Jonathan W. Gray
@elmcitytree.blacksky.app
Professor @CUNY, scholar of Blackness, books & popular culture, leftist & left handed. 🇰🇳 🇺🇸 🇵🇸 🏳️⚧️
Not THAT Jonathan Gray
I maintain the Blackademics feed, the scholarly side of #Blacksky
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:w4xbfzo7kqfes5zb7
Personal account
Not THAT Jonathan Gray
I maintain the Blackademics feed, the scholarly side of #Blacksky
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:w4xbfzo7kqfes5zb7
Personal account
Pinned
Updated the Blackademics starter pack again (!) to include Vincent Brown, Imani Perry, the Harare Review of Books and others. Stay tuned for more developments coming soon....
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
You don't need to be a voice for the voiceless. Just pass the mic. ~Su‘ad Abdul Khabeer
November 19, 2024 at 1:25 PM
You don't need to be a voice for the voiceless. Just pass the mic. ~Su‘ad Abdul Khabeer
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
THE DEMOCRATS NEED TO DEMAND THAT DHS STOP THROWING MONEY AWAY INCARCERATING PEOPLE AND ICE SELLS ALL ITS WAREHOUSES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HEALTHCARE SUBSIDIES
ALL CAPS
FUCK THIS TORTUROUS INVESTMENT IN TORTURE AND DEATH
INVEST IN CARING
ALL CAPS
FUCK THIS TORTUROUS INVESTMENT IN TORTURE AND DEATH
INVEST IN CARING
February 10, 2026 at 8:34 PM
THE DEMOCRATS NEED TO DEMAND THAT DHS STOP THROWING MONEY AWAY INCARCERATING PEOPLE AND ICE SELLS ALL ITS WAREHOUSES TO RAISE FUNDS FOR HEALTHCARE SUBSIDIES
ALL CAPS
FUCK THIS TORTUROUS INVESTMENT IN TORTURE AND DEATH
INVEST IN CARING
ALL CAPS
FUCK THIS TORTUROUS INVESTMENT IN TORTURE AND DEATH
INVEST IN CARING
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
Happy 99th Birthday Leontyne Price
Photo Credit: Carl Van Vechten, 1951 courtesy Beinecke Library
Photo Credit: Carl Van Vechten, 1951 courtesy Beinecke Library
February 10, 2026 at 7:52 PM
Happy 99th Birthday Leontyne Price
Photo Credit: Carl Van Vechten, 1951 courtesy Beinecke Library
Photo Credit: Carl Van Vechten, 1951 courtesy Beinecke Library
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
💥While posing as a “defender of Christianity,” Viktor Orbán’s government is persecuting pastor Gábor Iványi, who leads Hungary’s Methodist church caring for the homeless, poor, and special-needs kids. Iványi once baptized Orbán's daughter–now calls his policies “fascist”: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
February 10, 2026 at 7:41 PM
💥While posing as a “defender of Christianity,” Viktor Orbán’s government is persecuting pastor Gábor Iványi, who leads Hungary’s Methodist church caring for the homeless, poor, and special-needs kids. Iványi once baptized Orbán's daughter–now calls his policies “fascist”: www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
That huge spike in labor compensation in 2020? That’s why all of the money and effort went into getting Trump re-elected. See the massive dip in 2021 and 2022? That’s why Biden never got credit for the improved economy.
The Wall Street Journal just illustrated the core argument of my book: a system rigged to reward capital over labor is one in which even full-time work no longer secures the most basic material needs.
This is the economic order that produces the "working homeless."
www.wsj.com/economy/jobs...
This is the economic order that produces the "working homeless."
www.wsj.com/economy/jobs...
February 10, 2026 at 5:02 PM
That huge spike in labor compensation in 2020? That’s why all of the money and effort went into getting Trump re-elected. See the massive dip in 2021 and 2022? That’s why Biden never got credit for the improved economy.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Trump Has Lost The Culture
And his greediest collaborators are awakening to the fact that they made a terrible bet.
www.offmessage.net
February 10, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The political dynamics of 2025 were shaped by Democrats and Republicans over-reading Trump's victory in the same way. That turns out to be a problem for a LOT of rich and powerful people who made a very large bet on the theory that MAGA had won the culture war. www.offmessage.net/p/trump-has-...
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
Again, these state policies were sparked and fueled by the idea that the taboo against racism was *so* strong it represented an existential and chilling threat to free inquiry.
UNC is close to finalizing its policy which outlines permissible circumstances to *SECRETLY RECORD FACULTY IN THE CLASSROOM.*
UNC-Chapel Hill Preps Policy on Recording Professors
The school aims to clarify guidelines after a secret recording controversy and growing fear of surveillance.
www.theassemblync.com
February 10, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Again, these state policies were sparked and fueled by the idea that the taboo against racism was *so* strong it represented an existential and chilling threat to free inquiry.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
This semester, I created a syllabus based entirely on Du Bois’s scholarship. I made this choice for my students, but also for myself, as our ability to understand and combat contemporary ideologies is largely due to his legacy 🙏🏽🙏🏽
February 10, 2026 at 12:48 PM
This semester, I created a syllabus based entirely on Du Bois’s scholarship. I made this choice for my students, but also for myself, as our ability to understand and combat contemporary ideologies is largely due to his legacy 🙏🏽🙏🏽
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
In 1947 the US War Department released “Don’t Be a Sucker,” now archived by the National Archives. It shows how fascism grows through fear lies and scapegoating. This should not be history. It is a reminder our government once wanted remembered.
Don't Be a Sucker
YouTube video by US National Archives
www.youtube.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:20 PM
In 1947 the US War Department released “Don’t Be a Sucker,” now archived by the National Archives. It shows how fascism grows through fear lies and scapegoating. This should not be history. It is a reminder our government once wanted remembered.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
TIME TO REMEMBER WHERE THE PINK TRIANGLE CAME FROM
They have now removed the Pride flag from the Stonewall Inn.
Erasure. Just like the Nazis.
gaycitynews.com/trump-rainbo...
Erasure. Just like the Nazis.
gaycitynews.com/trump-rainbo...
Trump administration removes Rainbow Flag from Stonewall National Monument
The Trump administration removed a large Rainbow Flag from a flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument, the National Park Service confirmed to Gay City News
gaycitynews.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:41 PM
TIME TO REMEMBER WHERE THE PINK TRIANGLE CAME FROM
Wait, one or two don't follow you to your office to continue the conversation?
February 10, 2026 at 2:29 AM
Wait, one or two don't follow you to your office to continue the conversation?
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
“No matter how Ring and other surveillance tech companies may downplay it, there’s no world in which finding lost dogs is the final end-use for this technology.”
Opinion | Ring is using lost dogs to make the surveillance state adorable
The same technology the Amazon-owned company uses to find lost dogs could easily be turned against their owners.
www.ms.now
February 9, 2026 at 11:00 PM
“No matter how Ring and other surveillance tech companies may downplay it, there’s no world in which finding lost dogs is the final end-use for this technology.”
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
I speak Spanish *and* I lived in the Caribbean as an AP reporter.
But WaPo illegally fired me, so.
Here we are.
But WaPo illegally fired me, so.
Here we are.
You can't expect the country's (formerly) most-respected newspaper to have both someone who understands Spanish (PR dialect) *and* someone who knows their Caribbean history, can you? 🌴🤣
February 9, 2026 at 8:51 PM
I speak Spanish *and* I lived in the Caribbean as an AP reporter.
But WaPo illegally fired me, so.
Here we are.
But WaPo illegally fired me, so.
Here we are.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
The failure here is that step one isn’t “grab your hammer.”
Here's how to disable Ring's creepy Search Party feature
Ring's Super Bowl ad alerted many people to the company's Search Party feature, which is basically neighborhood surveillance. Here's how to disable it.
www.engadget.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:02 PM
The failure here is that step one isn’t “grab your hammer.”
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
People shocked by the recent Japanese elections...
by the election of a PM some are calling "Japan's Iron Lady".
She has said Margaret Thatcher is her inspiration.
by the election of a PM some are calling "Japan's Iron Lady".
She has said Margaret Thatcher is her inspiration.
February 9, 2026 at 6:27 PM
People shocked by the recent Japanese elections...
by the election of a PM some are calling "Japan's Iron Lady".
She has said Margaret Thatcher is her inspiration.
by the election of a PM some are calling "Japan's Iron Lady".
She has said Margaret Thatcher is her inspiration.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
This is a really big, terrifying deal 🧪
Fearing that educated judges might rule on climate cases, Republican Attorneys General successfully bullied the The Federal Judicial Center (the education & research arm of the federal court system) into removing a chapter summarizing climate science from their scientific judicial reference manual.
February 9, 2026 at 6:37 PM
This is a really big, terrifying deal 🧪
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
great timeline synergy
February 9, 2026 at 3:12 PM
great timeline synergy
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
No one has ever tried to sell me drugs as hard as people try to sell me on AI.
May 3, 2025 at 1:16 AM
No one has ever tried to sell me drugs as hard as people try to sell me on AI.
I have a different view
a picture of woody and sora from the video game kingdom hearts 3
Alt: a picture of woody and sora from the video game kingdom hearts 3
media.tenor.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:22 PM
I have a different view
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
Italians, your white card has been revoked. Stefani Germanotta is a perfidious latin
February 9, 2026 at 12:16 PM
Italians, your white card has been revoked. Stefani Germanotta is a perfidious latin
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
So that's what Ring is name for.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
So that's what Ring is name for.
February 9, 2026 at 6:26 AM
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
So that's what Ring is name for.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them.
So that's what Ring is name for.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
Not at all surprised to learn that Bad Bunny has a historical adviser. His halftime show was a reminder that our history and culture are deeply intertwined with the rest of the western hemisphere. We should think of his performance as part of #America250. #SuperBowl
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
Pop star Bad Bunny needed a Puerto Rican history scholar. UW–Madison had just the one.
Bad Bunny collaborated with UW–Madison history professor Jorell Meléndez-Badillo on Puerto Rican narratives that accompany the new album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS.”
news.wisc.edu
February 9, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Not at all surprised to learn that Bad Bunny has a historical adviser. His halftime show was a reminder that our history and culture are deeply intertwined with the rest of the western hemisphere. We should think of his performance as part of #America250. #SuperBowl
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
news.wisc.edu/pop-star-bad...
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
If you hated that Ring ad, have I got a book for you.
February 9, 2026 at 4:34 AM
If you hated that Ring ad, have I got a book for you.
Reposted by Jonathan W. Gray
I come back to this open letter (from 2020) a lot, and I’ll give it the last word. amazonemployees4climatejustice.medium.com/amazon-emplo...
December 30, 2025 at 11:02 PM
I come back to this open letter (from 2020) a lot, and I’ll give it the last word. amazonemployees4climatejustice.medium.com/amazon-emplo...