suse anderson
@shineslike.bsky.social
An Australian-American museum geek in Baltimore. Program Head, Museum Studies @ GWU. Sincereposting about museums, ethics, tech and culture. She/her.
Reposted by suse anderson
While the Trump administration is forcing the National Park Service to remove mentions of slavery from George Washington’s house, sites like the Legacy Museum in Montgomery continue to tell the story of enslavement in a direct, uncompromised way, making clear the connection between past and present.
Those Who Try to Erase History Will Fail
Montgomery shows what’s possible when museums aren’t subject to capricious executive orders.
www.theatlantic.com
January 23, 2026 at 6:42 PM
While the Trump administration is forcing the National Park Service to remove mentions of slavery from George Washington’s house, sites like the Legacy Museum in Montgomery continue to tell the story of enslavement in a direct, uncompromised way, making clear the connection between past and present.
My favorite use of this.
January 23, 2026 at 2:03 AM
My favorite use of this.
I know I don't have a ton of media followers, but I'll put this out there anyway: if you need someone to comment/offer context on the removal of the slavery exhibit at the President's House site in Philly, get in touch. I just finished an entire book on Americans' fight over Washington and slavery.
January 23, 2026 at 1:57 AM
Reposted by suse anderson
It’s not so much that Trump & co don’t think slavery was important, they want to remove this history precisely *because* of how important it was. They don’t want people to learn about slavery because then people would understand how it continues to shape the landscape of inequality in America today.
Signs about the history of slavery in the U.S. and the 9 people George Washington enslaved are being removed right now at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia, across from Independence Hall, months after the Trump administration threatend to do so.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
How far we have not come in 250 years.
January 22, 2026 at 10:19 PM
It’s not so much that Trump & co don’t think slavery was important, they want to remove this history precisely *because* of how important it was. They don’t want people to learn about slavery because then people would understand how it continues to shape the landscape of inequality in America today.
Reposted by suse anderson
Museums and art spaces in the Twin Cities—including the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Dreamsong, and others—will be closed tomorrow in support of the general strike against ICE: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/22/m...
Museums and galleries in Minneapolis join citywide general strike in protest of Ice operations
In protest of federal immigration enforcement officers’ violent campaign in the city, hundreds of local business and organisations will shutter on 23 January
www.theartnewspaper.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Museums and art spaces in the Twin Cities—including the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Minnesota Museum of American Art, Dreamsong, and others—will be closed tomorrow in support of the general strike against ICE: www.theartnewspaper.com/2026/01/22/m...
Good for them.
oh man, the Walker Art Center is going to be closed on Friday
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
(If you're not from the Twin Cities, this is like MoMA closing in support of a general strike—a very big deal)
Walker Art Center joins growing list of organizations closing on Jan. 23
"This reflects our institutional values to center our community, support our staff, and to approach our work with care and safety in mind," a representative says.
bringmethenews.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:58 PM
Good for them.
Reposted by suse anderson
"Carol is, in fact, a portrait of deradicalisation; the comfortable dissenter in a position of privilege who must loosen her ethical boundaries to preserve that privilege (like so many of us, our ideals and morals shackled to capitalism even as it devours the world)." 😮💨🔥
What a read.
What a read.
I found the ep in PLURIBUS where Carol--white, American--meets 5 non-white, non-American survivors of the hivemind off-putting, but in a way that made me curious to see where Gilligan was going. Now that I have, I wrote about how empire, privilege, genAI, & resistance converge in the show's subtext:
Resisting the Hivemind: Pluribus, Generative AI, and Empire - Reactor
While its creator tell us that Pluribus is not about advent of generative AI, it's difficult not to spot the many places where the fledgling tech and extraterrestrial hivemind overlap.
reactormag.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:25 PM
"Carol is, in fact, a portrait of deradicalisation; the comfortable dissenter in a position of privilege who must loosen her ethical boundaries to preserve that privilege (like so many of us, our ideals and morals shackled to capitalism even as it devours the world)." 😮💨🔥
What a read.
What a read.
To think, 6 minutes ago, I had the arrogance to think my syllabus was done…
On top of everything, the White House keeps ratcheting up pressure on the Smithsonian, despite the completely unreasonable, onerous nature of their requests. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/a...
The Smithsonian Faces New Pressure to Submit to Trump’s Will
www.nytimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:34 PM
To think, 6 minutes ago, I had the arrogance to think my syllabus was done…
Reposted by suse anderson
The US just left the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), which it was a founding member of in 2011 and chaired in 2023.
FOC was established to protect free expression and human rights on the Internet in coordination between governments, civil society, academics, and businesses.
FOC was established to protect free expression and human rights on the Internet in coordination between governments, civil society, academics, and businesses.
Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United
www.whitehouse.gov
January 8, 2026 at 12:24 AM
The US just left the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC), which it was a founding member of in 2011 and chaired in 2023.
FOC was established to protect free expression and human rights on the Internet in coordination between governments, civil society, academics, and businesses.
FOC was established to protect free expression and human rights on the Internet in coordination between governments, civil society, academics, and businesses.
Includes International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property; International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies.
Trump pulls out of long list of international organizations, conventions, treaties.... including (of particular note to digital rights folks) the Freedom Online Coalition. www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...
Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United
www.whitehouse.gov
January 8, 2026 at 1:51 AM
Includes International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property; International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies.
Reposted by suse anderson
Important note with this: Autoplay settings are local to your device. Turning it off on mobile doesn't mean it's off on desktop.
Settings > Content and Media > Autoplay videos and GIFs > Off/unchecked
January 7, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Important note with this: Autoplay settings are local to your device. Turning it off on mobile doesn't mean it's off on desktop.
This is some of the best advice for today.
I am going to kindly share, as a Black person used to dodging these types of things, if you have your settings set to autoplay video, today is a great day to turn them off. You can be very informed without having to witness murder.
January 7, 2026 at 6:37 PM
This is some of the best advice for today.
Yesterday I labored over six sentences (feat. around 14 citations) and it felt like a *really* productive day of writing.
The whole point of being an academic is that you need to be willing to spend three days creating a 700-word footnote that you will later delete. And you need to LIKE IT.
December 20, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Yesterday I labored over six sentences (feat. around 14 citations) and it felt like a *really* productive day of writing.
Reposted by suse anderson
I cannot tell you just how *tremendously hard* various volunteers have worked on this massive @unbreaking.org update: sifting through awful, terrible news every single day, identifying connections and themes, all to build a clear picture of the harm the federal government’s caused.
20,000 words, 150 footnotes, 100+ timeline events = our attempt at documenting and synthesizing all the ways that the federal government has attempted to destroy access to gender-affirming care since January unbreaking.org/issues/trans...
Transgender Healthcare: Explainer — Unbreaking
How the administration is breaking the government, and what that means for all of us.
unbreaking.org
December 19, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I cannot tell you just how *tremendously hard* various volunteers have worked on this massive @unbreaking.org update: sifting through awful, terrible news every single day, identifying connections and themes, all to build a clear picture of the harm the federal government’s caused.
I have a weird question for the #bird people on here. Do you think someone could tell that a book was pooped on specifically by a sparrowhawk (or perhaps hawks generally) just from the feces? I'm looking at a 16th c. case where witnesses claim books were pooped on specifically by sparrowhawks!
December 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by suse anderson
Museum folks! I'm running a small, anonymous & unscientific survey about how much museums and other heritage organisations pay writers. If you have a moment, please respond, and share if you can. Thank you!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
How much do museums and heritage organisations pay freelance writers?
An informal, unscientific and totally anonymous survey asking how much museums pay writers. This is for my personal research only, results won't be published.
docs.google.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Museum folks! I'm running a small, anonymous & unscientific survey about how much museums and other heritage organisations pay writers. If you have a moment, please respond, and share if you can. Thank you!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
“One park service superintendent, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation and losing their job, said the communication they’ve received from higher-ups clarifies that national park staff will not only have to review, but also carry out the removal of content by the deadline.”
A new memo gives the National Park Service two weeks to review bookstores for “equity-related” content for removal.
Trump Orders DEI Out of National Park Bookstores | KQED
A new memo gives the National Park Service two weeks to review bookstores for “equity-related” content for removal.
www.kqed.org
December 6, 2025 at 1:14 AM
“One park service superintendent, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation and losing their job, said the communication they’ve received from higher-ups clarifies that national park staff will not only have to review, but also carry out the removal of content by the deadline.”
I love institutional conscious uncouplings.
““Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year,” Condé Nast, the publisher of Vanity Fair, and Ms. Nuzzi said in a joint statement on Friday.”
““Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year,” Condé Nast, the publisher of Vanity Fair, and Ms. Nuzzi said in a joint statement on Friday.”
It was just remarkably grim that they gave her the job to begin with
Olivia Nuzzi and Vanity Fair Will Part Ways
www.nytimes.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I love institutional conscious uncouplings.
““Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year,” Condé Nast, the publisher of Vanity Fair, and Ms. Nuzzi said in a joint statement on Friday.”
““Vanity Fair and Olivia Nuzzi have mutually agreed, in the best interest of the magazine, to let her contract expire at the end of the year,” Condé Nast, the publisher of Vanity Fair, and Ms. Nuzzi said in a joint statement on Friday.”
This is such evocative writing…
"But while Pantone tries to invoke the color's connotation as a fresh start or blank canvas, remember that the white of a new sheet of paper is born from the brown-trunked trees that were planted, nurtured, cut, pulverized, bleached, and pressed."
"But while Pantone tries to invoke the color's connotation as a fresh start or blank canvas, remember that the white of a new sheet of paper is born from the brown-trunked trees that were planted, nurtured, cut, pulverized, bleached, and pressed."
Pantone’s Color of the Year Sounds About White
After the year we’ve had, going with Cloud Dancer can easily be interpreted as a piercing dog whistle.
hyperallergic.com
December 5, 2025 at 12:59 PM
This is such evocative writing…
"But while Pantone tries to invoke the color's connotation as a fresh start or blank canvas, remember that the white of a new sheet of paper is born from the brown-trunked trees that were planted, nurtured, cut, pulverized, bleached, and pressed."
"But while Pantone tries to invoke the color's connotation as a fresh start or blank canvas, remember that the white of a new sheet of paper is born from the brown-trunked trees that were planted, nurtured, cut, pulverized, bleached, and pressed."
“The only possible explanation for this is the remarkable success of safe-sex campaigns that were spearheaded and designed by activists and supported by state and commonwealth governments, sometimes quietly, that were convinced by the case that moralising about sex would not prevent transmission.”
Reciting the names of the dead: how Australia’s response to HIV/Aids was emotionally – and politically – powerful | Leigh Boucher
Reciting the names of the dead: how Australia’s response to HIV/Aids was emotionally – and politically – powerful | Leigh Boucher
Researchers now describe it as both historical phenomenon and public health model. Its success was remarkable
*
Past/Present is a column which places current events in historical context
Aids has always been laden with political and emotional volatilities. The possibility of blood or sex based transmission combined with its first emergence among marginalised and criminalised populations created a potent mix of primal terror and terrifying prejudice.
It can sometimes be difficult to remember just how potently misinformation, fear and outright hostility framed the knowledge and experience of Aids in the first decade or so of the pandemic. In this period, a positive result on an HIV test was a terminal diagnosis and medical knowledge about transmission and treatment was still cloudy.
Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:08 PM
“The only possible explanation for this is the remarkable success of safe-sex campaigns that were spearheaded and designed by activists and supported by state and commonwealth governments, sometimes quietly, that were convinced by the case that moralising about sex would not prevent transmission.”
Reposted by suse anderson
African leaders push for recognition of colonial crimes and reparations
African leaders push for recognition of colonial crimes and reparations
Algerian foreign minister says African countries and peoples continue to pay a heavy price for colonialism
African leaders are pushing to have colonial-era crimes recognised, criminalised and addressed through reparations.
At a conference in the Algerian capital, Algiers, diplomats and leaders convened to advance an African Union resolution passed at a meeting earlier this year calling for justice and reparations for victims of colonialism. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 10:01 PM
African leaders push for recognition of colonial crimes and reparations
What a cool event.
The 4th edition of ACMI’s Future of Arts Culture & Technology symposium now has Early Bird tix on sale. Feb 11-13 with first round of speakers announced. Expect some new provocations … www.acmi.net.au/whats-on/fac...
Future of Arts, Culture & Technology Symposium | 11 - 13 Feb 2026
A two-day symposium exploring the future of arts, culture, and technology in Australia – and the mindsets, capabilities and skills we need to get there.
www.acmi.net.au
November 22, 2025 at 6:17 PM
What a cool event.
That was… fast.
The Philadelphia Art Museum names Daniel Weiss as its new director. share.inquirer.com/O40SVN
Philadelphia Art Museum names a new director and CEO
Daniel H. Weiss was president of Haverford College and, for eight years, leader of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
share.inquirer.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:33 PM
That was… fast.
I cannot foresee anything bad that might come from this…
The online gaming platform Roblox this week rolled out a new system to estimate users’ ages by analyzing images of their faces. The feature was designed to stop children from chatting with older users they didn't know, the company said. Here's what to know.
Roblox Rolls Out Face Scans for Age Verification: What to Know
The popular gaming platform said the tool was designed to stop children from chatting with older users they didn’t know.
nyti.ms
November 21, 2025 at 1:09 PM
I cannot foresee anything bad that might come from this…
Next semester’s syllabus practically writing itself…
Yikes. All kinds of financial nightmares at the Palm Springs Art Museum as trustees flee the scene.
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
Commentary: Audit questions roil the Palm Springs Art Museum
Auditors have questioned the accounting practices at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Areas of concern include problems with reporting of endowment spending, improper recording of the market value of dona...
www.latimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Next semester’s syllabus practically writing itself…