Deborah McDowell
@dem8z.bsky.social
Reader, writer, teacher, gardener, seamstress, contrarian. Professor, @WoodsonUVA Alice Griffin Professor of English, University of Virginia. Please, no DMs unless I know you. For professional matters, please contact me via UVA.
Pinned
Deborah McDowell
@dem8z.bsky.social
· Feb 24
The World We Want Is Us
It moves my heart to see your awakened faces;
poets.org
Alice Walker, “The World We Want is Us”https://poets.org/poem/world-we-want-us
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Any of us who heard this at the time and opened our hearts, understood that this was an unforgettable, transformative moment in U.S politics- a dividing line between the past & everything that has transpired since (link to full speech below)
www.youtube.com/shorts/DhsEf...
www.youtube.com/shorts/DhsEf...
February 17, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Any of us who heard this at the time and opened our hearts, understood that this was an unforgettable, transformative moment in U.S politics- a dividing line between the past & everything that has transpired since (link to full speech below)
www.youtube.com/shorts/DhsEf...
www.youtube.com/shorts/DhsEf...
How convenient to have Talarico appear with Colbert the night before the Texas primary. That the interview was not broadcast on CBS has given it a buzz and Talarico a boost, both at Crockett’s expense, I suspect.
February 17, 2026 at 10:52 PM
How convenient to have Talarico appear with Colbert the night before the Texas primary. That the interview was not broadcast on CBS has given it a buzz and Talarico a boost, both at Crockett’s expense, I suspect.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Oof. My sympathy. Been there a few times myself. Most recently, tried to sit on a bench and missed.
February 17, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Oof. My sympathy. Been there a few times myself. Most recently, tried to sit on a bench and missed.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Yikes! So glad you're okay! Last time I went down, I broke my foot and my arm simultaneously. 😧
February 17, 2026 at 7:39 PM
Yikes! So glad you're okay! Last time I went down, I broke my foot and my arm simultaneously. 😧
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
🙈
Stupid numb foot.
Stupid numb foot.
February 17, 2026 at 6:36 PM
🙈
Stupid numb foot.
Stupid numb foot.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
That was embarrassing.
Tripped over my numb foot on the gangway to the plane and went all the way down flat on my face.
No injuries except to my DIGNITY.
Tripped over my numb foot on the gangway to the plane and went all the way down flat on my face.
No injuries except to my DIGNITY.
February 17, 2026 at 6:35 PM
That was embarrassing.
Tripped over my numb foot on the gangway to the plane and went all the way down flat on my face.
No injuries except to my DIGNITY.
Tripped over my numb foot on the gangway to the plane and went all the way down flat on my face.
No injuries except to my DIGNITY.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman) spent the entire Biden admin claiming Biden would force TV stations to cancel interviews critical of him—and we’d have fascism
Last night Brendan Carr forced CBS to cancel Colbert's interview of James Talarico
Yes—fascism is here
Every MAGA Accusation Is A Confession
Last night Brendan Carr forced CBS to cancel Colbert's interview of James Talarico
Yes—fascism is here
Every MAGA Accusation Is A Confession
February 17, 2026 at 10:43 PM
Brendan Carr (FCC Chairman) spent the entire Biden admin claiming Biden would force TV stations to cancel interviews critical of him—and we’d have fascism
Last night Brendan Carr forced CBS to cancel Colbert's interview of James Talarico
Yes—fascism is here
Every MAGA Accusation Is A Confession
Last night Brendan Carr forced CBS to cancel Colbert's interview of James Talarico
Yes—fascism is here
Every MAGA Accusation Is A Confession
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
This will probably help Talarico immeasurably in his primary bid against Jasmine Crockett
It makes him seem somehow cooler
It makes him seem somehow cooler
NEWS: CBS blocked Stephen Colbert from airing an interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico and ordered him not to mention the cancellation over fear of FCC chair Brendan Carr.
Colbert went on air and revealed it anyway.
“He was supposed to be here, but… 1/
Colbert went on air and revealed it anyway.
“He was supposed to be here, but… 1/
February 17, 2026 at 12:38 PM
This will probably help Talarico immeasurably in his primary bid against Jasmine Crockett
It makes him seem somehow cooler
It makes him seem somehow cooler
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
#TDIH 1942, Huey P. Newton, co-founder of Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was born in Monroe, La.
His family moved to Oakland as part of the Great Migration, after his father was almost lynched.
Read more ⬇️ and find lessons on BPP in 🧵
www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/hu...
His family moved to Oakland as part of the Great Migration, after his father was almost lynched.
Read more ⬇️ and find lessons on BPP in 🧵
www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/hu...
Feb. 17, 1942: Huey P. Newton Born
Huey P. Newton was co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.
www.zinnedproject.org
February 17, 2026 at 4:19 PM
#TDIH 1942, Huey P. Newton, co-founder of Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was born in Monroe, La.
His family moved to Oakland as part of the Great Migration, after his father was almost lynched.
Read more ⬇️ and find lessons on BPP in 🧵
www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/hu...
His family moved to Oakland as part of the Great Migration, after his father was almost lynched.
Read more ⬇️ and find lessons on BPP in 🧵
www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/hu...
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
i wrote 7000 words in a single 9 hour session and the E key fell off my laptop in the last paragraph, i’m gonna lie face down on the floor for a while
February 17, 2026 at 4:03 PM
i wrote 7000 words in a single 9 hour session and the E key fell off my laptop in the last paragraph, i’m gonna lie face down on the floor for a while
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Straight up racism and sexism calculation imo - she’s a black woman, he’s a white man, so white voters will see him as more moderate/“acceptable” in their view
February 17, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Straight up racism and sexism calculation imo - she’s a black woman, he’s a white man, so white voters will see him as more moderate/“acceptable” in their view
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
The Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle all endorsed Talarico. Only the San Antonio Express News endorsed Crockett. Should note all are now owned by Hearst (who is also my employer).
February 17, 2026 at 7:15 PM
The Dallas Morning News, Austin American-Statesman and Houston Chronicle all endorsed Talarico. Only the San Antonio Express News endorsed Crockett. Should note all are now owned by Hearst (who is also my employer).
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Black politicians, especially Black women, always code as more left wing than they are to white voters.
February 17, 2026 at 6:50 PM
Black politicians, especially Black women, always code as more left wing than they are to white voters.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
yeah pretty much
February 17, 2026 at 7:13 PM
yeah pretty much
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
i’m not really plugged in to the texas scene but im pretty sure jasmine crockett is black and im guessing james talarico is a white guy? calling her progressive kinda like they will call a black person “diverse”
February 17, 2026 at 7:09 PM
i’m not really plugged in to the texas scene but im pretty sure jasmine crockett is black and im guessing james talarico is a white guy? calling her progressive kinda like they will call a black person “diverse”
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
obviously platforms don't matter in american elections but talarico v crockett kind of seems like the ultimate proof of this. seeing the dallas morning news write an op ed that's like "sorry progressives but james talarico is the most electable candidate" makes my head hurt
February 17, 2026 at 6:46 PM
obviously platforms don't matter in american elections but talarico v crockett kind of seems like the ultimate proof of this. seeing the dallas morning news write an op ed that's like "sorry progressives but james talarico is the most electable candidate" makes my head hurt
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
bizarre thing happening in texas where james talarico is seen as the moderate choice and jasmine crockett is the unelectable progressive when to me it always seemed sort of like the inverse based on what the two actually believe
February 17, 2026 at 6:45 PM
bizarre thing happening in texas where james talarico is seen as the moderate choice and jasmine crockett is the unelectable progressive when to me it always seemed sort of like the inverse based on what the two actually believe
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
The Forgotten Occupation, an amazing documentary about the American occupation of Haiti, is now available to rent or buy; you can find it on Vimeo, Google Play, Amazon, YouTube, and pretty much anywhere you like to watch films : tv.apple.com/us/movie/the...
The Forgotten Occupation: Jim Crow Goes to Haiti - Apple TV
What happens when the oppressor becomes your salvation? Through a letter to his grandfather, a Haitian filmmaker revisits the U.S. occupation of Haiti…
tv.apple.com
February 17, 2026 at 8:34 PM
The Forgotten Occupation, an amazing documentary about the American occupation of Haiti, is now available to rent or buy; you can find it on Vimeo, Google Play, Amazon, YouTube, and pretty much anywhere you like to watch films : tv.apple.com/us/movie/the...
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
One thing is for sure, if Colbert just did a normal interview with James Talarico his name wouldn't be everywhere this morning. Jasmine Crockett should demand equal no time.
February 17, 2026 at 3:27 PM
One thing is for sure, if Colbert just did a normal interview with James Talarico his name wouldn't be everywhere this morning. Jasmine Crockett should demand equal no time.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
"You can’t plant a seed & pick the fruit the next morning."
So many lessons to learn from Rev. Jackson's (1941-2026) 💔words AND his years of on the ground organizing, in interracial coalitions, to challenge racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ, poverty, unfair labor, militarism, mass incarceration, & more.
So many lessons to learn from Rev. Jackson's (1941-2026) 💔words AND his years of on the ground organizing, in interracial coalitions, to challenge racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ, poverty, unfair labor, militarism, mass incarceration, & more.
February 17, 2026 at 6:46 PM
"You can’t plant a seed & pick the fruit the next morning."
So many lessons to learn from Rev. Jackson's (1941-2026) 💔words AND his years of on the ground organizing, in interracial coalitions, to challenge racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ, poverty, unfair labor, militarism, mass incarceration, & more.
So many lessons to learn from Rev. Jackson's (1941-2026) 💔words AND his years of on the ground organizing, in interracial coalitions, to challenge racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQ, poverty, unfair labor, militarism, mass incarceration, & more.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
The relationship between Epstein/Trump's sex trafficing & JP Morgan, Chase is due to financing so its in NY AG's (Letitia James) jurisdiction. Some girls were allegedly trafficked from Manhattan, again NY AGs jurisdiction. Charge under NY laws.
February 17, 2026 at 1:52 PM
The relationship between Epstein/Trump's sex trafficing & JP Morgan, Chase is due to financing so its in NY AG's (Letitia James) jurisdiction. Some girls were allegedly trafficked from Manhattan, again NY AGs jurisdiction. Charge under NY laws.
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
Reposted by Deborah McDowell
New Mexico is.
New Mexico is also the only state to outlaw ICE Detention Centers as well.
Rock on New Mexico!!
New Mexico is also the only state to outlaw ICE Detention Centers as well.
Rock on New Mexico!!
February 17, 2026 at 8:45 AM
New Mexico is.
New Mexico is also the only state to outlaw ICE Detention Centers as well.
Rock on New Mexico!!
New Mexico is also the only state to outlaw ICE Detention Centers as well.
Rock on New Mexico!!