Carole V. Bell
@cvbell.bsky.social
🇯🇲Culture critic, media & politics prof and researcher. I 💙 Art & Democracy. Writing: NPR, Boston Globe, IndieWire, LATimes, NYTimes, Washington Post, Oprah Daily, The Emancipator, Kirkus and BookPage. UNC J-School PhD. Linktr.ee/Cvbell
Pinned
30 years ago, 'Waiting to Exhale' was the blockbuster Hollywood didn't anticipate
The 1995 adaptation of Terry McMillan's novel celebrated the beauty of Black sisterhood.
www.npr.org
I had so much fun revisiting the movie Waiting to Exhale and its impact, which might be even bigger than you remember, for NPR.
30 years later, 'Waiting to Exhale' endures
www.npr.org/2025/12/24/n...
30 years later, 'Waiting to Exhale' endures
www.npr.org/2025/12/24/n...
A stunningly racist paradox: claim that Somalis have stolen $19 billion through fraud and simultaneously that they’re too “low IQ” to accomplish this themselves. “a lot of very low IQ people. They don’t do it. Other people work it out and they get them money and they go out and buy Mercedes...”
So far, I am only seeing TPM, Mediaite, and Daily Beast focusing on this.
We live in a world where the president calling an ethnic group "very low IQ" and "bad for our country" while insisting they "ought to get the hell out of here" barely makes headlines. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...
We live in a world where the president calling an ethnic group "very low IQ" and "bad for our country" while insisting they "ought to get the hell out of here" barely makes headlines. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/trump-m...
Trump Marks First Year In Office With Unhinged Racist Rant Targeting ‘Very Low IQ’ Somalis
President Donald Trump spent the first anniversary of his second term on...
talkingpointsmemo.com
January 21, 2026 at 1:47 AM
A stunningly racist paradox: claim that Somalis have stolen $19 billion through fraud and simultaneously that they’re too “low IQ” to accomplish this themselves. “a lot of very low IQ people. They don’t do it. Other people work it out and they get them money and they go out and buy Mercedes...”
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
We can build walls or we can be more ambitious — and build something better, stronger, and more just.
January 20, 2026 at 10:56 PM
We can build walls or we can be more ambitious — and build something better, stronger, and more just.
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
Writing is thinking
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
January 18, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Writing is thinking
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Outsourcing the entire task of writing to LLMs will deprive us of the essential creative task of interpreting our findings and generating a deeper theoretical understanding of the world.
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
This is the best speech, just from a pure rhetoric perspective - its sophistication and persuasiveness - that I've seen a politician deliver in a good long while. Really recommend watching or reading the whole thing.
January 20, 2026 at 11:01 PM
This is the best speech, just from a pure rhetoric perspective - its sophistication and persuasiveness - that I've seen a politician deliver in a good long while. Really recommend watching or reading the whole thing.
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
‘When I need a pick-me-up, I reach for shows about good people trying their best and working together to get through this thing we call life.’
The Most Optimistic Shows
I could use a little hope right now. How about you?
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:01 PM
‘When I need a pick-me-up, I reach for shows about good people trying their best and working together to get through this thing we call life.’
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
The Legacy Museum, which is “perhaps the closest thing America has to a national slavery museum,” is free from government control and displays the “history that the Trump administration aims to de-emphasize—if not outright erase,” @clintsmithiii.bsky.social argues.
The Power of Private Museums
The Equal Justice Initiative’s historical sites in Montgomery, Alabama, show what’s possible when history isn’t subject to federal funding cuts or executive orders.
bit.ly
January 19, 2026 at 3:45 PM
The Legacy Museum, which is “perhaps the closest thing America has to a national slavery museum,” is free from government control and displays the “history that the Trump administration aims to de-emphasize—if not outright erase,” @clintsmithiii.bsky.social argues.
New: Anna Kovatcheva’s debut, She Made Herself a Monster, follows a con artist vampire hunter whose fake rituals serve a real purpose for the villagers she fools.
I asked the author about its folklore roots, her journey to publication and the appeal of the vampire:
www.bookpage.com/interviews/a...
I asked the author about its folklore roots, her journey to publication and the appeal of the vampire:
www.bookpage.com/interviews/a...
Interview with Anna Kovatcheva, author of She Made Herself a Monster
The debut author pulled from Bulgarian folklore, the gothic tradition and, of course, Buffy to create her unorthodox historical thriller.
www.bookpage.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:35 AM
New: Anna Kovatcheva’s debut, She Made Herself a Monster, follows a con artist vampire hunter whose fake rituals serve a real purpose for the villagers she fools.
I asked the author about its folklore roots, her journey to publication and the appeal of the vampire:
www.bookpage.com/interviews/a...
I asked the author about its folklore roots, her journey to publication and the appeal of the vampire:
www.bookpage.com/interviews/a...
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
While trolls like Stephen Miller grouse over “woke” Star Trek, look past the predictable culture war nonsense to see how the new Trek series examines what it takes for a galaxy full of different folks to unite around shared values building a brighter future. READ: https://loom.ly/tYEb0y4
January 19, 2026 at 3:11 PM
While trolls like Stephen Miller grouse over “woke” Star Trek, look past the predictable culture war nonsense to see how the new Trek series examines what it takes for a galaxy full of different folks to unite around shared values building a brighter future. READ: https://loom.ly/tYEb0y4
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
I wrote a column last year on how the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's history of advocacy and standing for his values regardless of pushback offered a good example for journalists under threat. Sadly, my words have only become more relevant in the year since. READ: https://loom.ly/v-kqxZg
On the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, a meditation on journalism values
How the civil rights leader provides an example for journalists and media in turbulent times
open.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 4:55 PM
I wrote a column last year on how the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's history of advocacy and standing for his values regardless of pushback offered a good example for journalists under threat. Sadly, my words have only become more relevant in the year since. READ: https://loom.ly/v-kqxZg
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
“I’m the least racist person you have ever interviewed.”
Who Said It: Donald Trump or Martin Luther King Jr.?
1. “If you can’t fly, then run. If you can’t run, then walk. If you can’t walk, then crawl. But by all means, keep moving.” 2. “Why would Kim Jong ...
buff.ly
January 19, 2026 at 4:01 PM
“I’m the least racist person you have ever interviewed.”
Notable fact in this great article: “Minnesota is an odd choice for such a huge operation. It is a medium-size state — fewer than six million people — and its percentage of undocumented immigrant residents is less than half the national average, far lower than states like Texas, Florida..”
I went to Minneapolis last week. What I saw was horrifying and inspiring in equal measure. Gift link to my latest column: www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/o...
Opinion | In Minneapolis, I Glimpsed a Civil War
www.nytimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Notable fact in this great article: “Minnesota is an odd choice for such a huge operation. It is a medium-size state — fewer than six million people — and its percentage of undocumented immigrant residents is less than half the national average, far lower than states like Texas, Florida..”
One Month Later, CBS Airs Postponed ‘60 Minutes’ Report With Few Changes www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/b...
One Month Later, CBS Airs Postponed ‘60 Minutes’ Report With Few Changes
www.nytimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:12 AM
One Month Later, CBS Airs Postponed ‘60 Minutes’ Report With Few Changes www.nytimes.com/2026/01/18/b...
Genre fiction and female authors top U.S. libraries' most-borrowed lists in 2025
www.npr.org/2025/12/29/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/29/n...
Genre fiction and female authors top U.S. libraries' most-borrowed lists in 2025
All of the top 10 books borrowed through the public library app Libby were written by women. And Kristin Hannah's The Women was the top checkout in many library systems around the country.
www.npr.org
January 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM
Genre fiction and female authors top U.S. libraries' most-borrowed lists in 2025
www.npr.org/2025/12/29/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/29/n...
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
A Seoul court says an independent counsel has demanded a death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.
South Korean prosecutor seeks death sentence for ex-leader Yoon over martial law decree
A Seoul court says an independent counsel has demanded a death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM
A Seoul court says an independent counsel has demanded a death sentence for former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024.
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
On my way to the Supreme Court where I'll be proud to support 15-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson, West Virginia's only transgender athlete, as she opposes the state's effort to ban her from playing as herself.
Win or lose, Becky and her family are heroes for standing up for what's right
Win or lose, Becky and her family are heroes for standing up for what's right
January 13, 2026 at 12:10 PM
On my way to the Supreme Court where I'll be proud to support 15-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson, West Virginia's only transgender athlete, as she opposes the state's effort to ban her from playing as herself.
Win or lose, Becky and her family are heroes for standing up for what's right
Win or lose, Becky and her family are heroes for standing up for what's right
It is unusual for people to endorse presidential candidates years in advance of the primaries. And yet people are lining up for JD who lacks both tact and charisma. Something is going on within the GOP ranks.
January 12, 2026 at 12:15 PM
It is unusual for people to endorse presidential candidates years in advance of the primaries. And yet people are lining up for JD who lacks both tact and charisma. Something is going on within the GOP ranks.
I’m nervous recommending books by people I know. But I read an early copy of Belle Burden’s divorce memoir Strangers and this beautifully honest book deserves every attention. This review captures it. Her Life Was an Old-Money Dream. It Collapsed in a Moment. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/b...
Her Life Was an Old-Money Dream. It Collapsed in a Moment.
www.nytimes.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:59 AM
I’m nervous recommending books by people I know. But I read an early copy of Belle Burden’s divorce memoir Strangers and this beautifully honest book deserves every attention. This review captures it. Her Life Was an Old-Money Dream. It Collapsed in a Moment. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/b...
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
"In every society fallen to authoritarianism, the state goes after the press first+ closes in on universities next.
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
Universities Need a New Defense
The authoritarian threat is growing. The old playbook won’t work.
www.chronicle.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:04 PM
"In every society fallen to authoritarianism, the state goes after the press first+ closes in on universities next.
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
All of us who live, work,+learn within the university should think of our institution as part of the larger constitutional structure of the nation."
www.chronicle.com/article/univ...
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
“Denmark will not hand over Greenland even if the USA threatens us with nuclear weapons.
“I am not saying this to…try to be tough. We are small and no match for the USA. We know that. But we are not doing it under any circumstances.” - Rasmus Jarlov, Chair of Denmark’s Defence Committee.
“I am not saying this to…try to be tough. We are small and no match for the USA. We know that. But we are not doing it under any circumstances.” - Rasmus Jarlov, Chair of Denmark’s Defence Committee.
January 10, 2026 at 12:03 PM
“Denmark will not hand over Greenland even if the USA threatens us with nuclear weapons.
“I am not saying this to…try to be tough. We are small and no match for the USA. We know that. But we are not doing it under any circumstances.” - Rasmus Jarlov, Chair of Denmark’s Defence Committee.
“I am not saying this to…try to be tough. We are small and no match for the USA. We know that. But we are not doing it under any circumstances.” - Rasmus Jarlov, Chair of Denmark’s Defence Committee.
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
Greenland's parliament will bring forward meeting to discuss US threats, party leaders say reut.rs/49imkyY
Greenland's parliament will bring forward meeting to discuss US threats, party leaders say
Greenland's parliament will bring forward a meeting to discuss its response to U.S. threats to take control of the Arctic island, the leaders of the five political parties in the Greenlandic assembly said in a joint statement.
reut.rs
January 10, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Greenland's parliament will bring forward meeting to discuss US threats, party leaders say reut.rs/49imkyY
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
Such a good quote!
January 10, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Such a good quote!
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
January 9, 2026 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Carole V. Bell
"This was a family that could've been like mine" -- Philip Bump breaks down crying on MS NOW when talking about the stuffed animals in Renee Good's car when she was killed
January 8, 2026 at 5:23 PM
"This was a family that could've been like mine" -- Philip Bump breaks down crying on MS NOW when talking about the stuffed animals in Renee Good's car when she was killed
Massachusetts is offering significant relief for hundreds of thousands of residents whose health insurance premiums soared after federal subsidies expired at the beginning of the year.
Baller move by Governor Healey— meaningful and bold.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/08/m...
Baller move by Governor Healey— meaningful and bold.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/08/m...
Mass. unveils $250 million in new Obamacare subsidies to protect residents from premium hikes - The Boston Globe
Officials said the move virtually negates insurance premium increases for 270,000 people.
www.bostonglobe.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Massachusetts is offering significant relief for hundreds of thousands of residents whose health insurance premiums soared after federal subsidies expired at the beginning of the year.
Baller move by Governor Healey— meaningful and bold.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/08/m...
Baller move by Governor Healey— meaningful and bold.
www.bostonglobe.com/2026/01/08/m...