Lester K Spence
@lkspence.bsky.social
Professor, Author, Son of Blood and Thunder, Father. Newsletter (https://lesters-newsletter-2ff539.beehiiv.com/subscribe), Knocking the Hustle ( http://bit.ly/1SzPlHi)).
Reposted by Lester K Spence
For those of you who don't know, author @sarahkendzior.bsky.social coined "transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government" in her 2020 book, "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America"
It's a powerful read, as are all of Sarah's works. Buy/Read.
It's a powerful read, as are all of Sarah's works. Buy/Read.
October 22, 2025 at 1:13 AM
For those of you who don't know, author @sarahkendzior.bsky.social coined "transnational crime syndicate masquerading as a government" in her 2020 book, "Hiding in Plain Sight: The Invention of Donald Trump and the Erosion of America"
It's a powerful read, as are all of Sarah's works. Buy/Read.
It's a powerful read, as are all of Sarah's works. Buy/Read.
What's mandate of Black Studies during this moment. What's our responsibility? Join us as we host the first of a series of public conversations in Baltimore, at the Baltimore Unity Hall. We'll be in dialogue with Paul Coates and Olakekan Kamau-Nataki. Next Wednesday from 6-8pm.
October 13, 2025 at 8:50 PM
What's mandate of Black Studies during this moment. What's our responsibility? Join us as we host the first of a series of public conversations in Baltimore, at the Baltimore Unity Hall. We'll be in dialogue with Paul Coates and Olakekan Kamau-Nataki. Next Wednesday from 6-8pm.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
This is such a useful resource from @penamerica.bsky.social
"What To Do If You’ve Been Doxed Or Placed On A Watchlist"
Please consider letting others know that this exists.
pen.org/what-to-do-i...
"What To Do If You’ve Been Doxed Or Placed On A Watchlist"
Please consider letting others know that this exists.
pen.org/what-to-do-i...
What To Do If You’ve Been Doxed Or Placed On A Watchlist
We map out steps you can take right away, and steps you can take to build resilience longer term against doxing.
pen.org
September 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
This is such a useful resource from @penamerica.bsky.social
"What To Do If You’ve Been Doxed Or Placed On A Watchlist"
Please consider letting others know that this exists.
pen.org/what-to-do-i...
"What To Do If You’ve Been Doxed Or Placed On A Watchlist"
Please consider letting others know that this exists.
pen.org/what-to-do-i...
Reposted by Lester K Spence
If you were concerned about Kimmel, here's another for you…
Journalist Mario Guevara has been detained for 100+ days, ironically arrested as he reported on a "No Kings" protest.
The Trump-Vance admin just issued an order of final removal, to send him to El Salvador—where he fled from 21 years ago.
Journalist Mario Guevara has been detained for 100+ days, ironically arrested as he reported on a "No Kings" protest.
The Trump-Vance admin just issued an order of final removal, to send him to El Salvador—where he fled from 21 years ago.
September 24, 2025 at 6:39 PM
If you were concerned about Kimmel, here's another for you…
Journalist Mario Guevara has been detained for 100+ days, ironically arrested as he reported on a "No Kings" protest.
The Trump-Vance admin just issued an order of final removal, to send him to El Salvador—where he fled from 21 years ago.
Journalist Mario Guevara has been detained for 100+ days, ironically arrested as he reported on a "No Kings" protest.
The Trump-Vance admin just issued an order of final removal, to send him to El Salvador—where he fled from 21 years ago.
And here's Coleman A. Young, who would become first black mayor of Detroit, who told HUAC they must have confused him for a stool pigeon. michiganadvance.com/briefs/on-th...
September 22, 2025 at 2:20 AM
And here's Coleman A. Young, who would become first black mayor of Detroit, who told HUAC they must have confused him for a stool pigeon. michiganadvance.com/briefs/on-th...
Reposted by Lester K Spence
"Globalization, Neoliberalism, and the Global Rise of Right-Wing Politics," a curated reading list of journal articles and issues published by Duke University Press, has been made freely available through October 31.
Access here: buff.ly/zplaDVr
Access here: buff.ly/zplaDVr
September 18, 2025 at 6:00 PM
"Globalization, Neoliberalism, and the Global Rise of Right-Wing Politics," a curated reading list of journal articles and issues published by Duke University Press, has been made freely available through October 31.
Access here: buff.ly/zplaDVr
Access here: buff.ly/zplaDVr
Reposted by Lester K Spence
Don't let the embarrassment that is Ezra Klein's op-ed distract you from the embarrassment you will feel if you forget to submit your ALPE proposal by Monday 😳
Today at the Blog, it's last call 🚨🚨
Submissions for the first-ever Association of Law & Political Economy Conference are due Monday, Sept. 15 ⏰
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this landmark event. For updates, make sure to follow: @a-lpe.bsky.social
lpeproject.org/blog/cfp-rem...
Submissions for the first-ever Association of Law & Political Economy Conference are due Monday, Sept. 15 ⏰
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this landmark event. For updates, make sure to follow: @a-lpe.bsky.social
lpeproject.org/blog/cfp-rem...
CFP Reminder: Association of Law and Political Economy Conference
Don’t miss your chance to present at the first-ever ALPE Conference. Proposals for paper panels, individual papers, and roundtables are due by September 15!
lpeproject.org
September 11, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Don't let the embarrassment that is Ezra Klein's op-ed distract you from the embarrassment you will feel if you forget to submit your ALPE proposal by Monday 😳
I'm on the list too. (Who knew?)
Just looked up out of curiosity and turns out I was on Charlie Kirk’s Professor Watchlist. Am I supposed to mourn the person who spent the last six years trying to end my academic career? He wouldn’t mourn my death: he tried to accelerate my death! www.professorwatchlist.org/professor/st...
Dr. Steven Thrasher - Professor Watchlist
Dr. Steven Thrasher is an Assistant Professor of Journalism and the Daniel H. Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting at Northwestern University. His university biography details his role as havi
www.professorwatchlist.org
September 11, 2025 at 11:45 AM
I'm on the list too. (Who knew?)
Kirk is their Rosa Parks.
I am genuinely confused by all this pageantry. He was not an elected official. I cannot think of another time a regular citizen being killed garnered this response. It’s perverse.
Jesus christ what is wrong with Democrats
September 11, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Kirk is their Rosa Parks.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
"The only known solution to creeping authoritarianism is broad-based, peaceful, geographically dispersed mass engagement by everyday Americans. That’s it. That’s what works."
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
September 9, 2025 at 5:57 PM
"The only known solution to creeping authoritarianism is broad-based, peaceful, geographically dispersed mass engagement by everyday Americans. That’s it. That’s what works."
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Story: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Not going to @apsa.bsky.social this year. Will participate virtually. If there's any organizing going on that folks think I should be made aware of, let me know.
September 10, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Not going to @apsa.bsky.social this year. Will participate virtually. If there's any organizing going on that folks think I should be made aware of, let me know.
They got me. A lot. If they got me....they probably got you.
If you're an author and haven't yet signed up for the Anthropic settlement, do yourself a favor (and strike a blow against AI) by checking to see if any of your books were involved.
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI
Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.
www.theatlantic.com
September 10, 2025 at 2:17 AM
They got me. A lot. If they got me....they probably got you.
The comparative move makes sense. But I don't know many racial politics scholars who've taught about the US in a normatively positive, exceptional framework.
September 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
The comparative move makes sense. But I don't know many racial politics scholars who've taught about the US in a normatively positive, exceptional framework.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
I'll be presenting on crime data. Please join us.
🚨 Our cities aren’t battlefields, but they’re treated like it. From police patrols to military occupation, state violence is reshaping our lives.
This Thursday, Sept 11 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, join our Mass Call on Military & Police Occupation.
This Thursday, Sept 11 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT, join our Mass Call on Military & Police Occupation.
Mass Call: Military and Police Occupation
September 11 | 8pm ET/5pm PT Join us in a conversation on the state of liberty and liberation in the face of politicized militarization and police occupation of our cities.
act.womensmarch.com
September 8, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I'll be presenting on crime data. Please join us.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
Ten days left to submit proposals for the inaugural ALPE conference in Richmond. Come join us for this exciting launch! lpeproject.org/blog/cfp-ina...
CFP: Inaugural Association of Law and Political Economy Conference
A forthcoming conference will launch The Association of Law and Political Economy (ALPE): a membership organization with a regular annual conference, elected leadership, and an architecture for open…
lpeproject.org
September 5, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Ten days left to submit proposals for the inaugural ALPE conference in Richmond. Come join us for this exciting launch! lpeproject.org/blog/cfp-ina...
Reposted by Lester K Spence
Are you an NYC resident who is willing to set up a meeting with your City Council members to get them on record re: supporting our budget demand? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... - sign and we will contact you to let you know what is needed.
September 8, 2025 at 8:23 PM
Are you an NYC resident who is willing to set up a meeting with your City Council members to get them on record re: supporting our budget demand? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... - sign and we will contact you to let you know what is needed.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
The New Yorker asked me “how bad” today’s Supreme Court ruling was. I boiled it down to one paragraph:
link.newyorker.com/view/5bda429...
link.newyorker.com/view/5bda429...
September 8, 2025 at 9:52 PM
The New Yorker asked me “how bad” today’s Supreme Court ruling was. I boiled it down to one paragraph:
link.newyorker.com/view/5bda429...
link.newyorker.com/view/5bda429...
Being of service can stave off a great deal of this.
September 8, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Being of service can stave off a great deal of this.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.
September 6, 2025 at 4:37 PM
The President of the United States is threatening to go to war with an American city.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.
This is not a joke. This is not normal.
Donald Trump isn't a strongman, he's a scared man. Illinois won’t be intimidated by a wannabe dictator.
Reposted by Lester K Spence
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction 🧪
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
September 4, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Disease prevalence in US states before & after vaccine introduction 🧪
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
From Edward Tufte & graphics.wsj.com/infectious-d...
I just heard that a group of national guards (probably a small one) got off the MARC train at the west baltimore stop. Has anyone else reported on this?
September 3, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I just heard that a group of national guards (probably a small one) got off the MARC train at the west baltimore stop. Has anyone else reported on this?
Reposted by Lester K Spence
I wouldn't make a big distinction between the situation for Black women and Black men. The labor market situation for both has deteriorated sharply since January. The Black unemployment has risen a full pp to 7.2%, the white rate hasn't budged at 3.7%
“Black women are the canaries in the coal mine, the exclusion happens to them first ... And if any other cohort thinks it’s not coming for them, they’re wrong. This is a warning, and it’s a stark one." www.nytimes.com/2025/08/31/u...
August 31, 2025 at 11:29 PM
I wouldn't make a big distinction between the situation for Black women and Black men. The labor market situation for both has deteriorated sharply since January. The Black unemployment has risen a full pp to 7.2%, the white rate hasn't budged at 3.7%
Reposted by Lester K Spence
“Nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.”
- Fred Hampton
- Fred Hampton
August 31, 2025 at 1:12 AM
“Nothing is more important than stopping fascism, because fascism will stop us all.”
- Fred Hampton
- Fred Hampton
Reposted by Lester K Spence
Wild set of posts here:
August 28, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Wild set of posts here: