Author: Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig

  • It is one of history’s strangest patterns, stretching from the Roman Forum to the modern press conference. The world’s most powerful men, from Julius Caesar to Kim Jong Un, from Napoleon to Donald Trump, have shared not only ambition but a curious obsession with their hair. Gaddafi’s curls, Mussolini’s polished dome, Mao’s windswept wave, and…

    Why Do Strongmen Always Have Weird Hair?
  • Forgiveness is one of humanity’s oldest moral instincts. Philosophers, teachers, and communities across time have recognized it as a release, a way to set down the weight of anger and disappointment. Yet forgiveness is not the same as forgetfulness, and it is not surrender. The deeper question is not should we forgive, but when, why,…

    The Falling Leaves: When to Banish the Past and When to Make Peace with It
  • Julius Caesar knew power better than anyone of his time. He crossed the Rubicon, reshaped the Republic, and stood at the height of Roman glory surrounded by men who once called him friend. Yet, on the Ides of March, he learned a truth that outlasted his empire: no one is immune to being outmaneuvered. The…

    Julius Caesar: “Sometimes You Get Outmaneuvered Badly”
  • Next week I’ll return to the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychology for the first time since I was an undergraduate psychology major in the 1990s. Though I’m on campus often, today I’m here for the Purdue versus Michigan game tonight, walking back into East Hall will feel different. It was in that building, decades…

    Who Belongs? Shifting Landscapes in U.S. Immigration Enforcement — Join Us on November 6
  • Yesterday I was on campus at the University of Michigan for a VIP event and announcement that gathered faculty, students, and alumni in a celebration. However, it’s not public yet, so I can’t announce it here. The air in Ann Arbor carried that crispness that only early autumn seems to hold, a mix of clarity…

    What a Silent Film Teaches Us About AI

Cloaking Inequity is an online platform for justice and liberty-minded readers. I publish reflections, analysis, and commentary on education, democracy, culture, and politics.

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