Toby Higbie
@thigbie.bsky.social
I teach U.S. history & labor studies at a public university in California. First 40 years in the Midwest. Posting personal opinions about labor & migration history, worker organizing, higher ed policy, Midwest politics and regionalism. He/him.
Eye-opening boat tour of the Port of LA today with UCLA Labor Studies students and ILWU guides @uclairle.bsky.social
November 7, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Eye-opening boat tour of the Port of LA today with UCLA Labor Studies students and ILWU guides @uclairle.bsky.social
Happy Halloween! Here's a classic from the SEIU/USWW Justice for Janitors archive @uclalibrary.bsky.social.
October 31, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Happy Halloween! Here's a classic from the SEIU/USWW Justice for Janitors archive @uclalibrary.bsky.social.
Don’t poke the bear
October 23, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Don’t poke the bear
Big #NoKings turnout in downtown Los Angeles. Marched with my UCLA Faculty Association colleagues and thousands of others. Groups from unions, churches, and schools marching together. Civil society waking up. @uclafa.bsky.social @aaup.org
October 20, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Big #NoKings turnout in downtown Los Angeles. Marched with my UCLA Faculty Association colleagues and thousands of others. Groups from unions, churches, and schools marching together. Civil society waking up. @uclafa.bsky.social @aaup.org
Now using Zotero and Obsidian for annotating digitized primary sources. Export notes into Obsidian where I can link notes thematically, etc. New system for me this project, and seems to work so far
October 18, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Now using Zotero and Obsidian for annotating digitized primary sources. Export notes into Obsidian where I can link notes thematically, etc. New system for me this project, and seems to work so far
Anti-fascism is a family tradition and as American as apple pie. Here’s a picture of my father, Peter Higbie, who dropped out of college in the middle of World War II to join the fight against Nazis. He wasn’t a radical. He was a Republican most of his life. He would have hated Trump.
October 18, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Anti-fascism is a family tradition and as American as apple pie. Here’s a picture of my father, Peter Higbie, who dropped out of college in the middle of World War II to join the fight against Nazis. He wasn’t a radical. He was a Republican most of his life. He would have hated Trump.
I've moved my note taking into Obsidian over the past 6 months. Bit of a learning curve, but feels like it's helping me track themes and connections better. A cool feature is the graph view of your notes #ResearchPractice
September 17, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I've moved my note taking into Obsidian over the past 6 months. Bit of a learning curve, but feels like it's helping me track themes and connections better. A cool feature is the graph view of your notes #ResearchPractice
At the beautiful Laborers’ Union local 300 hall to celebrate organizers past, present, and future who link the fight for social justice in the U.S. and Mexico.
August 16, 2025 at 10:40 PM
At the beautiful Laborers’ Union local 300 hall to celebrate organizers past, present, and future who link the fight for social justice in the U.S. and Mexico.
Microsoft funded report getting uncritical circulation purports to document which occupations are most likely to face displacement from "AI" automation based on analysis of LLM user queries. Historians are #2. Data scientists down near #30. Interesting
August 6, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Microsoft funded report getting uncritical circulation purports to document which occupations are most likely to face displacement from "AI" automation based on analysis of LLM user queries. Historians are #2. Data scientists down near #30. Interesting
Listen to Bert Corona describe immigration raids of the early 1970s in terms that could be applied today: unconstitutional, anti-latino, racial profiling. Organizers and legal advocates pushed back in the courts, in the community, and in workplaces and unions. And they put real limits on the raids
July 1, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Listen to Bert Corona describe immigration raids of the early 1970s in terms that could be applied today: unconstitutional, anti-latino, racial profiling. Organizers and legal advocates pushed back in the courts, in the community, and in workplaces and unions. And they put real limits on the raids
Came across this gem in my photo library from spring 2017.... Still relevant
June 12, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Came across this gem in my photo library from spring 2017.... Still relevant
Since May Day is coming up, here's an example of what you might find in the Chicago Foreign Language Press Survey: Abendpost, May 1, 1895 flps.newberry.org/id/5418474_7...
April 26, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Since May Day is coming up, here's an example of what you might find in the Chicago Foreign Language Press Survey: Abendpost, May 1, 1895 flps.newberry.org/id/5418474_7...
If restricting access by AI bots can't work, creators and their organizations should press for new terms of access that compel profiteers to pay for open access infrastructure--White argues. And union collective bargaining might be a model for this kind of economic power. /3
March 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
If restricting access by AI bots can't work, creators and their organizations should press for new terms of access that compel profiteers to pay for open access infrastructure--White argues. And union collective bargaining might be a model for this kind of economic power. /3
To summarize, @molly.wiki says efforts to restrict access by AI vampires are ultimately as destructive as the vampires themselves. Also they don't and can't achieve stated goals. Instead of trying to restrict access per se, she argues, we should negotiate better terms of access by AI, et al. /2
March 23, 2025 at 9:21 PM
To summarize, @molly.wiki says efforts to restrict access by AI vampires are ultimately as destructive as the vampires themselves. Also they don't and can't achieve stated goals. Instead of trying to restrict access per se, she argues, we should negotiate better terms of access by AI, et al. /2
Spent the afternoon with the papers of the Midwest Committee to Protect the Foreign Born, part of a national network fighting political deportations during the height of the Cold War. These "Know Your Rights" cards--similar to those circulating today--remind us that the fight has been a long one
March 14, 2025 at 1:52 AM
Spent the afternoon with the papers of the Midwest Committee to Protect the Foreign Born, part of a national network fighting political deportations during the height of the Cold War. These "Know Your Rights" cards--similar to those circulating today--remind us that the fight has been a long one
Absolutely massive march of strikers in Westwood at UCLA @afscme3299.bsky.social @uptecwa.bsky.social. Biggest protest I’ve seen in some years. Quite a show of solidarity!
February 26, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Absolutely massive march of strikers in Westwood at UCLA @afscme3299.bsky.social @uptecwa.bsky.social. Biggest protest I’ve seen in some years. Quite a show of solidarity!
“When we fight, we win!” Service workers on strike today and tomorrow at UCLA and across the UC system. Calling on UC managers to bargain fairly.
November 20, 2024 at 8:02 PM
“When we fight, we win!” Service workers on strike today and tomorrow at UCLA and across the UC system. Calling on UC managers to bargain fairly.
Among the creepier proposals in the Labor Dept section of #Project2025: have Bureau of Labor Statistics collect data on marriage and fertility rates and the proportion of children living with biological parents.
September 30, 2024 at 2:22 AM
Among the creepier proposals in the Labor Dept section of #Project2025: have Bureau of Labor Statistics collect data on marriage and fertility rates and the proportion of children living with biological parents.
Notable in the crosstabs of Times/Sienna poll: likely voters overwhelmingly see Trump as "extreme." 74% overall say "extreme" describes Trump very well or somewhat well. That holds across most demographics including men, non-college whites and rural/small town
September 19, 2024 at 3:16 PM
Notable in the crosstabs of Times/Sienna poll: likely voters overwhelmingly see Trump as "extreme." 74% overall say "extreme" describes Trump very well or somewhat well. That holds across most demographics including men, non-college whites and rural/small town
Happy Labor Day all! Enjoy some images from the 1947 LA Labor Day parade. Some issues are evergreen:
September 2, 2024 at 3:26 PM
Happy Labor Day all! Enjoy some images from the 1947 LA Labor Day parade. Some issues are evergreen:
In downtown a LA today for the Sin Fronteras awards. Took a side trip to Siqueiros mural “America Tropical.” First time seeing the recreation of his lost 1932 mural “Street Meeting”
August 17, 2024 at 9:59 PM
In downtown a LA today for the Sin Fronteras awards. Took a side trip to Siqueiros mural “America Tropical.” First time seeing the recreation of his lost 1932 mural “Street Meeting”