So I’m pretty upset about Brown agreeing to follow definitions of gender and sex and gender affirming care restrictions from the Executive Orders that conflict with established law and are causing great harm to trans people and their families - it’s bad in itself and it legitimizes those EOs. /6

Why? Because all the smart people telling me about authoritarianism and noncooperation are clear that it’s when those civil society institutions prop up the regime and protect its power that democracy is most at risk, and that anything we can do to weaken that support matters. . . ./5

The iceberg is the goal to force universities, like the rest of civil society, to not just go along with but actively support the Administration’s program of violating rights of trans students and due process for immigrants and erasing Black history and weaponizing civil rights enforcement. . . /4

Which leaves other universities that much more vulnerable. Instead of collective action to support higher education and academic freedom, Brown wanted to protect itself. I see some clever lawyering here, yes they did a few things to lessen the impact, but that’s deck chairs on the Titanic . . /3

It’s wildly illegal for the federal government to seize the university’s funds, then launch pretextual civil rights investigations, then say you can have your money back if you settle these “violations” on the government’s terms. Brown, like Columbia, has now made that a more viable strategy . . .

My first guest is my Working IDEAL partner Cyrus Mehri and the person who first talked to me about "the democracy case for DEI" two years ago. He gives us the truth about white nationalism and the current moment and how we got here - and how even now we hold the possibility for democratic renewal.

Our letter aims to help federal contractors and other employers navigate this complex environment, providing clarity about their options and obligations under the law.

The letter addresses the Trump Administration's January 21 anti-DEI Executive Order, and the Administration's ongoing actions that negatively impact civil rights enforcement and voluntary equal opportunity programs at federal contractors.

Reminds me of somebody else I was once all in for . . .

On our way to the Mall