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John Williams was deaf and never heard the policeman who was ordering him to stop. He was shot in the back four times. Ethan Saylor had Down syndrome and didn’t obey orders to get out of a movie seat he hadn’t paid for. He died on the floor, asphyxiated. Kajieme Powell was standing alone in … Continue ReadingI am writing a book: Disability Is Not A Crime

This is an absolute must-read. It’s a powerful description of the complexities of being a caregiver for an adult with developmental disability. It also demonstrates the cruelty of the austerian (who probably think of themselves as pro-life, for that matter). I wrote an op-ed in Thursday’s Chicago’s Sun Times about the impact of Illinois’s budget crisis … Continue ReadingThe Cruelty of “Fiscal Conservatism” in Illinois

More on trigger warnings. Here’s a good piece from The New Republic. If you take away the media hysteria surrounding trigger warnings, you’re left with a mode of conversational priming that we all use: “You might want to sit down for this”; “I’m not sure how to say this, but…” It’s hardly anti-intellectual or emotionally … Continue ReadingTrigger Warnings: The Real Threat

So the right-wing blog The Daily Caller has published a list of America’s worst professors (here is a donotlink cached version). I’m naturally friends with many of the folks it singles out, but I’m not going to engage with that right now. What’s fascinating about the list is that it’s generated by, basically, twitter and email … Continue ReadingDaily Caller – America’s Worst Professors (on Twitter)

Continue my series on I am continuing to work through the postmedieval forum about the public Middle Ages. Previous installments here, here and here. Today, Matt Gabriele on “There is no public Middle Ages.” In this piece, Gabriele argues provocatively that context matters less than we think. He writes: As academics, as specialists, we perhaps … Continue Readingpostmedieval reactions: Does Format Matter?

There has been a lot of movement in the Steven Salaita story in the past few weeks, timed perfectly for the anniversary of the un-hiring. I want to talk about Phyllis Wise’s parachute and the future of the UIUC boycott. The news: First – the emails that Phyllis Wise tried to hide on a private … Continue ReadingThe UIUC Boycott – What’s Next?

I am continuing to work through the postmedieval forum about the public Middle Ages. Previous installments here and here. Today, Kathleen Kennedy on “The Digital Middle Ages.” Kennedy (note: one of my closest friends) plays with notions of open and closed information in medieval information culture and today. To me, what’s interesting is not the lament … Continue Readingpostmedieval reactions: The Digital Middle Ages

Not long ago, I wrote down my Golden Rules to being an ally. Listen. Remember it’s not about you. Remember it’s sometimes about you. Mostly, though, it’s not about you, so center the conversation where it belongs. Don’t expect gratitude; instead, accept criticism graciously. Here’s another, similar, piece – from Jamia Wilson – How to … Continue ReadingBeing an Ally