Miguel Angel Chavez
@miguelchavez.bsky.social
Historian // Assistant Prof. at Cumberland University / PhD @Vanderbilt.edu / historian of exploration and travelers in Africa, #histSTM, geography, and the British Empire 🗃️ // Texan and Chicano // currently: enjoying summer break ☀️😌
- miguelchavez.net
- miguelchavez.net
Pinned
The starter pack of history journals/publications has finally reached 149!*🎉 🗃️
I am hopeful that as more academic societies migrate to Bluesky that we can create packs/lists/feeds that cater to specific sub-disciplines 😄
#skystorians #history #AcademicSky #academic
I am hopeful that as more academic societies migrate to Bluesky that we can create packs/lists/feeds that cater to specific sub-disciplines 😄
#skystorians #history #AcademicSky #academic
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
Yes! The thing abt public libraries that is so beautiful & crucial is the idea that *anybody* could do this — you need no credential, there’s no gatekeeping, literally any person can be an intellectual. You can come from absolutely nothing & yet, by means of curiosity + work, create real knowledge
I wrote a significant chunk of my first book at a Chicago Public Library, an amazing public space where people could read books and newspapers, access the internet, or just keep warm for a while on a cold day. This is appalling.
CPL is an absolute palace to the people and these proposed cuts are abominable. Artificial austerity. Chicago folks, read this, check the links to bug the mayor and your alders—this can be fought and won.
November 8, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Yes! The thing abt public libraries that is so beautiful & crucial is the idea that *anybody* could do this — you need no credential, there’s no gatekeeping, literally any person can be an intellectual. You can come from absolutely nothing & yet, by means of curiosity + work, create real knowledge
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
A relatively small number of people in certain jobs say that ChatGPT and other LLMs have made them more productive at work. But in the overall economy, it does not look like net productivity is up.
Most of the supposed value is in sci-fi speculation. “Imagine a machine that cures cancer.”
Most of the supposed value is in sci-fi speculation. “Imagine a machine that cures cancer.”
I honestly don’t get the value of this company. They hoover up energy and water. Their product constantly gets things wrong and, in extreme cases, coaches people into suicide.
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
And it’s all built on what seems to be malicious and vast intellectual property theft.
What does OpenAI offer the world?
“authors & publishers who filed a lawsuit against the Sam Altman-led firm have secured access to internal Slack messages… discussing the mass deletion of a pirated books dataset… A NY district court ordered OpenAI to hand over the communications regarding data deletion”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
November 9, 2025 at 3:43 PM
A relatively small number of people in certain jobs say that ChatGPT and other LLMs have made them more productive at work. But in the overall economy, it does not look like net productivity is up.
Most of the supposed value is in sci-fi speculation. “Imagine a machine that cures cancer.”
Most of the supposed value is in sci-fi speculation. “Imagine a machine that cures cancer.”
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
On one hand, there are the white supremacists who feel threatened by highlighting Black achievement - that their self-worth depends on believing Black people are lesser.
Then, apparently, there are the white supremacists whose self-worth is threatened by Black gravediggers.
Then, apparently, there are the white supremacists whose self-worth is threatened by Black gravediggers.
14/ Professor Kees Ribbens, senior researcher at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, says that the removal appears to be the result of a complaint from the right-wing Heritage Foundation, which is currently the focus of controversy over anti-Semitism.
November 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
On one hand, there are the white supremacists who feel threatened by highlighting Black achievement - that their self-worth depends on believing Black people are lesser.
Then, apparently, there are the white supremacists whose self-worth is threatened by Black gravediggers.
Then, apparently, there are the white supremacists whose self-worth is threatened by Black gravediggers.
I can that this week is the first of the semester where I don’t feel absolutely harried by work. I was able to do some gardening, spend time with my partner, and read.
Things will pick up again this week, but I’m at least grateful for the respite 🙂
#academia 🗃️
Things will pick up again this week, but I’m at least grateful for the respite 🙂
#academia 🗃️
November 9, 2025 at 8:05 AM
I can that this week is the first of the semester where I don’t feel absolutely harried by work. I was able to do some gardening, spend time with my partner, and read.
Things will pick up again this week, but I’m at least grateful for the respite 🙂
#academia 🗃️
Things will pick up again this week, but I’m at least grateful for the respite 🙂
#academia 🗃️
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
Routledge are having a Black Friday sale so use the code ‘BF2025S’ to get 25% off my books!
www.routledge.com/Histories-of...
www.routledge.com/No-Platform-...
www.routledge.com/Histories-of...
www.routledge.com/No-Platform-...
November 4, 2025 at 12:37 AM
Routledge are having a Black Friday sale so use the code ‘BF2025S’ to get 25% off my books!
www.routledge.com/Histories-of...
www.routledge.com/No-Platform-...
www.routledge.com/Histories-of...
www.routledge.com/No-Platform-...
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 5: Vito Marcantonio
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
November 4, 2025 at 4:14 AM
UNTIL IT’S DONE, Ep. 5: Vito Marcantonio
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
There are many who dismiss our vision for New York as impossible. To them, I say we need look only to our past for proof of how we can shape the future.
Tomorrow is Election Day. And this is the final Until It's Done of our campaign.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
“Tell your children who the cowards were.”
October 27, 2025 at 10:19 PM
“Tell your children who the cowards were.”
Yesterday I presented my paper at the MWCBS conference at @elmhurstbluejays.bsky.social
It went really well! 🙂 I was especially appreciative of the comments and recommended readings to further develop my work on the use of pedagogical violence in British-led exploratory missions to Africa
It went really well! 🙂 I was especially appreciative of the comments and recommended readings to further develop my work on the use of pedagogical violence in British-led exploratory missions to Africa
October 18, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Yesterday I presented my paper at the MWCBS conference at @elmhurstbluejays.bsky.social
It went really well! 🙂 I was especially appreciative of the comments and recommended readings to further develop my work on the use of pedagogical violence in British-led exploratory missions to Africa
It went really well! 🙂 I was especially appreciative of the comments and recommended readings to further develop my work on the use of pedagogical violence in British-led exploratory missions to Africa
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
I’m having intro chats with dissertation students this fortnight, and one of them asked which historians I’d recommend for beautiful writing they could absorb to further develop their own writing style.
So, gang, which are your favourite *writers* among historians, any time, any topic, any place. 🗃️
So, gang, which are your favourite *writers* among historians, any time, any topic, any place. 🗃️
September 19, 2025 at 7:51 PM
I’m having intro chats with dissertation students this fortnight, and one of them asked which historians I’d recommend for beautiful writing they could absorb to further develop their own writing style.
So, gang, which are your favourite *writers* among historians, any time, any topic, any place. 🗃️
So, gang, which are your favourite *writers* among historians, any time, any topic, any place. 🗃️
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
📢Book Event📢
📗Invoking Empire with Darren Reid
📅Sep 18
Join us to hear more about Darren Reid’s latest book, Invoking Empire: Imperial citizenship and Indigenous rights across the British World, 1860-1900. @alanlester.bsky.social will moderate the event
RSVP here: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
📗Invoking Empire with Darren Reid
📅Sep 18
Join us to hear more about Darren Reid’s latest book, Invoking Empire: Imperial citizenship and Indigenous rights across the British World, 1860-1900. @alanlester.bsky.social will moderate the event
RSVP here: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
Invoking Empire with Darren Reid | NACBS
Join NACBS to hear more about Darren Reid’s latest publication, Invoking Empire: Imperial citizenship and Indigenous rights across the British World, 1860-1900. Alan Lester will moderate the event. In...
www.nacbs.org
September 9, 2025 at 2:33 PM
📢Book Event📢
📗Invoking Empire with Darren Reid
📅Sep 18
Join us to hear more about Darren Reid’s latest book, Invoking Empire: Imperial citizenship and Indigenous rights across the British World, 1860-1900. @alanlester.bsky.social will moderate the event
RSVP here: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
📗Invoking Empire with Darren Reid
📅Sep 18
Join us to hear more about Darren Reid’s latest book, Invoking Empire: Imperial citizenship and Indigenous rights across the British World, 1860-1900. @alanlester.bsky.social will moderate the event
RSVP here: www.nacbs.org/event-detail...
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
In the current climate, we have gone back to basic science is good and science is objective kind of public discourses.
How do we continue to write critical histories of science and medicine in this situation? How do we keep developing the sophistication of our critique over the last 50 years?
How do we continue to write critical histories of science and medicine in this situation? How do we keep developing the sophistication of our critique over the last 50 years?
August 19, 2025 at 1:16 AM
In the current climate, we have gone back to basic science is good and science is objective kind of public discourses.
How do we continue to write critical histories of science and medicine in this situation? How do we keep developing the sophistication of our critique over the last 50 years?
How do we continue to write critical histories of science and medicine in this situation? How do we keep developing the sophistication of our critique over the last 50 years?
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
A new reason for not being a member of the AHA, which I long have felt does not represent historians at small, public, primarily teaching colleges in the slightest. This strikes me as lazy committee think from an organization that has failed to anticipate any of our problems as a profession.
The AHA has published Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education, offering a disciplinary approach to AI that focuses on the specific needs and challenges of history educators. 🗃️
Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education
These 14 foundational principles are meant to assist educators and administrators in crafting AI policies suited to local circumstances and the specific needs of students.
www.historians.org
August 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM
A new reason for not being a member of the AHA, which I long have felt does not represent historians at small, public, primarily teaching colleges in the slightest. This strikes me as lazy committee think from an organization that has failed to anticipate any of our problems as a profession.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
1/3 It’s a strange thing to say that anyone is a prisoner of geography. People are imprisoned by other people. Prisons are not natural, geographical features. We have to ask who created them and why. www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
Palestinians are prisoners of geography, but statehood is possible
France, Canada and the UK will recognise Palestine. But it is unclear if this will revive the stalled two-state solution
www.thetimes.com
August 3, 2025 at 7:39 AM
1/3 It’s a strange thing to say that anyone is a prisoner of geography. People are imprisoned by other people. Prisons are not natural, geographical features. We have to ask who created them and why. www.thetimes.com/world/middle...
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.
August 2, 2025 at 8:00 PM
DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
Anyway I came on here to BEG academics to stop using AI in their journal submissions. Yes, that includes for proofing, arranging reference lists etc. I am currently staring at a perfectly decent article, written by a human being, with a useless AI-generated bibliography full of errors.
July 31, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Anyway I came on here to BEG academics to stop using AI in their journal submissions. Yes, that includes for proofing, arranging reference lists etc. I am currently staring at a perfectly decent article, written by a human being, with a useless AI-generated bibliography full of errors.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
"...adopting a critical approach to settler family histories helps challenge the myth of Canadian benevolence, solidifies our understanding of the foundational violence of settler colonialism, and exemplifies the truth–telling that needs to come with settler reconciliation to Indigenous Peoples..."
Very excited to read @maddieknicker.bsky.social's new article in *Settler Colonial Studies,* entitled "Unsettling our family history: critical interventions in settler Canadian pasts"! #cdnhist www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Unsettling our family history: critical interventions in settler Canadian pasts
This article explores seven generations of our family's participation in settler colonialism at different times and in different places across Canada. The ancestors we focus on came to North Americ...
www.tandfonline.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:16 PM
"...adopting a critical approach to settler family histories helps challenge the myth of Canadian benevolence, solidifies our understanding of the foundational violence of settler colonialism, and exemplifies the truth–telling that needs to come with settler reconciliation to Indigenous Peoples..."
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
I do firmly believe that refusing to outsource your basic cognitive functions to LLMs right now - as so many are stumbling over themselves to do right now, like hogs trotting to a pile of slop that’s been set up inside of a butcher’s delivery truck - will very much pay off in a few years.
July 26, 2025 at 1:56 AM
I do firmly believe that refusing to outsource your basic cognitive functions to LLMs right now - as so many are stumbling over themselves to do right now, like hogs trotting to a pile of slop that’s been set up inside of a butcher’s delivery truck - will very much pay off in a few years.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
This is why I bang on, whenever I can, about the value of having a browseable archive catalogue, and, you know, browsing through it: rather than thinking you can just zap into a specific target.
For the past 10yrs or so I've tried to explain to students how keyword searching trains us to see looking at the world as seeking a known target. By contrast, being in a library, archive, gallery asks us to make a network of connections, questions, possibilities. Which one makes thinking more free?
Seems to me an increasing amount of bad history is based on the idea that you can just keyword search terms (esp. 21st c. terms) to locate origins & relative usage. It's totally unimaginable to these keyword searchers why folks in the past would use diff terms or not mention common practice at all.
July 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM
This is why I bang on, whenever I can, about the value of having a browseable archive catalogue, and, you know, browsing through it: rather than thinking you can just zap into a specific target.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
Darlings, the first time I'm seeing it in print. Thank you to @dr-di.bsky.social for the photo. Have so many feels. Still awaiting mine.
Please share pics when you receive yours. And, request your libraries to order it.
All royalties donated to Gaza.
Onwards comrades.
us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/th...
Please share pics when you receive yours. And, request your libraries to order it.
All royalties donated to Gaza.
Onwards comrades.
us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/th...
July 10, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Darlings, the first time I'm seeing it in print. Thank you to @dr-di.bsky.social for the photo. Have so many feels. Still awaiting mine.
Please share pics when you receive yours. And, request your libraries to order it.
All royalties donated to Gaza.
Onwards comrades.
us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/th...
Please share pics when you receive yours. And, request your libraries to order it.
All royalties donated to Gaza.
Onwards comrades.
us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/th...
Prepping for my trip to London & Brussels in a couple of days! 🇬🇧 🇧🇪
To be back in the archives! And to escape this Tennessean heat! 😆
To be back in the archives! And to escape this Tennessean heat! 😆
July 7, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Prepping for my trip to London & Brussels in a couple of days! 🇬🇧 🇧🇪
To be back in the archives! And to escape this Tennessean heat! 😆
To be back in the archives! And to escape this Tennessean heat! 😆
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
Today @nichecanada.bsky.social I introduce *A Cold Colonialism* — its origin story, its main characters and arguments, and its potential to shift how we think about exploration, the North, and colonialism’s relationships with both. Enjoy! #cdnhist #envhist #Arctic niche-canada.org/2025/06/03/n...
New Book – A Cold Colonialism: Modern Exploration and the Canadian North
Framing exploration as an epistemic enterprise, or one concerned with the production of knowledge about environments, reveals it to be a more diverse and capacious activity than often believed.
niche-canada.org
June 3, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Today @nichecanada.bsky.social I introduce *A Cold Colonialism* — its origin story, its main characters and arguments, and its potential to shift how we think about exploration, the North, and colonialism’s relationships with both. Enjoy! #cdnhist #envhist #Arctic niche-canada.org/2025/06/03/n...
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
I wrote a book -- during lockdown and maternity leave -- about imperial culture in contemporary Britain, exploring how the empire shaped British society, politics and ordinary people's lives -- from the stuttering run up to the Second World War, to the televised end of the second Elizabethan age.
Imperial Island
Imperial Island shows how empire, its disintegration and its ever-present aftermath have profoundly shaped the British people, their culture, society and politics, throughout the last seventy years.
...
www.penguin.co.uk
June 10, 2025 at 8:47 PM
I wrote a book -- during lockdown and maternity leave -- about imperial culture in contemporary Britain, exploring how the empire shaped British society, politics and ordinary people's lives -- from the stuttering run up to the Second World War, to the televised end of the second Elizabethan age.
Reposted by Miguel Angel Chavez
this obsession with a handful of high status universities is also low key an indication of elite disdain for the institutions that educate most americans who attend colleges and universities
June 1, 2025 at 1:26 PM
this obsession with a handful of high status universities is also low key an indication of elite disdain for the institutions that educate most americans who attend colleges and universities