W. Carson Byrd
@wcbyrdphd.bsky.social
Sociologist of higher ed inequalities & racism @ Michigan
Probably staring at data instead of writing, but at least there’s a stack of books & articles beside me.
More info: https://wcarsonbyrd.com
Probably staring at data instead of writing, but at least there’s a stack of books & articles beside me.
More info: https://wcarsonbyrd.com
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
This is interesting given new Democratic control in Virginia and that the Trump administration stopped defending relevant guidance in court.
Virginia Tech Bans University-Funded Identity-Based Graduations
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
Virginia Tech Bans University-Funded Affinity Graduations
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University has banned university-funded, "identity-based Graduation Achievement Ceremonies," the institution announced on its website. The Virginian-Pilot repo...
www.insidehighered.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:00 AM
This is interesting given new Democratic control in Virginia and that the Trump administration stopped defending relevant guidance in court.
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
Read @bakerdphd.bsky.social’s piece on the need for institutions and their associations to stand up to this kind of behaviour, and then re-read the UNC story.
Nothing promotes freedom of speech and an open exchange of ideas like the threat of being secretly recorded at all times.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
UNC Admin Can Now, Officially, Secretly Record Faculty
The new policy prohibits students from recording class without permission but explicitly allows administrators to surveil professors for any “lawful purpose.”
www.insidehighered.com
February 11, 2026 at 2:04 PM
Read @bakerdphd.bsky.social’s piece on the need for institutions and their associations to stand up to this kind of behaviour, and then re-read the UNC story.
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
I talked with podcaster Brad Carr recently, about genetic determinism, race and IQ, and James Watson. The title captures the gist, but the devil's in the details...
You can check out our conversation here:
YouTube: youtu.be/f8qiz1aCdno
Audio: bradcarr.transistor.fm/episodes/170...
You can check out our conversation here:
YouTube: youtu.be/f8qiz1aCdno
Audio: bradcarr.transistor.fm/episodes/170...
Why Eugenics Made a Comeback in America | Dr Nathaniel Comfort
YouTube video by Brad Carr
youtu.be
February 12, 2026 at 11:52 PM
I talked with podcaster Brad Carr recently, about genetic determinism, race and IQ, and James Watson. The title captures the gist, but the devil's in the details...
You can check out our conversation here:
YouTube: youtu.be/f8qiz1aCdno
Audio: bradcarr.transistor.fm/episodes/170...
You can check out our conversation here:
YouTube: youtu.be/f8qiz1aCdno
Audio: bradcarr.transistor.fm/episodes/170...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
I took that new right wing admissions test so you don't have to.
"It’s inconsistent, odd, and pseudo-scientific but it has just enough of a patina of science to let politicians who share their ideology justify its use."
akilbello.com/2026/02/11/t...
"It’s inconsistent, odd, and pseudo-scientific but it has just enough of a patina of science to let politicians who share their ideology justify its use."
akilbello.com/2026/02/11/t...
Trying out the clt
I took the CLT not only to add a stone to my infinity gauntlet but so you don’t have to. Read on to find out what I’ve learned.
akilbello.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:54 AM
I took that new right wing admissions test so you don't have to.
"It’s inconsistent, odd, and pseudo-scientific but it has just enough of a patina of science to let politicians who share their ideology justify its use."
akilbello.com/2026/02/11/t...
"It’s inconsistent, odd, and pseudo-scientific but it has just enough of a patina of science to let politicians who share their ideology justify its use."
akilbello.com/2026/02/11/t...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
This is AWFUL. Univ of Texas is consolidating 4 depts into 1: African and African Diaspora Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, American Studies, and Mexican American and Latino Studies will become "a Social and Cultural Analysis department." www.texastribune.org/2026/02/12/t...
UT-Austin to merge race, ethnic and gender study programs
More than 800 students are pursuing degrees in the affected departments, which include African, Latino and gender studies.
www.texastribune.org
February 12, 2026 at 6:42 PM
This is AWFUL. Univ of Texas is consolidating 4 depts into 1: African and African Diaspora Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies, American Studies, and Mexican American and Latino Studies will become "a Social and Cultural Analysis department." www.texastribune.org/2026/02/12/t...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
Top 5 states, anti-Trump/ICE protest crowd size
MA, DC*, CA*, MN*, WA
*Occupied by ICE/Troops (also IL, NC, OR)
Top red states (nearly tied)
UT (532), MT (522)
Outlier state
NJ (likely attended in NY/PA)
Crowd size correlated w/ urbanized pop. (r=.47, p<.01)
Data source: @chenoweth.bsky.social
MA, DC*, CA*, MN*, WA
*Occupied by ICE/Troops (also IL, NC, OR)
Top red states (nearly tied)
UT (532), MT (522)
Outlier state
NJ (likely attended in NY/PA)
Crowd size correlated w/ urbanized pop. (r=.47, p<.01)
Data source: @chenoweth.bsky.social
February 12, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Top 5 states, anti-Trump/ICE protest crowd size
MA, DC*, CA*, MN*, WA
*Occupied by ICE/Troops (also IL, NC, OR)
Top red states (nearly tied)
UT (532), MT (522)
Outlier state
NJ (likely attended in NY/PA)
Crowd size correlated w/ urbanized pop. (r=.47, p<.01)
Data source: @chenoweth.bsky.social
MA, DC*, CA*, MN*, WA
*Occupied by ICE/Troops (also IL, NC, OR)
Top red states (nearly tied)
UT (532), MT (522)
Outlier state
NJ (likely attended in NY/PA)
Crowd size correlated w/ urbanized pop. (r=.47, p<.01)
Data source: @chenoweth.bsky.social
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
My team at the Crowd Counting Consortium (@djpressman.bsky.social, Soha Hammam, & Chris Shay) has shared a big data update, covering all recorded US protests through Jan 2026. Some key takeaways 🧵:
February 12, 2026 at 6:19 PM
My team at the Crowd Counting Consortium (@djpressman.bsky.social, Soha Hammam, & Chris Shay) has shared a big data update, covering all recorded US protests through Jan 2026. Some key takeaways 🧵:
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
I've said it before, but the first school that promotes itself as "AI-free" is going to corner the market on folks committed to learning. (gift link)
Opinion | How A.I. Companies Are Preying on College Students
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:35 PM
I've said it before, but the first school that promotes itself as "AI-free" is going to corner the market on folks committed to learning. (gift link)
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
"Epstein had pitched [art school dept chair] on a potential art exhibit titled 'Statutory' that would showcase underage models dressed to look older than they were."
He was really just upfront with it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
He was really just upfront with it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Professors in the Epstein Files Begin to Face Consequences
Several faculty members who spoke regularly with Epstein have been stripped of their titles or teaching duties.
www.insidehighered.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:53 PM
"Epstein had pitched [art school dept chair] on a potential art exhibit titled 'Statutory' that would showcase underage models dressed to look older than they were."
He was really just upfront with it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
He was really just upfront with it.
www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
The federal judiciary consists of 3 levels with SCOTUS at the top, US Courts of Appeals (~179 judges), US District Courts (~677 judges). But District Cts even w/ Trump appointed judges have been ruling for immigrants in large numbers. Why? Each level of cts has a distinct institutional context. 1/
Judges have mostly rejected the government’s attempt to detain anyone who is black or brown. As of early January (the last time anyone had time to count) 300 judges in 1000s of decisions rejected the government’s arguments. Less than a dozen permit it.
9/
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
9/
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...
Hundreds of judges reject Trump’s mandatory detention policy, with no end in sight
Judges have ruled against the administration in more than 1,600 cases.
www.politico.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:16 AM
The federal judiciary consists of 3 levels with SCOTUS at the top, US Courts of Appeals (~179 judges), US District Courts (~677 judges). But District Cts even w/ Trump appointed judges have been ruling for immigrants in large numbers. Why? Each level of cts has a distinct institutional context. 1/
Always fun when you drop some Burton Clark on folks to highlight how far back the conversation goes about unequal opportunity structures, higher ed’s role in it, & the broader consequences.
Went in my bag last night — after many drinks, even — to discuss “cooling out” in our current decayed and captured opportunity structure. I don’t think the other side realizes how much credentialing pacifies social unrest…
February 12, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Always fun when you drop some Burton Clark on folks to highlight how far back the conversation goes about unequal opportunity structures, higher ed’s role in it, & the broader consequences.
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
A lot happening with VMI again. For those interested to learn more about the Lost Cause at VMI, when I taught there, my cadets and I made a digital history project documenting this history in unflinching detail 🗃️ locatinglegacies.org/s/VMI/page/h...
February 12, 2026 at 12:46 PM
A lot happening with VMI again. For those interested to learn more about the Lost Cause at VMI, when I taught there, my cadets and I made a digital history project documenting this history in unflinching detail 🗃️ locatinglegacies.org/s/VMI/page/h...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
This is the type of thing I keep trying to talk to people about for higher ed. Not conference rooms where I "listen to diverse perspectives" but actually doing work to imagine what strengthening the US higher education system in furtherance of a democracy would look like.
Very excited about this new @knightcolumbia.org project, both because it gives us the chance to look beyond the current democratic crisis and because so many super people have already agreed to participate. knightcolumbia.org/content/new-...
New Knight Institute Initiative to Focus on “Reconstructing Free Expression” After Trump
knightcolumbia.org
February 11, 2026 at 9:07 PM
This is the type of thing I keep trying to talk to people about for higher ed. Not conference rooms where I "listen to diverse perspectives" but actually doing work to imagine what strengthening the US higher education system in furtherance of a democracy would look like.
‘[HHS] told Congress on Monday that it planned to withhold about $600 million in grant funding allocated to the four states: California, Colorado, Illinois & Minnesota. Their attorneys general argue the cuts are backlash for the states’ opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown.’
Democratic-led states sue to stop Trump from withholding $600M in health grants
Four Democratic-led states that have become frequent targets of President Donald Trump have sued to block his administration from cutting off hundreds of millions in public health grants.
apnews.com
February 12, 2026 at 11:35 AM
‘[HHS] told Congress on Monday that it planned to withhold about $600 million in grant funding allocated to the four states: California, Colorado, Illinois & Minnesota. Their attorneys general argue the cuts are backlash for the states’ opposition to Trump’s immigration crackdown.’
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
Really excited to present work on tax base fragmentation at @umisr.bsky.social tomorrow! Come check it out!
So excited for our own #UmichSociology @robertmanduca.bsky.social's talk next week. 🥳 Get the deets: events.umich.edu/event/136463
February 11, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Really excited to present work on tax base fragmentation at @umisr.bsky.social tomorrow! Come check it out!
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
I missed this: Gallup: "40% of [US] women aged 15 to 44 say they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity." (Was 10% in 2014.)
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
February 11, 2026 at 12:29 AM
I missed this: Gallup: "40% of [US] women aged 15 to 44 say they would move abroad permanently if they had the opportunity." (Was 10% in 2014.)
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
The pronatalism will continue until moral improves.
ht @katemanne.bsky.social
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
The purpose is to disincentivize investments in vaccine development
NEW: The F.D.A. refused to accept an application from Moderna for its mRNA flu vaccine.
Its reason: The agency did not think Moderna compared the new vaccine to one of the best flu shots available. The company spent $750M+ on a 41,000 person study.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
Its reason: The agency did not think Moderna compared the new vaccine to one of the best flu shots available. The company spent $750M+ on a 41,000 person study.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/h...
F.D.A. Refuses to Review Moderna Flu Vaccine
www.nytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:34 PM
The purpose is to disincentivize investments in vaccine development
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
I keep rereading this paragraph expecting the words to change
February 11, 2026 at 12:19 AM
I keep rereading this paragraph expecting the words to change
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
Stanford is doing this because it wants to
February 11, 2026 at 12:31 AM
Stanford is doing this because it wants to
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
"But if the member presidents choose the guise of institutional neutrality as a way to gain political cover, they may now be leading higher ed toward greater authoritarianism."
Well the AAU is gonna love this (miniest of threads)
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Well the AAU is gonna love this (miniest of threads)
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
How Elite Colleges Aided Censorship During the Red Scares
Powerful organizations during the Red Scares crafted a world where “academic freedom” was conditional on political allegiance.
www.insidehighered.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:21 PM
"But if the member presidents choose the guise of institutional neutrality as a way to gain political cover, they may now be leading higher ed toward greater authoritarianism."
Well the AAU is gonna love this (miniest of threads)
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Well the AAU is gonna love this (miniest of threads)
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
i think this more than anything is what miller wants. vast detention camps with all of the suffering and death that means.
ICE has now spent over half a BILLION dollars just on purchasing warehouses around the country to convert into detention camps.
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
If these mega-camps are utilized to the full capacity ICE intends, they'll be the largest prisons in the country, with little real oversight. www.ajc.com/politics/202...
ICE to begin detaining immigrants inside Social Circle warehouse in April
Homeland Security plans to build warehouse detention facilities in other cities being met with opposition.
www.ajc.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:56 AM
i think this more than anything is what miller wants. vast detention camps with all of the suffering and death that means.
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
New and competitive renewal awards
3/4
3/4
February 9, 2026 at 5:41 PM
New and competitive renewal awards
3/4
3/4
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
An economist you all should be following yesterday is @trevondlogan.bsky.social: Economic historian, one of the smartest people I know, and a genuinely interesting researcher.
One of my favorite studies by him debunks the myth that white women were passive observers of slavery. #blackhistorymonth
One of my favorite studies by him debunks the myth that white women were passive observers of slavery. #blackhistorymonth
American slavery wasn’t just a white man’s business
Originally published in By Trevon LoganProfessor of Economics, The Ohio State University
news.osu.edu
February 9, 2026 at 10:08 PM
An economist you all should be following yesterday is @trevondlogan.bsky.social: Economic historian, one of the smartest people I know, and a genuinely interesting researcher.
One of my favorite studies by him debunks the myth that white women were passive observers of slavery. #blackhistorymonth
One of my favorite studies by him debunks the myth that white women were passive observers of slavery. #blackhistorymonth
Reposted by W. Carson Byrd
very excited to be hosting @berondam.bsky.social tomorrow! My class is excited too.
I know today is Bad Bunny Bowl, yet I'm also looking forward to tomorrow when I'll be in conversation about When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America's Black Botanical Legacy with @louiseseamster.bsky.social at @prairielights.com in IowA City.
Event followed by signing start at 7 PM.
Event followed by signing start at 7 PM.
February 8, 2026 at 10:59 PM
very excited to be hosting @berondam.bsky.social tomorrow! My class is excited too.