Author: Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig
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If you want a glimpse of how far the Overton window has shifted, and just how openly today’s far right-wing is embracing authoritarianism and dictatorship, watch the newest viral episode of Surrounded, the web series by Jubilee that puts ideologically opposed people in one room and lets the sparks fly. The format isn’t new, but this…
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Sometimes a job isn’t big enough for you. “Don’t fret about the host… His talents are better showcased elsewhere.” Jason Zinoman writes in a New York Times piece on the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. He frames the moment not as a failure, but as a pivot point. That sentence resonated deeply—not…
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Thank you, Stephen Colbert. Thank you for speaking truth to power. For staying far from timid. For never bending the knee to a wannabe king. I don’t often actually watch The Late Show live when it airs—but I’ve rarely missed an episode in years thanks to YouTube. It’s my daily ritual: I tune in for the monologue,…
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The Manhattan Institute’s so-called “Statement on Higher Education” is not a policy document. It is a political manifesto wrapped in the language of reform. Its signatories want you to believe that universities have lost their way, that they have betrayed some mythical past when higher education served only truth, honor, and a unified national mission.…
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Uppity minorities and courageous, equity-minded leaders are sometimes in the spotlight—but we also find ourselves in the crosshairs. Today, I want to talk about both. It’s important to celebrate the moments of honor, but also to reflect on the moments of pressure—because it’s in those crucibles that the commune of courage begins to rise. This…
Cloaking Inequity 