#ScholarSunday Thread 230

Shared on June 22, 2025

It’s too damn hot to be outside, & the world is burning anyway, so why not stay in & check out all the amazing & inspiring public scholarly writing, podcast episodes, new books from the last week in my 230^th #ScholarSunday thread? Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all!

Starting with a few great pieces for Father’s Day, including Mark Anthony Neal for his Medium column on Malcolm X & fatherhood:

https://medium.com/@tnimixtape/a-black-shining-father-malcolm-xs-impossible-fatherhood-by-mark-anthony-neal-c3a683dd6271

I really loved Kelly Hayes’s piece for her Organizing My Thoughts blog on remembering her father & talking to strangers:

https://organizingmythoughts.org/remembering-my-father-and-talking-to-strangers-on-planes/

& for a very special edition of my Saturday Evening Post Considering History column, I wrote about how being a Dad to my sons has taught me so much about American history:

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/06/considering-history-how-being-a-dad-has-connected-me-to-new-aspects-of-the-american-story/

This was a tough Father’s Day for me, the first since my Dad passed, so I also have to share once more this March Considering History column on all the inspirations I continue to take from his life & career:

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/03/considering-history-a-tribute-to-steve-railton-and-the-best-of-american-education/

Couple other great columns from Saturday Evening Post colleagues this week, including Einav Rabinovitch-Fox for her Common Threads column on the surprisingly radical history of the tuxedo:

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/06/common-threads-the-rebellious-history-of-the-tuxedo/

& I really enjoyed Chi Sherman’s Juneteenth column on Sojourner Truth:

https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2025/06/journey-toward-juneteenth-sojourner-truth-and-the-fight-for-freedom/

That’s one of many great Juneteenth pieces this week, including Kahlil Greene for his History Can’t Hide newsletter on Black resistance before emancipation:

The Juneteenth Story They're Not Telling You | Enslaved Texans Didn't Wait for Lincoln

Check out this transcript of Walter D. Greason’s vital report for the New Jersey Reparations Council on the economics of enslavement & abolition:

https://geniuslocus.com/2025/06/21/the-economics-of-enslavement-and-abolition-juneteenth-2025/

Phenomenal visual history of Juneteenth in Texas from the folks at Texas Highways magazine:

https://texashighways.com/travel-news/the-history-of-juneteenth-in-photos/

For NPR station WUNC, Sade Green recorded an audio version of her wonderful Time magazine personal essay on Juneteenth & a historic plantation (h/t Robert Greene II):

https://www.wunc.org/podcast/the-broadside/2025-06-19/a-return-to-midway-plantation

& thoughtful reflections on the holiday here in 2025 from Pamela Toler over at her History in the Margins blog:

https://www.historyinthemargins.com/2025/06/17/looking-forward-to-juneteenth/

Turning to other great public scholarly writing from the week, Jayne Ptolemy wrote for Commonplace journal on the many layers to a fascinating cache of historical documents about Atlantic slavery & more:

https://commonplace.online/article/the-record-scratch/

For his Pittsburgh City Paper column, David S. Rotenstein wrote about the 1988 “Valentine’s Day Massacre” & Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ history:

https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news/the-1988-valentines-day-massacre-was-a-decisive-moment-in-pittsburgh-lgbtq-history-28195250

Check out Nathaniel George’s open-access American Historical Review article on the Lebanese philosopher Charles Malik & global counterrevolution:

https://academic.oup.com/ahr/article/130/2/600/8158910?login=false

The folks at Medievalists.net shared this interesting excerpt from Len Scales’s work on nationhood in the Holy Roman Empire:

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/06/holy-roman-empire-medieval-nationhood/

Over at the History News Network, Sam Esser wrote about the generations of Londoners who have made their lives on the city’s waterways:

https://www.hnn.us/article/a-boat-with-a-view

For a very different set of nautical histories, check out Craig L. Symonds’s slideshow for the Oxford UP blog on the Naval Academy’s class of 1940:

https://blog.oup.com/2025/06/the-naval-academy-class-of-1940-slideshow/?utm_campaign=8699e5u0v-8699e5u1j-Tn-Gf-Fa-Cr-Ae&utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=social&utm_content=media+post&utm_term=OxfordAcademic+8699e5u1j&linkId=300000027436461

& for World History Connected’s Spring 2025 Forum on the Vietnam War, Bram Hubbell wrote about teaching the Indochina Wars in American World History classrooms:

https://journals.gmu.edu/whc/article/view/4517/2479

Speaking of teaching but turning to current events, as a fierce advocate of adult ed programs I really enjoyed Hope Corrigan’s essay for The Cut on lifelong learning:

https://www.thecut.com/article/learning-outside-the-classroom-postgrad-lecture-trend.html

David Gilbert wrote for Wired on the technological & online tools that have fueled the No Kings resistance movement:

https://www.wired.com/story/technology-tools-donald-trump-resistance/

While Toby Buckle wrote for Liberal Currents on how No Kings shows the power of our resistance messaging when media amplifies it:

https://www.liberalcurrents.com/no-kings-shows-our-power-when-we-have-messaging-reach/

For the New York Times, Ruth Ben-Ghiat wrote about why we can’t get used to things like Trump’s military parade (gift link below):

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/15/opinion/trump-military-parade-protest.html?unlocked_article_code=1.PE8.efo2.RRJnsVrjTg83&smid=url-share

While for The Atlantic, Adam Serwer argued that any leader who uses military force to suppress opposition should lose the right to govern (gift link below):

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/06/trump-military-force-protests/683198/?gift=Je3D9AQS-C17lUTOnl2W8Cdfor12GRVOUysWoqfjmig&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

Bracing & important article for Foreign Affairs from Elizabeth N. Saunders on American foreign policy in an age of unrestrained executive power:

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/imperial-president-home-emperor-abroad

Equally bracing & vital work from Alexandra Villareal for the Texas Observer on the effects of Trump’s education attacks at UT-San Antonio:

https://www.texasobserver.org/trump-higher-education-ut-san-antonio/

On another tragic effect of Trump’s cuts, here’s Zachary Utz for Contingent magazine on the state of the History of Genomics Program:

https://contingentmagazine.org/2025/06/18/the-losses-the-history-of-genomics-program/

While for a profoundly human effect of Trump’s policies, read Alistair Kitchen in The New Yorker on how his reporting on Columbia’s protests led to his deportation:

https://www.newyorker.com/news/the-lede/how-my-reporting-on-the-columbia-protests-led-to-my-deportation

Over at The New Republic, Kate Aronoff reported on the simple truth about the reasons behind our miserable heat waves:

https://newrepublic.com/article/197054/heat-wave-united-states-simple-truth

While for The Nation, Elie Mystal wrote about why the Supreme Court’s anti-trans decision in US v Skrmetti will live in infamy:

https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/us-vs-skrmetti-ruling-analysis/

For a more inspiring LGBTQ+ story, check out Kathryn Gamboa for Canada’s Arquives on Toronto queer history through the lens of Jackie Shane:

https://arquives.ca/a-toronto-queer-history-a-la-jackie-shane/

Lots of great new podcast episodes this week, including the latest episode of Truthout’s Movement Memos with host Kelly Hayes joined by Silky Shah on the growing authoritarian machine:

https://truthout.org/audio/the-authoritarian-machine-is-growing-and-it-wont-stop-at-immigrants/

For the latest episode of John Fugelsang & Corey Brettschneider’s The Oath & the Office podcast, the ACLU’s Mike Zamore joined to discuss protests & Constitutional crises:

While the latest episode of Mark Anthony Neal’s Left of Black podcast features Jason E. Shelton on changes in the contemporary Black church:

Over at If Books Could Kill, Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri returned to In Covid’s Wake to discuss its erroneous views of politics:

While for the new episode of SSN’s No Jargon podcast, Jean Amanda Junior discussed how taxes can be a powerful tool to improve collective health outcomes:

https://scholars.org/podcast/how-taxes-can-save-lives

& for the latest episode of Heather Cox Richardson’s American Conversations, she was joined by former Senator Jon Tester to talk about the horrific ongoing sale of public land:

I’m very glad that Liam Heffernan’s America: A History podcast is back, with a new episode featuring Ru Paul’s Drag Race co-creators Randy Barbato & Fenton Bailey on the show’s impacts on America:

While the latest episode of the Civics & Coffee podcast features Matthew Brogdon on Reconstruction’s legal legacies:

https://www.civicsandcoffee.com/reconstructions-legal-legacy-with-dr-matthew-brogdon/

For Listener Appreciation Week, the Shipwrecks & Sea Dogs podcast featured bonus mini-episodes all week!:

https://www.shipwrecksandseadogs.com/

I’m really excited to share two new/evolved podcasts as well, including Zara Anishanslin & Joanna Cohen’s new Thing4Things podcast on material culture histories:

https://rss.com/podcasts/thing4things/

While Michael Patrick Cullinane’s The Gilded Age & Progressive Era podcast is back with two new hosts, Cathleen D. Cahill & Boyd Cothran:

https://www.michaelpatrickcullinane.com/podcast/episode/65bbbb1f/introducing-new-hosts-boyd-and-cathleen

Three great new posts for Time’s Made By History blog this week, including Sonya Schoenberger on how Trump is repeating Reagan’s deep sea mining mistake:

https://time.com/7290958/trump-deep-sea-mining-mistake/

Marc A. Hertzman wrote for Made By History on how Brazil demonstrates that we can’t erase Black history:

https://time.com/7290019/brazil-you-cant-erase-black-history/

& finally for Made By History, Joel Zapata wrote about the Lavender Scare & the long history of LGBTQ+ exclusion in America:

https://time.com/7295426/the-lavender-scare-history/

I’m really excited for the latest AAIHS Black Perspectives Roundtable, beginning July 14^th & focusing on the edited collection From Rights to Lives: The Evolution of the Black Freedom Struggle:

https://www.aaihs.org/online-roundtable-the-evolution-of-the-black-freedom-struggle/

Speaking of important scholarly books, a number of new publications this week to share, including Julia Gaffield’s I Have Avenged America: Jean-Jacques Dessalines & Haiti’s Fight for Freedom from Yale UP:

https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300255478/i-have-avenged-america/

Also out this week is Philip Rocco’s Counting Like a State: How Intergovernmental Partnerships Shaped the 2020 US Census from the University Press of Kansas:

https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700638758/

The folks at UNC Press shared three new releases, including Ashley Howard’s Midwest Unrest: 1960s Urban Rebellions & the Black Freedom Movement & Brian Kwoda’s Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism:

https://uncpressblog.com/2025/06/17/new-this-week-june-17th/

While check out Hobnob Press’s latest publication, Basingstroke Reinvented, 1800-1925: From Agricultural Town to Manufacturing Centre, edited by Jean Morrin:

https://www.hobnobpress.co.uk/books/p/basingstoke-reinvented-18001925-from-agricultural-town-to-manufacturing-centre-edited-by-jean-morrin

Also published this week was a special 25^th anniversary edition of Mary L. Dudziak’s Cold War Civil Rights: Race & the Image of American Democracy from Princeton UP:

https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691274324/cold-war-civil-rights

For another important recent release, check out The Journal of the Civil War Era’s interview with Andrew Donnelly on his Confederate Sympathies: Same-Sex Romance, Disunion, & Reunion in the Civil War Era:

https://www.journalofthecivilwarera.org/2025/06/andrew-donnelly-and-confederate-sympathies-same-sex-romance-disunion-and-reunion-in-the-civil-war-era/

For the latest USIH book review, Phillip G. Payne reviewed Heather Cox Richardson’s Democracy Awakening: Notes on the State of America:

https://s-usih.org/2025/06/phillip-g-payne-on-heather-cox-richardsons-democracy-awakening-notes-on-the-state-of-america/

While for The Guardian, Anya Ryan wrote about Liberation, Ntombizodwa Nyona’s new play about an October 1945 Pan-African Congress in Manchester:

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/jun/17/liberation-africa-play-manchester-international-festival-ntombizodwa-nyoni

Gonna end with a bunch of great newsletters & blog posts as usual, including Nathaniel Morris for his Future/Conditional newsletter contextualizing Trump & Iran:

Trump and Israel's War On Iran

For his A Sea of Words newsletter, Lincoln Paine reflected on the 2003 invasion of Iraq & the perils of American imperialism:

A Pax Upon You: Preludes and Perils of American Imperialism

Over at her Feminist Giant newsletter, Mona Eltahawy wrote about the hypocrisy of Netanyahu using Muslim women’s “rights” to justify war:

Essay: Netanyahu is using Muslim women’s ‘rights’ to justify his war. What hideous, hollow hypocrisy

For his Fool’s Gold newsletter, Donald Earl Collins used Adriana Smith & his own character of “Olivia” to write about Black women’s experiences:

Black Woman Should Always Matter, But Never Do

Over at her History Teaches… newsletter, Felicia Kornbluh revisited & updated her earlier piece on the contemporary echoes of the 1930s repatriation movement:

History Teaches . . . Histories of "Repatriation" in this Moment

I really enjoyed Kevin M. Levin for his Civil War Memory newsletter on why Trump’s attempts to revise history at National Park Service sites is a failure:

Trump's Executive Order, 'Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,' at NPS Sites is a Failure.

Great stuff from Sherrilyn Ifill for her newsletter on Mike Lee’s awful pettiness & the need for people of character to stand up:

When Small Men and Women Rule*

Equally powerful piece from Edward Zitron for his blog on why sincerity & accountability will help us resist narratives of inevitability:

https://www.wheresyoured.at/sic/

Important work from Jenn Dowd for the Data for Health newsletter on challenging demography myths about historic life expectancy:

There Were Still Old People When Life Expectancy Was 35.

For his Looking Through the Past newsletter, George Dillard traced how pineapples became the ultimate status symbol:

Excelling Above All Fruits

While for her Life’s a Feast newsletter, Jamie Schler traced the fascinating history of whipped cream:

Crème Fouettée, Crème à la Chantilly

Gonna conclude with a trio of wonderful cultural studies pieces, including the latest for Vaughn Joy’s Review Roulette newsletter, a fascinating analysis of the layers within the deceptively silly Weekend at Bernie’s:

Bernie's Body's Working for the Weekend

Great stuff from Odie Henderson for RogerEbert.com on the lifelong professional & personal partnership between Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee:

https://www.rogerebert.com/features/ossie-davis-and-ruby-dee

& I loved Riley Womack’s essay for Bright Wall/Dark Room on my favorite film, John Sayles’s Lone Star:

https://www.brightwalldarkroom.com/2025/06/16/lone-star-1996/

PS. I’m sure I missed plenty as usual, so please share more writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books below. Thanks, happy reading, listening, & learning, & please stay cool & safe out there, my friends!