David W. Blight | Lightnews

David Blight

@dblight.bsky.social

1.1K followers 150 following 66 posts

Historian, author of Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom, which won P-Prize, a teacher and lifer as Tigers, Lions, and MSU fan.

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David William Blight is the Sterling Professor of History, of African American Studies, and of American Studies and Director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition at Yale University. Previously, Blight was a professor of History at Amherst College, where he taught for 13 years. He has won several awards, including the Bancroft Prize and Frederick Douglass Prize for Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, and the Pulitzer Prize and Lincoln Prize for Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. In 2021, he was elected to the American Philosophical Society. .. more

Political science 48%

Sociology 22%

Posts Replies Media Videos

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · 11d

Hello everyone. Please see and attend the next "Trump vs. History" webinar, sponsored by the New Republic. Monday, 4 pm eastern, free on zoom. I will moderate a discussion with the three great historians, Ed Ayers, Molly Worthen, Geraldo Cadava. We fight back!
www.eventbrite.com/e/trump-vers...

Trump Versus History II

How Trump is trying to change our sense of who we are.

www.eventbrite.com

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Sep 27

The emperor has no clothes and he is spreading hatred, ignorance, and corruption all around. We have to convert despair into a fighting spirit! Save the American republic!

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Sep 27

Federal troops to Portland? Portlanders: don't take the bait. He wants a violent confrontation in order to use those troops. For now hold silent marches with muffled drums, bring flowers, sing songs of freedom, keep it all peaceful and non-violent. Confrontation will come in time.

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Sep 27

Honor US soldiers at Wounded Knee? Take down 30 images about slavery at Harpers Ferry? Indict your political enemies in worse abuses of law and Constitutional norms than Watergate? Historians and everyone who cares - fight back! We are beyond simply saving democracy; we have to stop a TYRANT!

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Sep 17

New op ed in this morning's New Republic about the rhetoric of "civil war" on this anniversary of battle of Antietam, single bloodiest day in American history. David Blight
newrepublic.com/article/2005...

So You Want a Civil War? Let’s Pause to Remember What One Looks Like.

Today marks the 163rd anniversary of Antietam. Those who say they’re ready for civil war should stop and think about what happened there.

newrepublic.com

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 27

This piece in Forbes today by Mary Beth Gasman minces no words in calling out the Trump regime and what it is trying to do to American history. Very effective essay.

www.forbes.com/sites/marybe...

Scholars Defend The Full Story Of U.S. History As Trump Targets Museums

President Trump recently called U.S. museums “the last remaining segment of ”WOKE," singling out the Smithsonian. Historians throughout the U.S. respond.

www.forbes.com

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 27

Good news. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, has graciously accepted my invitation to two debates with his fellow historians about American history on the eve of the US 250th. Details of time and sites are being worked out. One likely in a red state, and one is a blue state.

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 20

Wrong link in previous post. Here is correct CNN video.
David Blight

video.snapstream.net/Play/8mJmNdV...

Connect the World - Wednesday, August 20, 2025 10am ET - Professor David Blight

video.snapstream.net

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 20

President Trump: Meet Frederick Douglass and his Narrative. Read!!! And do not say another public word about slavery until you get educated. Please stop insulting Americans with your unbounded ignorance.

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 20

Kevin Roberts at Heritage Foundation has not yet accepted my invitation to debate historians. If anyone has direct access at Heritage, please encourage him. The Trump History department should cite their sources and defend their arguments in public.

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 20

Trump's rant about museums: accuses "woke" curators of portraying "how bad slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been..." The first claim is obscene, the second is simply stupid. Ignorance in the mind of a tyrant is a very dangerous thing. Historians - awake!!

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 11

Kevin Roberts and the Heritage Foundation: Come out and debate historians about the current and future practice of American history. See the current New Republic. We respectfully invite you to an open, civil debate.
-David Blight, for American historians and teachers eager to fight back.

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 11

Good morning. Here is the cover and all 11 essays of new special issue of the TNR by historians ighting back against Trump administration's assaults on history, museums, archives, libraries. No surrender among historians.
newrepublic.com/magazine?utm...

newrepublic.com

David Blight @dblight.bsky.social · Aug 7

See new essays in New Republic. I have gathered and edited eleven essays by historians on teaching and writing history in the time of Trump. We are fighting back! I'll be on MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell tonight at 10 to talk about the special issue of TNR.
newrepublic.com/series/67/tr...

Trump Against History

How is Trump changing our sense of who we are? We asked eminent Yale historian David W. Blight to round up some colleagues to consider the question. Here’s what they had to say.

newrepublic.com

Reposted by David W. Blight

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · Feb 5

To me, it's simple.

I'm not going to vote for or expedite a single Trump nominee while this constitutional crisis persists and deepens.

That's just a component of real opposition, but it has to be the starting point.

No complicity. Fierce opposition.

Reposted by David W. Blight

Jamie Gangel @jamiegangel.bsky.social · Feb 8

“The news stunned the world of arts and culture but was not a surprise to people who speak with Mr. Trump. In the weeks after his election win, Mr. Trump has been saying to people that he wants to be the chairman of the storied Kennedy Center.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/07/u...

Trump Says He Will Install Himself as Kennedy Center Chairman

The move by the president, whose authority to make the changes was not clear, is the latest attempt to bring a Washington institution under his control.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by David W. Blight

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · Feb 8

Colleen Shogan is the living proof that "obeying in advance" gets you absolutely nowhere

Reposted by David W. Blight

Jen Rubin @jenrubin.bsky.social · Feb 16

I'm really enjoying David Blight's Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom. Magnificent.

Reposted by David W. Blight

Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · Mar 15

First it was Andrew Jackson, then William McKinley. Now as he covets Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal, Trump is venerating James K. Polk, who doubled the size of the US. www.wsj.com/politics/the...

Essay | The Painting That Explains Trump’s Foreign Policy

James K. Polk expanded the U.S. more than any other president. Now his portrait hangs in the Oval Office, a signal that President Trump’s ambition to take over Canada, Greenland and other territory is...

www.wsj.com

Reposted by David W. Blight, Abdel Halloway

Doghouse Reilly @chadstanton.blacksky.app · Mar 14

The only reason this hasn’t also been treated like an alarming constitutional crisis concerning free speech is because people in positions of influence in the media, business, and politics at least tacitly agree with the aims of this movement.

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Mar 14

racial discrimination to the trump administration is when you offer admissions to anyone who isn’t white www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-...

Trump Administration Opens Investigations At More Than 50 Universities In Anti-DEI Campaign

“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said in a statement.

www.huffpost.com

Reposted by David W. Blight

Dave Levitan @davelevitan.bsky.social · Mar 15

Quite a few people in this country excited to become brownshirts

ACLU @aclu.org · Mar 14

MUST-WATCH: This is the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil from the perspective of his wife, who is 8 months pregnant.

This is federal agents in plain clothes dragging a man from his home as punishment for his speech.

@nyclu.org @ccrjustice.org @theimeu.bsky.social

Reposted by David W. Blight

librarianalways.bsky.social @librarianalways.bsky.social · Mar 16

Librarians, now is not the time to be quiet! #libsky #booksky #edusky

Reposted by David W. Blight

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · Apr 12

Hmm, a plenary panel led by Yale historian David Blight on the dire attacks on higher education with hundreds of brilliant scholars in attendance? Naaaah.

A gathering of Nazis who fuck? Sign us up!

Reposted by David W. Blight

George Conway 🇺🇸🚫👑🐸 @gtconway.bsky.social · Apr 14

I’m particularly proud right now to be a graduate of Harvard College.

Thank you, President Garber.

www.harvard.edu/president/ne...

Reposted by David W. Blight

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · Apr 30

(Bondi, a week from now) "And buckle up, shitlibs, because Your Lord and Savior Donald Trump stopped a jillion pounds of fentanyl at the border, which means he saved the lives of eleventy trillion Americans. Yeah! Suck it!"

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Apr 30

"Are you ready for this, media?" -- Bondi turns to the press and credits Trump for saving "258 million lives"

Reposted by David W. Blight

Garrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · Apr 30

I’m astounded at how outclassed the Dem leadership is for this moment. Totally unprepared and unable to respond to one of the greatest crises of American history.

David Nir @davidnir.com · Apr 30

Stephen Lynch, aiming to be top Dem on the Oversight Cmte, blew up at a constituent who asked him to oppose the GOP.

"I get to decide that. I get to decide that. I get to decide that. I'm elected. I get to decide that. You wanna decide that? You need to run for Congress, okay? I get to decide that"

Reposted by David W. Blight

Kevin M. Levin @civilwarmemory.bsky.social · May 21

This is a reminder that white Southerners also believed that they were being persecuted during Reconstruction. What an embarrassment.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · May 21

with the South African president sitting next to him, Trump suggests there is a white genocide happening in his country and says, "I hope you can have an explanation of that"

Reposted by David W. Blight

The Organization of American Historians @oah.org · Jun 24

☀️ Day 2 of the week-long summer intensive for social studies teachers is in full swing! Incredible conversations—including a lecture by former OAH pres David Blight—& deep dives into history are happening right where it all began. Check out the panel from day 1 here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLVh...