculum content and overview to the Board of Regents, which will set a precedent that undermines professors’ positions at universities across Texas. How can the Board of Regents, most of whom lack experience in academia, understand how university courses should be taught and structured better than professors?

“SB 37 requires that all decisions at core curriculum and academic programs have to be approved by an office that would be headed by an appointee of the governor,” Strong said. “That is a violation of the principle of academic freedom and could really limit the creativity and the innovation in the curriculum. I think it would damage the education that students receive.”

Gov. Greg Abbott has heavily influenced the University of Texas System through his appointments to the Board of Regents. Texas Senate Bill 17, which banned diversity, equity and inclusion offices and practices, already limits ideological dissent outside of academic settings. SB 37 reiterates the tightening grip of conservatism in Texas education, particularly in response to a curriculum that includes critical discussions of race, gender and systemic inequality.

“The state is putting itself in a position to say what is appropriate to teach and what is not appropriate to teach in a way that runs afoul of centuries of constitutional precedent around the First Amendment,” Ingram II said.

If SB 37 passes, it would compromise the Texas Council Faculty of Senates, a federation of faculty from various Texas public universities who advise on higher education. The bill infringes on the council’s authority to act as a self-governing body.

“Senate Bill 37 takes any kind of decision-making authority away from faculty, explicitly and legally, saying that there’s no authority granted to faculty governance,” said Joseph Velasco, president of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates.

SB 37 would advance a partisan agenda for higher education in Texas, discouraging high-quality educators from coming — or staying — to teach at UT. From attempting to eliminate tenure to restricting faculty councils, Texas officials continue to demonstrate little interest in the opinion of those this bill would directly impact.

“Faculty want to teach in an environment in which they have academic freedom,” Strong said. “They want the freedom to research and to teach in the areas of their expertise, without government censorship. So, the more government censorship there is in Texas, the less motivation there will be for faculty to teach here.”

The bill infringes on universities’ current responsibilities, but its wording remains vague and fails to clarify several key details.

For instance, the bill prohibits course content that “endorses” specific policies, ideologies or legislation. However, what constitutes an endorsement isn’t explained anywhere in the text. Despite referring to the office’s responsibility to investigate several times, there is no explanation of what these investigations might entail or what the breadth of the office’s authority may be.

The legislation’s ambiguity could result in self-imposed censorship, as faculty will feel forced to conform to new standards. Ingram II describes the potential repercussions of this lack of clarity.

“When a law like this becomes enacted, if it were to pass, it’s what we call a ‘chilling effect,’” Ingram II said. “It means professors will be afraid to teach. They’ll be afraid to fully have curriculum that reflects empirical, data-based information for fear of enforcement.”

This fearful environment undermines critical thinking and intellectual exploration, both key values in higher education. Professors and administrators in charge of building curriculum will feel the political pressure to abide by a filtered version of academic discussion.

“Schools must focus on fundamentals of education, not indoctrination,” Abbott said in an X post in January.

The hypocrisy written into this bill is clear. While pushing against alleged indoctrination, Texas lawmakers are attempting to change our system to enforce their own.


The editorial board is composed of associate editors Emily Harrison, Tenley Jackson, Tanya Narwekar, Ava Saunders, Anjali Shenoy and editor-in-chief McKenzie Henningsen.

Mexico's Wondrous Linguistic Diversity: Mexico and the U.S. should make May 21st a Federal Holiday that Celebrates Diversity

Friends,

Building off of yesterday's blog post, I mention again that Nahuatl itself is spoken by at least 1.6 million people in Mexico (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, 2020).

Let’s also celebrate, rather than punish, diversity. After all, diversity is not just a source of strength and creativity—it is a vital safeguard against the erosion of our shared humanity and our still-young democracy.​

Let’s celebrate—not punish—diversity. It’s not only a source of strength and creativity, but a crucial defense against threats to our shared humanity and still-young democracy.

In Texas, recent legislation has targeted DEI programs in public institutions. Governor Abbott has banned DEI offices in higher education and is pushing for similar bans in K–12, claiming they create division. These moves reflect a broader rollback of efforts to support our communities’ diverse backgrounds.

In contrast, Mexico embraces its cultural diversity, recognizing over 68 national languages and 364 language variants—one of the world’s most linguistically rich landscapes. Its commitment to preservation highlights how diversity can be a national asset.

For more on this, check out the 2024 article, "How Many Indigenous Languages are Spoken in Mexico?" Also, see a 2024 piece in Datahub Central Indigenous People In Mexico for more information.

On a related matter, UNESCO's World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development is coming up on May 21. Our nations, including the U.S. should make May 21st a federal holiday that celebrates diversity. Mexico could, as well. Why not? Órale, let's start a campaign on both sides of the border.

May all have a wonderful day and weekend!

-Angela Valenzuela

Need to Make Sense of What's Happening in U.S. Higher Education? Welcome to 'Gaining Clarity 2025: A Reading List to Know Your Political Moment'

Friends:

Want to know what's up with U.S. higher education?

Dr. Mildred Boveda

Here is a treasure trove of information and resources consisting of the following:  Books, author interviews, YouTube presentations, peer reviewed Articles, executive orders, policy briefs, policy memos, legal filings, op-eds, periodicals, news briefs, webinars, podcasts, recorded conference sessions and more. This is a great source for folks in the media, as well as for scholars, graduate students, and anyone in the general public in need of current research.

Thanks to Penn State Professor Dr. Mildred Boveda for sharing.

I encourage you to subscribe to her Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mboveda?app=desktop where she is video-logging ("v-logging") current developments in education. I'm a subscriber and a fan!

Thanks, Dr. Boveda for facilitating the accessibility all these resources. The best way to navigate the different sections is to keyword the specific topic you're interested in. If you continue reading below, you can help keep this list of resources current by filling out the linked form for consideration.

-Angela Valenzuela

***

Gaining Clarity 2025: 

A Reading List to Know Your Political Moment 

Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity, or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world. - Paulo Freire (1968)

Without education, people will accept anything. Without education, what you’ll have is neo-colonialism instead of colonialism like you have now. Without education, people don’t know why they’re doing what they’re doing, you know what I mean? - Fred Hampton (1969)

The function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and you spend twenty years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn’t shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Somebody says you have no art, so you dredge that up. Somebody says you have no kingdoms, so you dredge that up. None of this is necessary. There will always be one more thing. - Toni Morrison (1975)


Introduction

Are you currently affiliated with a college or university? Are you interested in pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in the United States? If so, we imagine you are trying to make sense of what’s currently happening in Washington DC and throughout the country. Here’s a developing reading list that includes webinars, podcasts, and online videos.

The curation of this list is by no means an endorsement of its content but an attempt to support understandings of what’s happening to U.S. colleges and universities. In addition, it is intended to offer you support and resources during these challenging times.

If you have readings and media you think should be included in this list, please fill out the linked form for our consideration.

Books (& related media) * Peer Review Articles * Policy Briefs/Legal Filings * Op-Ed/News Reports *Webinars and Conference Recordings *Public Data Sets *Professional Org. Statements

*Additional Readings *Taking Action


Books (& related media)

Asian American Is Not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative Action, and Family, delves into the complexities of Asian American identity, particularly in the context of affirmative action debates. Inspired by her young daughter's questions about race, Oiyan Poon combines personal narratives with extensive research and interviews to explore what it means to be Asian American. She highlights the diverse perspectives within the Asian American community, noting that while some view racism as a systemic issue requiring collective solutions, others see it as an individual problem solvable through personal effort. Through these discussions, Poon emphasizes the importance of understanding and solidarity in envisioning a more equitable future

Virtual Book Talk w/author (May 1, 2024):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQKs47JeNow

Poon, O. A. (2024). Asian American Is not a Color: Conversations on Race, Affirmative
Action, and Family. Beacon Press.

"The Far-Right, Education and Violence: An Educational Philosophy and Theory Reader Volume IX" is a co-edited volume that delves into the influence of far-right ideologies on educational institutions, including those in the United States. The book examines how far-right movements have targeted U.S. universities as arenas for promoting their agendas and inciting conflicts. It discusses instances where far-right groups organized events on campuses, leading to significant unrest and violence. For example, the 2017 Berkeley protests are highlighted, where planned speeches by far-right figures resulted in clashes and substantial property damage. The University of Virginia is another location explored as a target for promoting white supremacists agendas and inciting conflicts. The volume explores the strategies employed by these groups to infiltrate and disrupt academic environments, such as distributing propaganda and organizing provocative events. Additionally, it addresses the broader implications of these actions on academic freedom, campus safety, and the role of higher education in fostering democratic values. Through these discussions, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges posed by far-right activities within U.S. universities and the impact on the educational landscape.

Salient chapters: Chapter 5 - The tragedy of Charlottesville; Chapter 12 - The Failure of
Liberalism and Liberal Education

Peters, M. A., & Besley, T. (2020). The far-right, education and violence: An
educational philosophy and theory reader Volume IX. Routledge.

In The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics, author E.J. Fagan examines the evolution of think tanks in the United States and their influence on policy-making and political polarization. Think Tanks often “call themselves universities without students” While the book primarily focuses on the relationship between think tanks and political parties, it also touches upon their interactions with higher education institutions. Fagan discusses how certain think tanks have established connections with universities, funding research centers or academic programs that align with their ideological perspectives. These collaborations can lead to the promotion of specific policy agendas within academic settings, potentially affecting the objectivity of scholarly research. Additionally, the book explores the role of think tanks in shaping public discourse on higher education policies, such as debates over free speech on campuses and the perceived liberal bias in academia. By analyzing these dynamics, Fagan highlights the complex interplay between partisan think tanks and higher education, illustrating how these relationships contribute to broader political polarization in the United States.

Interview w/author (September 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpnDqmIZi8A

Fagan, E. J. (2024). The thinkers: The rise of partisan think tanks and the polarization of
American politics. Oxford University Press.

Democracy in Chains provides a historical and ideological backdrop to the conservative movement’s efforts to reshape higher education. By detailing the funding of libertarian programs in universities and the creation of conservative academic networks, MacLean illustrates how these strategies are part of a broader plan to shift public discourse and policy.

Podcast w/author (November 2024): https://evergreenpodcasts.com/burn-the-boats/nancy-maclean-democracy-in-chains

MacLean, N. (2017). Democracy in chains: The deep history of the radical right's stealth
plan for America. Penguin.

In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities are Plundering Our Cities explains how universities operate as big business—powerful economic and political entities that drive development and public policy decisions. Davarian Baldwin uses case studies from across the U.S. and Canada to trace the intertwined histories of university growth and urban development in relation to colonialism, urban renewal, displacement, and inequality. He explores the complicated relationships between public and private entities as higher education has become an industry that is a significant employer, real estate holder, health care provider, and policing force in many cities. Baldwin challenges us to imagine more equitable and less exploitative universities and communities.

More from the author:

Baldwin, Davarian L. (2021). "The reparations movement in higher education." Thinking

Republic. https://www.thethinkingrepublic.com/being-counted/the-reparations-movement-in-higher-education

Baldwin, D.L. (2021). In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities are
Plundering Our Cities. Bold Type Books.

Free Speech and Koch Money: Manufacturing a Campus Culture War offers a critical lens on how the right-wing movement uses the rhetoric of free speech to attack and reshape higher education, aligning with broader efforts to weaken public institutions and promote conservative ideologies. It provides both a scholarly analysis and a call to action for those concerned about the integrity and independence of higher education.

Written interview w/authors (2022): https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/03063968221127591?utm_source=chatgpt.comb

Wilson, R. & Kamola, I. (2021). Free speech and Koch money: Manufacturing a campus
culture war. Pluto Press.

Philanthropy, Hidden Strategy and Collective Resistance: A Primer for Concerned Educators by Justin Mueller, Isaac Kamola, and Ralph Wilson, examines how wealthy philanthropists and private foundations use their donations to influence higher education in ways that align with their political and ideological agendas. The book focuses on how these donors shape university policies, research agendas, and curricula, often prioritizing market-driven approaches, neoliberal ideals, and conservative values.

DeMarrais, K., Brewer, T. J., Lewis, J. B., Herron, B. A., & Atkinson, J. C. (2019).
Philanthropy, hidden strategy, and collective resistance: A primer for concerned educators. Myers Education Press

The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex critiques how non-profit organizations can (in)advertently uphold systems of oppression. While the book doesn't focus extensively on higher education, it does touch upon themes relevant to academia. Additionally, the book discusses the concept of the "shadow state," describing how non-profits and NGOs take on roles traditionally held by government agencies, including in education and social services. This dynamic can lead to the privatization of public services and a shift in accountability. While direct references to higher education are limited, the book's analysis of the non-profit industrial complex offers insights into how market forces and funding structures can impact educational institutions.

Salient quote: "Everyone, whether an educator, a health care worker, or a domestic violence advocate is working in pseudo-corporate environments where the culture and organization of the market is increasingly encroaching on our lives."


Blog by organization/authors:

https://incite-national.org/beyond-the-non-profit-industrial-complex/

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. (2020). The revolution will not be funded:
Beyond the non-profit industrial complex. Duke University Press.

Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and the Campus Wars in Modern America by Lauren Lassabe Shepherd examines how conservative movements have influenced higher education in the United States. The analysis spans the period from f focuses on how conservative movements emerged and evolved during these decades, particularly in response to the liberal activism and cultural shifts occurring on college campuses. The book examines how these conservative efforts laid the groundwork for the broader culture wars that continue to influence American higher education and politics today.

Virtual Book Talk (August 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KySsgRVnIE

Shepherd, L. L. (2023). Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and the Campus Wars
in Modern America. UNC Press Books.


White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of our Racial Divide. While White Rage focuses broadly on racial dynamics in American history, its analysis is relevant to higher education in how it addresses systemic barriers that affect access, equity, and representation in universities. The book provides context for understanding racial tensions on campuses and the policies that contribute to ongoing disparities in education. If you're exploring how systemic forces impact societal structures, including universities, White Rage offers a powerful and insightful perspective.

Interview with author (October 2024): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEcrgPrucpU

Anderson, C. (2016). White rage: The unspoken truth of our racial divide. Bloomsbury
Publishing USA.

In Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right, investigative journalist Jane Mayer examines how affluent individuals and families have strategically used their wealth to influence American politics and society, with a significant focus on higher education. Mayer details how figures like Charles and David Koch, along with others, have funded university programs, think tanks, and academic positions to promote free-market ideologies and conservative principles. This funding often comes with conditions that allow these donors to shape curricula and research agendas, thereby steering academic discourse in directions that align with their interests. Such actions have raised concerns about academic freedom and the integrity of educational institutions.

Author book talk (recorded February 2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8XcLHdejHQ

Mayer, J. (2016). Dark money: The hidden history of the billionaires behind the rise of
the radical right. Anchor.

The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols explores how the rejection of expert knowledge and authority has become a growing issue in modern society. Nichols argues that the democratization of information, particularly through the internet and social media, has led to a culture where everyone feels equally knowledgeable, regardless of actual expertise. This trend undermines public trust in professionals, academics, and institutions, contributing to misinformation and polarized discourse. In the second edition, Nichols delves deeper into the evolving relationship between the right and higher education. He observes that the party has increasingly adopted a stance of skepticism, and at times outright hostility, toward academic institutions. This shift is characterized by a growing narrative that portrays universities as bastions of liberal indoctrination, leading to efforts to curtail academic freedom and reduce funding for higher education. Nichols argues that this antagonism not only undermines the value of expertise cultivated within these institutions but also contributes to a broader cultural devaluation of knowledge and intellectual rigor. He emphasizes that such actions pose a significant threat to the foundational principles of informed discourse and democratic governance.

Nichols, T. (2024). The death of expertise: The campaign against established knowledge
and why it matters. Oxford University Press.

In Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming, Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway reveal how a small group of politically motivated scientists, backed by corporate funding, deliberately manufactured doubt about well-established scientific facts to protect economic and ideological interests. By attacking experts, amplifying fringe views through media, and framing regulation as a threat to freedom, they successfully delayed action on major public health and environmental crises like tobacco-related illness and climate change. The book exposes how these strategies were not just about winning scientific debates but about undermining public trust in knowledge itself to serve powerful interests.

Oreskes, N., & Conway, E. M. (2011). Merchants of doubt: How a handful of scientists
obscured the truth on issues from tobacco smoke to global warming. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.

YouTube video of Naomi Oreskes speaking at Arizona State University (April 22, 2013)

Storming the Ivory Tower: How a Florida college became Ground Zero in the Struggle focuses on the political attacks on the New College of Florida and claims to explore political struggles in Florida’s higher education. It is undermined by its biased, selective storytelling, and lack of depth. The foreword is written by Christopher Rufo, a controversial figure due to his role in shaping the political and cultural discourse around topics like critical race theory (CRT), diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and education reform. The book relies on cherry-picked anecdotes, sensationalism, and questionable, unverified sources, blurring fact and conjecture. Its absence of diverse perspectives diminishes credibility. Structurally, it is repetitive and disorganized, with overwrought prose and sluggish pacing. Critically, it offers no constructive solutions, devolving into a list of grievances rather than meaningful analysis. Ultimately, it prioritizes partisan grandstanding over thoughtful discussion, offering little value to readers seeking balanced insights.

Corcoran, R. (2024). Storming the Ivory Tower: How a Florida college became Ground

Zero in the Struggle to Take Back Our Campuses. Simon and Schuster.

From publisher site: “A firsthand account of how Richard Corcoran, former education commissioner of Florida, successfully took on powerful progressive interest groups, broke their monopoly, and paved the way for higher education reform across America.”


Video interview of Chris Ruffo who wrote the preface to this book. Observe the war rhetoric.

CRT, DEI, and the Leftist Takeover of America | Chris Rufo


Peer Review Articles

Special Issue - (9 articles) Journal of College and Character, Volume 26, Issue 1 (2025) Ethical Higher Education in the Anti-DEI Legislative Climate

Black, W., & Bogotch, I. (2024). Illiberal democracy has now come to Florida: what can academics do?. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(4), 411-418. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2024.2370347

Salient quotes: “Reclaiming narratives in the battles over state/society struggles over influence and control of universities requires a return to ethical and just use of empiricism and ‘facts’. As an example, while DeSantis recently celebrated the takeover of New College, the structural change has resulted in the lowest retention rates in the state as well as the departure of over a third of the faculty in the last year and a half (Gancarski 2024).” p. 5

“As academics, we need to recognise that we are in the midst of a struggle in which we are defined by the far right in ableist ways as being ideologically dis/abled and out of the ‘normal’. We can and should embrace our work (i.e. teaching, research, and service) and struggle as embedded in a long, continuing, and more vibrant rearticulation of our collective values and interdependence in the world’s affairs. This is where we are. “ p. 6

Burke, K. J., Juzwik, M., & Prins, E. (2023). White Christian nationalism: What is it,

and why does it matter for educational research? Educational Researcher, 52(5),

286-295. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X231163147

Salient quote: “White Christian nationalist beliefs have mobilized a strategic grassroots and legislative political campaign to defeat school and university curriculum centering (or merely including) (a) the stories and experiences of Black and other racialized (often not Christian) people in US history and (b) the stories and experiences of LGBTQ+ people, both of which contribute to broadening cultural understandings of the United States as a nation-state.”

Cho, K. S., Davis III, C. H., & Morgan, D. L. (2024). What’s under attack: Activism and

institutional conflict within US higher education. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 17461979241291009. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51ab9fa0e4b06a38e604420a/t/673b702ad045e975d13e181b/1731948587111/Cho%2C+Davis%2C+%26+Morgan+%282024%29+%E2%80%93+What%27s+Under+Attack%3F.pdf

Abstract: Within the United States, the targeted efforts against Critical Race Theory, political machinations against higher education governance, and the use of surveillance on liberatory protests, reveals a complicated nexus regarding educational activism and institutional navigation. Through the Actors, Contexts, Tactics, and Strategies (A.C.T.S.) Framework, we offer an expansive understanding of the who, what, how, when, and where of activism. By applying this framework to three distinct yet interrelated examples on legislative fights against diversity, tenure and governance, and pro-Palestine activism, we illuminate the role of institutional mechanics to reimagine the institutional fatality of ‘this is just how things are’ and an inevitable political tide. In doing so, this manuscript offers a robust analysis of institutionalism, opposition, support, and transformation.

Dader, K., Ghantous, W., Masad, D., Joronen, M., Kallio, K. P., Riding, J., & Vainikka, J.

(2024). Topologies of scholasticide in Gaza: education in spaces of elimination. Fennia-International Journal of Geography, 202(1), 1-12.

https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/147002/93842

Scholasticide and educide refer to the deliberate destruction of educational institutions, systems, and intellectual communities, often during conflicts or under oppressive regimes to suppress societal growth. Epistemicide extends this concept to the systematic erasure of entire knowledge systems, particularly those of marginalized or colonized groups, through cultural domination or colonialism.

Discussed in the article is “Gaza: UN experts decry ‘systemic obliteration’ of education
system.”

Garces, L. M., Johnson, B. D., Ambriz, E., & Bradley, D. (2021). Repressive legalism: How postsecondary administrators’ responses to on-campus hate speech undermine a focus on inclusion. American Educational Research Journal, 58(5), 1032-1069.https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312211027586

Garibay, J. C., Herrera, F. A., Johnston-Guerrero, M. P., & Garcia, G. A. (2020). Campus
racial incidents, hate crimes, and white male and female students’ racial attitudes. The Journal of Higher Education, 91(1), 1-31. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2019.1596651

Grosfoguel, R. (2013). The structure of knowledge in westernised universities: Epistemic

racism/sexism and the four genocides/epistemicides. Human Architecture: Journal of the Sociology of Self-knowledge, 1(1), 73-90.

https://www.niwrc.org/sites/default/files/images/resource/2%20The%20Structure%20of%20Knowledge%20in%20Westernized%20Universities_%20Epistemic.pdf

Rall, R. M., Morgan, D. L., Commodore, F., Fischer, R. A., & Bernstein, S. (2024).

Introducing boards to the equity conversation: State-level governing boards and discourses of social justice. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 17(4), 467. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2022-88586-001

The authors explain the role that state-level governing boards (SLGBs) play in the
leadership and governance of higher education.

Weigmann, K. (2001). In the name of science: The role of biologists in Nazi atrocities:

lessons for today's scientists. EMBO reports, 2(10), 871-875.

https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.1093/embo-reports/kve217

Salient quote: “Indeed, the interaction between science and politics during the National Socialist era was manifold. Many scientists were on expert advisory committees, directly feeding the system with scientific justification, many of them scientists from the KWS…. Scientists were then required to put Nazi ideology into practice. The Nuremberg Law required the classification of all Germans as ‘Aryans’, ‘Full’ ‘Half’ or ‘Quarter Jew’. In cases of doubt, the Reich Kinship Bureau consulted scientists, many of whom were from the KWI for Anthropology, Human Genetics and Eugenics. Their judgement decided the fate of these people, and decisions were taken with scientific precision.”

Relevant social media thread related to physicists role in Nazi atrocities

Executive Orders Related to Education (in chronological order)

Trump Education EOs Timeline Implementing Actions :

This document was created by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.


Policy Briefs; Policy Memos; Legal Filings (in chronological order)

Legal Memo and Guidance from 15 Attorney Generals to Higher Ed institutions and K-12 Schools March 5, 2025

The Attorneys General of Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia

Congressional call on the Education Department to protect the essential work of the Institute of Education Sciences: https://docs.publicnow.com/viewDoc?filename=83859%5CEXT%5C16CC27E9618362EC0191141789C1D1D2BDC6E68D_97BA6D4DFCC1888802681B64F60405223F869991.PDF

DEI Programs Are Lawful Under Federal Civil Rights Laws and Supreme Court Precedent. (Memo to Colleagues, University Offices of General Counsel, and University Leaders) https://app.box.com/s/2me4mszr6p4oinnucw8i4jmb8d7570kp (February 20., 2025)

Dear Colleague Letter From Craig Trainir Acting Assistant Secretary for Civul Rights US Department of Education (February 14, 2025)

Chronicle of Higher Education DEI Legislation Tracker

Video: (February 5, 2025) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xG2TXLDaB_4

National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education; American Association of University Professors; Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; Mayor and City Council of Baltimore, Maryland vs. Donald Trump, in his official capacity as President of the United States… (February 3, 2025) legal filing

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.575287/gov.uscourts.mdd.575287.1.0.pdf

National Science Foundation (January 31, 2025) - update on the federal funding injunction

NCF Freedom -NCFF - Files Federal First Amendment Lawsuit Against the State of Florida Over Free Speech (SB266)

“Understanding the Attacks on Critical Race Theory” National Education Policy Center

López, F., Molnar, A., Johnson, R., Patterson, A., Ward, L., & Kumashiro, K. (2021). Understanding the attacks on critical race theory. National Education Policy Center.

“13 Myths About Affirmative Action” produced by African American Policy Forum https://www.aapf.org/_files/ugd/62e126_3ed1cf40bd6749c093792696d66efa27.pdf

The African American Policy Forum (AAPF) produced a 13-part series titled "13 Myths About Affirmative Action: A Special Series on a Public Policy Under Siege," which aired on Michael Eric Dyson's radio show. This series aimed to debunk common misconceptions surrounding affirmative action. Each installment of the series addressed a specific myth, demonstrating how these beliefs are false, distorted, or unsupported by evidence. The PDF summarizes the myths. Audios are no longer available.

The Lewis Powell Memo, written by Lewis Powell in 1971 before he became a Supreme Court Justice. Powell was nominated by Richard Nixon and he wrote a confidential document advising the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on how to protect and promote free-market capitalism against perceived threats from political and social movements. Powell was nominated by Richard Nixon.

Powell Memo Blueprint: Impact on Schools and Education - includes additional readings as to the policy memo’s impact on higher education

Op-Eds; Periodicals; News Briefs (organized chronologically)

Trump is bombarding the Ivy League. This college just hired a staunch ally as its top lawyer.March 19, 2025, Myah Ward and Irie Sentner. Politico

Trump administration freezes $175 million in federal funding to Penn, May 19, 2025 Valeri Guevarra and Alex Dash

‘I could be next’: international students at Columbia University feel ‘targeted’ after Mahmoud Khalil’s arrest,, May 19, 2025 Jazzmin Jiwa

Georgetown Postdoc the Latest to Be Detained by ICE as Crackdown on Campus Speech Widens March 19, 2025. ARCHIT AND MURTAZA HUSSAIN

Ohio House Republicans pass higher education overhaul to ban diversity efforts and faculty strikes, March 19, 2025, Megan Henry

Palestinian Columbia student activist speaks out about his arrest March 18, Nadine Yousif BBC

Brown University Tells International Students, Staff to Avoid Travel Abroad A professor at the school was deported when trying to re-enter the U.S. after a trip to Lebanon, March 17, 2025, Jennifer Levitz and Joseph Pisani

Brown University professor deported despite judge’s order, defying US court, March 17, 2025, Lauren Aratani

The Justice Department is investigating whether Columbia University hid students sought by the US, March 15, 2025, LARRY NEUMEISTER AND JAKE OFFENHARTZ

Over 50 universities are under investigation as part of Trump's anti-DEI crackdown, March 14. 2025, Juliana Kim

Rogers: Universities need courage in the age of American authoritarianism, March 13, 2025, Melvin Rogers, Brown Daily Herald

A wide coalition unites to ‘Shred SB1’ at Ohio State University March 4, 2025, Andy Downing

Ohio State ends DEI, closes two offices, eliminates 16 staffers in response to Trump. Feb 27, 2025 Sheridan Hendrix

Judge calls Trump order ‘arbitrary,’ restores $19 million in HBCU scholarships. Feb 25, 2025, Willesha Morris

Federal Court Orders Department of Education and Office of Personnel Management to Stop Sharing Private Data with DOGE Affiliates Andrew Cook, Feb 24, 2025

Standing Up to the New Segregationists Subini Annamma and Dave Stovall, Feb 24, 2025

Graduate student admissions temporarily paused as university monitors federal funding Tamyra Johnson and Brina Ratangee, Feb 15, 2025


NIH funding cuts could have ‘crushing effect’ on Colorado’s health care, research, and economy Jason Gonzalez February 13, 2025

FIU students and faculty stage walkout in protest of new interim president Jeanette Nuñez, UPDATED FEBRUARY 13, 2025, BY CLARA-SOPHIA DALY

Stunned Education Researchers Say Cuts Go Beyond DEI, Hitting Math, Literacy (Feb 13, 2025, Greg Toppo, The 74

A University’s Top Lawyer Is Behind a Bill to Weaken Tenure. The University Had No Idea. February 11, 2025, Maya Stahl

27% Of National Science Foundation Grants Went To DEI Projects, Study Finds Feb 10, 2025 Luke Rosiak

DEI Grants from the National Science Foundation Source: Senate Commerce Committee

Trump’s DEI order leaves academic researchers fearful of political influence over grants February 8, 2025 AP News

Scientific institutions have a long history of anticipatory obedience OpEd by Phillip Ball, February 7, 2025 Chemistry World

Education Department Cancels $15 Million in Grants for DEI Programs at Three Universities Aaron Sibarium, February 7, 2025 Free Beacon

A fourth federal agency locks its doors to Democratic lawmakers by Andrew Solender, February 7, 2025 Axios

“Back to the States” Trump’s Department of Education plans go against our country’s long history of federal support for schools Derick Black, February 6, 2025

FIU to name Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez interim university president on Friday February 5, 2025, The Miami Herald

West Point disbands student clubs related to gender and race: The National Society of Black Engineers and Latin Cultural Club (February 5, 2025) were among them.. By MaryAlice Parks, Chris Boccia, and Julia Reinstein

‘Enough’: Campus Diversity Advocates Sue Over Trump’s Anti-DEI Orders February 4, 2025, Katherine Mangan, Chronicle of Higher Ed

Trump admin opens investigations into alleged antisemitism at 5 universities, including Columbia, Collin Binkley February 4, 2025

Ed.gov news press https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-probes-cases-of-antisemitism-five-universities

Exclusive: how NSF is scouring research grants for violations of Trump’s orders, February 3, 2025, Dan Garisto and Max Kozlov, Nature

Higher Education Officials, Restaurant Workers, City of Baltimore Challenge Trump Administration’s Violation of Free Speech Protections, Separation of Powers In Suit to Block Anti-DEIA Executive Orders February 3, 2025, Democracy Forward

The Resegregation Orders (Tell the Stories), February 1, 2025, Jessica Marie Johnson

The Conservative Threat to Race-Based Funding for Minority-Serving Institutions January 30, 2025, Katherine Mangan and J. Brian Charles, Chronicle of Higher Ed

“DEI Did It” Op Ed by James Peterson, January 31, 2025, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

“Trump’s executive orders shift higher education landscape” American Council on Education January 27, 2025

“Trump’s Executive Orders Rolling Back DEI and Accessibility Efforts, Explained” ReNika Moore, January 24, 2025, ACLU

Salient quote: “At a minimum, schools are required to comply with federal and state civil rights laws that ensure educational opportunities are provided on an equal basis. This means reviewing policies and practices to ensure they don’t unnecessarily limit opportunities based on race or other protected characteristics. Schools must also work to foster a climate where all students can access and thrive in their educational pursuits. Now, more than ever, educational institutions must resist intimidation and reaffirm their commitment to identifying and removing barriers to equal opportunity.

Opinion: What MLK Jr. actually said and why it matters for DEI (January 24, 2024) by Eric Bybee, Deseret News

“As Trump Targets Universities, Schools Plan a Counteroffensive” Stephanie Saul and Alan Blinder, January 29, 2025, New York Times

Salient quote: “Even as universities muster defenses, no consensus has emerged among them about how best to approach the second iteration of Mr. Trump’s Washington.”

“The New College Gambit” The right-wing takeover of Florida’s public honors college blurs the line between tragedy and farce, but attacks on universities are about to get worse. Feature Investigation by Kathryn Joyce, December 9, 2024, In These Times

“ACLU of Mass. urges higher ed institutions to expand free speech protections”

Hanah Loss, January 14, 2025, ACLU of Massachusetts

“Symposium on Academic Freedom and Attacks on Education as a Public Good” January 11, 2025, CAFA

News articles about DEI and censorship in Ohio

Sponsor of controversial higher ed bill doesn’t want to discuss it with Ohio House Speaker, June 27, 2024, Ohio Capital Journal

Similar bill, SB 1, introduced again by Sen, Cirino (SB1) Jan. 28, 2025 https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/download?key=24444

SENATE BILL 83’S FOUR BIGGEST PROBLEMS, AN ACLU OF OHIO PERSPECTIVE, April 13, 2023, ACLU Ohio

News articles about censorship in Texas.

“Monopoly Tycoons in a Game of Jenga: The Censorship of Bodies, Protest, and Speech at UT-Austin." by Angela Valenuzuela (December 20, 2024) Texas Observer

USC Race and Equity Center Report Examines Campus Racial Climate in Texas Amid Anti-DEI Legislation(Decemeber 11, 2024)

Report Under Siege: Campus Racial Climates in Texas Higher Ed

UNT faculty criticize university decision to remove race, equity references from over 200 course (November 21, 2024)

UNT faculty slam university for removing references to race and equity in course names (November 19, 2024)

Billionaires back new ‘anti-woke’ university in Texas with $200M in funding as disgust over campus protests grows (October 14, 2024) New York Post

APS Partners with Scientific Societies to Fight Federal Anti-DEI Legislation Tawanda Johnson APS News

New Cruz Investigation Reveals How Biden-Harris Diverted Billions from Scientific Research to DEI Activists October 9, 2024, US Senate Committee Press Release spearheaded by Ted Cruz

Report: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/services/files/4BD2D522-2092-4246-91A5-58EEF99750BC

“Manufacturing Backlash” Op-Ed by Isaac Kamola, June 5, 2024

Salient quote: “These sensationalized and over-the-top attacks on higher education and academic freedom have meant that me and my colleagues—those of us who teach our students an unvarnished version of American history, who celebrate a plurality of ways of valuing each other and our identities, and who demand massive collective action to address looming crises—are increasingly treated as enemies.”

“Project 2025 Would Radically Overhaul Higher Ed. Here’s How.” Katherine Knott, July 11, 2024, Inside Higher Ed

Salient quote: “The sweeping conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration would dismantle the Education Department, privatize student loans and end all ongoing Title IX investigations. Critics say it’s a road map to authoritarianism.

“Don’t Defund Major Research Associations For Addressing Racism And DEI” April 16, 2024 Shaun Harper, Forbes

Response to calls for public funding to end public funding to AERA

Coalition of 20 Groups Press Lawmakers to Reject Florida Teacher Training Bill February 28, 2024, Pen America

Educational censorship in Florida has gone too far, and DeSantis knows it |Opinion, Op-ED KATIE BLANKENSHIP, The Miami Herald

SB 1372 Censorship Adults in Teacher Training Programs ACLU - Florida

Congressman Steny Hoyer Addresses HBCU Bomb Threats, David Thompson, Bowie State, February 21, 2024

Suspect Identified in Bomb Threats Against HBCUs, Sara Weissman, November 16, 2022 Inside Higher Ed

News articles about harassment of faculty at Brigham Young University, Utah

Professors are Facing Targeted Harassment on College Campuses (March 29, 2022) linked audio interview Melissa Harris Perry and Eryc Bybee)

‘Campus Reform’ and a Clash Over an Assignment on Whiteness at BYU (March 28, 2022)

More Than a Dozen HBCUs Faced Bomb Threats on First Day of Black History Month

Historically Black Colleges and Universities have faced dozens of similar threats over the past month. Chris Walker, February 1, 2022 , TRUTHOUT

News articles about the censoring of a faculty member at the University of Florida and his attempts to assert academic freedom. He no longer works at the institution.

“New College of Florida Takeover Timeline”

“The New College Gambit” The right-wing takeover of Florida’s public honors college blurs the line between tragedy and farce, but attacks on universities are about to get worse. December 9, 2024

“He Accused the University of Florida of Violating His Academic Freedom. The Provost Disagrees.” May 2, 2022

“Florida’s ‘anti-woke’ bills raise concerns for scholars who teach about race,” February 2, 2022

“Professor Alleges Academic Freedom Violation After U of Florida Bars Critical Race Curriculum.” December 3, 2021

“At UF, someone used ‘critical’ and ‘race’ in a sentence. Trouble ensued.” November 20, 2021

“An Ivory Tower of our Own” by Frederick M. Hess and Brendan Ball, Winter 2019

Two representatives of the American Enterprise Institute think tank lament how “conservative thinking” is of the minority in colleges and universities; they are arguing for the need to create higher education structures of their own. Ironically, FM Hess is renowned for creating a ranked list of top 200 edu-scholars and policy influences, many of which are engaged in the type of scholarship this article critiques. Hess and colleagues have also been making calls for public funding to end for professional organizations like the American Education Research Association.

“Diversity is a Dangerous Set Up” by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein January, 24, 2018

Prescod-Weinstein argues that the current frameworks for addressing racism, particularly through diversity and inclusion initiatives, are fundamentally flawed. It critiques the over-reliance on scientific and psychological approaches, such as implicit bias research, which often reduce racism to individual prejudices rather than systemic power dynamics. Prescod-Weinstein suggests that these methods can be superficial, offering a sense of progress without challenging the deeper structures of oppression that maintain racial hierarchies. The piece also examines how diversity efforts can serve as a form of “recreational anti-racism,” where institutions and individuals engage in performative actions that make them appear progressive while avoiding meaningful change. By focusing on metrics like representation and bias reduction, these initiatives may inadvertently reinforce the very power structures they claim to dismantle, offering marginalized groups token inclusion without addressing the root causes of inequality.

What UVA did wrong when white supremacists came to campus Op-Ed Shaun R. Harper and Charles H.F. Davis III, August 17, 2017, LA Times

Webinars and Recorded Conference Sessions (in chronological order)

Executive Disorder: Resisting the War on Equal Opportunity (Febraury 27, 2025), African American Policy Forum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksLDy8wHXy4

Higher Ed Labor United, webinar and call to action (February 13, 2025) Fund Don't Freeze: National Higher Education Strategy Call

Day of action https://www.labor4highered.org/

National Urban League (Jan 22 2025) - Demand Diversity: Emergency Session on DEI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1e-ykXdu9Q

The Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA) is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to promote and advance the social and behavioral sciences in federal policymaking

On January 30, 2025 COSSA offered the following webinar - 119th Congress & Trump 2.0: What Does it Mean for Us?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpjjKmc4YMg&list=PLWYbwWx66V6NfSNFlTwf9081FEPZpw_dX

On December 5, 2025 COSSA Staff hosted a webinar focused on the results of the 2024 national elections and their implications for the social and behavioral sciences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VjsdgHMhRw

https://cossa.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Post-Election-Town-Hall-Slides.pdf

Fellows in the Field | Law-Based Threats to Academic Freedom and Racial Inclusion University of California (September 7, 2024)

As legislative efforts continue, faculty, administrators, and external organizations (e.g., AAUP, Pen America) must build coalitions and work together to combat these law-based threats. Center Fellow Jackie Pedota, Doctoral Candidate at the University of Texas at Austin, will be joined by Dr. Liliana Garces, Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin, to discuss possible actions administrators and faculty can take to uphold both academic freedom and racial inclusion

AltLiberalArts (January 4, 2024 is most recent posted webinar; past exist on link)

“AltLiberalArts is a nonprofit education initiative offering alternative and online learning platforms to fill the gaps created by bans, censorship and threats that result in self-censorship in college and early college studies in the United States.”

Struggles for the Soul of Higher Education - lecture series

The UMass Amherst History Department Presents the 2024-2025 Feinberg Serie

https://websites.umass.edu/feinberg/

Comparative International Education Society Conference - The Power of Protest ( March
12, 2024)

Teacher protest tries to call international attention to Florida education politics and New College features prominently (March 1, 2024)

Television Coverage of Protests Organized Around the Conference Theme:

WPLG Protestors in Miami call for freedom in education (March 10, 2024)

WFOR

Teachers hold march for education

Facebook live of conference panel - “ The Politics of Hate: Organizing Against Racism and for Justice in Florida”

.https://www.facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown/videos/1110510700181337/?vh=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=XXToF9pRtxVs78AJ

"The Politics of Hate: Organizing Against Racism and for Educational Justice in Florida," moderated by Dr. Mildred Boveda at CIES\

Scholars at Risk Network - YouTube Channel of Scholars at Risk, an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom.

Coalition for Academic Freedom in the Americas

Attacks on academic freedom in the US & lessons learned from Orbán's Hungary April 26, 2023


Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, HBCUs: A History of Racial Terrorism

Panel discussing contemporary and historic violence and threats to Black students and HBCUs (2022)

https://www.facebook.com/bhamcivilrights/videos/1221766981685261

APA Division 15 Webinar (August 22, 2021) - Equity Pedagogy: Creating Classrooms Where All Children Thrive With Dr. Francesca Lopez

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-YZhEpGFiE

(Slides) – https://apadiv15.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/APADIV15_Equity-compressed.pdf

National Conservatism Conference II (November 10, 2021) - “Universities are the Enemy”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FR65Cifnhw&t=940s

A speech in which the then congressman, current U.S. Vice President JD Vance quotes Richard Nixon to indicate that “Professors are the enemy.” He explains why universities must be “honestly and aggressively attacked.” He presents several unsubstantiated statements about what US k-12 teachers and faculty are teaching students and uses alleged statements to justify the positioning of professors and universities as enemies of the nation.

Upcoming Webinars and Conferences

From Land Grab to Native Sovereignty - Indigenous Futures at Land grant universities. Feb 13, 2025, 4pm

Big Ideas: Committing to Educational Equity During Turbulent Times Feb 18, 6pm

Urban Conference Traveling Together: The Many Paths of Community Engaged Research April 3-6, 2025


Public Data Sets

Data Rescue Project

CDC datasets uploaded before January 28th, 2025 - Internet Archive

https://archive.org/details/20250128-cdc-datasets#reviews

“Preserving Public U.S. Federal Data” federal data sets are being disappeared. This group is working to preserve them. https://lil.law.harvard.edu/blog/2025/01/30/preserving-public-u-s-federal-data/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3-cqZgUbD3S3vmlNljUVwBAgE8DDeYa67XO_HB-2bL76XHvkTbsZglQsA_aem_goG6wdLtgA1ArD7KDRM8jg

Professional Organization, Foundations - Related Statements of (In)Actions

National DEI Defense Coalition

March 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpulrPs2f8E&t=1s


UCLA Civil Rights Project Statement on Trump-Musk Initiatives to Force Illegitimate Reversals of Long-Established Civil Rights Policies Feb 26, 2025


NADOHE response to DOE 'Dear Colleague' letter February 17, 2025


A note from Spencer Foundation President Na'ilah Nasir February 12, 2025


AERA and COPAFS Statement on the New Administration’s Sudden Termination of National Center for Education Statistics Contracts American Ed February 10, 2025

American Education Research Association (AERA)

Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics (COPAFS)

National center for learning disabilities NCLD UPDATES | FEBRUARY 7, 2025 Rooted in Mission, United for the Future

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA President Charlie Baker issues statement regarding Trump administration executive order February 5, 2025

National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education;

NADOHE joins as lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration (February 3, 2025)

American Society for Microbiology

Removal of DEI content from a microbiology group’s website shows reach of Trump executive orders

American Society for Microbiology’s actions anger its members (Feb 3, 2025)

American Association of Physicists in Medicine’]

Video presidential message https://vimeo.com/1053066540 (Feb 3, 2025)

Association of American Universities (January 27, 2025)

Against Anticipatory Obedience AAUP (January 2025)

Committee of Education Funding (December 2024)

American Federation of Teachers (December 10, 2024)

“Preparing for 2025: A look at higher ed in a second Trump term”

American Historical Association (January 17, 2025) overruled the passing of a resolution, despite members voting for it against scholasticide.

“Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza”

News report of resolution (Demoncracy Now, January 6, 2025): American Historical Assoc. Votes Overwhelmingly for Resolution to Oppose Scholasticide in Gaza

Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA)

Faculty First Responders - Understanding Right Wing Attacks on Faculty

Resources for Higher Education Workers (best practices)

Professors Are Not the Enemy. Fascists Are: A statement from AAUP President Todd Wolfson August 8, 2024

How faculty contend with threats to academic freedom and racial inclusion. UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. 2023 Jacqueline Pedota

Scholars at Risk Network - Scholars at Risk is an international network of institutions and individuals whose mission it is to protect scholars and promote academic freedom.

Free to Think Report of the Scholars at Risk Academic Freedom Monitoring Project

Additional Readings

Books:

Native Presence and Sovereignty in College: Sustaining Indigenous Weapons to Defeat Systemic Monsters

Teaching to Transgress

Prequel an American fight against fascism

Let This Radicalize You

Yo'mama's disfunktional!: Fighting the culture wars in urban America

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century

Not Paved for Us: Black Educators and Public School Reform in Philadelphia

Wellness-Centered books

The Quaking of America

The Body Keeps Score

A Boss Chick's Guide To Mindfulness Meditation: A Workbook for Black Women

Reclaim Yourself: The Homecoming Workbook


Peer Review Articles

Locus of Struggle: The African Campus and Contemporary Protest Forms

Higher education in dark times: from the democratic renewal of Brazilian universities to its current wreck


Blogs/Vlogs/Podcasts

Identifying your "ministries"/Getting clarity about 2025

Winning the Peace: Confronting the Attacks on Education with Awareness, Determination, and Intentionality

Mildred Boveda is one of the facilitators of this evolving list.

Novo Collegian Alliance has an up to date blog

“The Novo Collegian Alliance was formed to build off the amazing advocacy rallying around the Save New College movement, and to fill the need for a legally incorporated organization to sustain the fight over the long-term.”

Educational Equity, Politics & Policy in Texas by Dr. Angela Valenzuela, UT-Austin

Academic freedom and fascism: A new book on the Italian professors who said NO in 1931

Fascism: What it is and how to fight it

Law Race and Decolonisation

Clip: Culture War, CRT, and Ethnic Studies

How Hitler Dismantled a Democracy in 53 Days: He used the constitution to shatter the constitution.

DiveIn: A Podcast about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Special Education

Decolonizing Science Reading List

Beyond Neoliberal Multiculturalism


Relevant news

Records show how DOGE planned Trump’s DEI purge — and who gets fired next

The Not-Quite-Anti-Woke Caucus Democratic members of Congress are fed up with their party’s discourse on identity, but they can’t get on board with Donald Trump’s campaign to destroy D.E.I. February 4, 2025

We Choose to fight: US Senate in -state office visit toolkit

Relevant Interviews

Cornel West on Donald Trump: This is What Neo-Fascism Looks Like

A Talk with Marc Lamont Hill: Palestine, Scholasticide, and the Responsibility of Educators

CRT is a lens by which to examine the persistence of racism in our society

Social Media/Technological Precautions

Delete Me

Infosec 101 for Activists

Legal Council

EducationalCounsel
Take Action:

Connecting to U.S. Policy Makers

Tell Your Senator: Stop the Next Funding Freeze: Indivisible.org


President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Republicans: MoveOn


Visit State Senate Offices


Mobilizing & Organizing around an issue

Making an Activism/Organizing Plan


“Organize Your Constituents” - Gen Z Congressman BEGS Dems to Wake Up and Fight | Native Land Pod



“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Maya Angelou


“Don't tell no lies about me, and I won't tell truths about you"

Kendrick Lamar