Marcelius Braxton

Hey new followers, I direct a Center for Social Change and Belonging, and I'm an Associate Teaching Prof in Philosophy, African/African American Studies, etc. My work focuses on the intersections of race, law, education, and philosophy. I also focus on social justice, activism, and liberation.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather see an average looking flyer/poster that someone put effort into making than an AI-made flyer/poster that looks exactly the same as all the others.

Passed. Officially Dr. Braxton!

Using the terms “Woke 1"/“Woke 2” isn't cute or funny, but it does play into and legitimize a false narrative of what "woke" means. That harmful narrative positions any mention of race, gender, sexuality, etc. or any semblance of inclusion, equity, justice as unserious, baseless, or out of touch.

Using the terms “Woke 1"/“Woke 2” isn't cute or funny, but it does play into and legitimize a false narrative of what "woke" means. That harmful narrative positions any mention of race, gender, sexuality, etc. or any semblance of inclusion, equity, justice as unserious, baseless, or out of touch.

Last call!

Conversations about K-12 ed would be much better if instead of operating as if most parents don’t care about their child and education, many would operate as if most parents do care and there are economic, social, political, and personal barriers making it hard for some to show/actualize that care.

At the end of the day, the discussion brings me back to a quite general question/belief: How can our ethics, morals, politics, and allocation of resources align so that doing the best for one’s own child can be directly in alignment with and not in conflict with serving all children and their needs?

Doctoral defense is set for 11:30am on September 29th via Zoom. The public portion is about 20-30 minutes. If you're interested in attending the public portion and haven't already done so, let me know and I'll send you the google form to sign up for the Zoom link.

I just want to say that one of the biggest red flags is anyone who refers to themselves as “apolitical.”

Doctoral defense is set for 11:30am on September 29th via Zoom. The public portion is about 20-30 minutes. If you're interested in attending the public portion and haven't already done so, let me know and I'll send you the google form to sign up for the Zoom link.

I just want to say that one of the biggest red flags is anyone who refers to themselves as “apolitical.”

Fetterman never wanted to do the work of a senator. He only cares about his own interests/one foreign entity (Israel). He wants praise without earning it. He craves attention from anyone who will give it. The only role he takes seriously is being adversarial to his party when he doesn't get his way.

Fetterman never wanted to do the work of a senator. He only cares about his own interests/one foreign entity (Israel). He wants praise without earning it. He craves attention from anyone who will give it. The only role he takes seriously is being adversarial to his party when he doesn't get his way.

It was ugly but the Tar Heels pulled it off! Tar!!!!!

Defense scheduled! September 29th

Something I’ve always admired about Dolly Parton is that on many issues she didn’t just tell you where she stood. She showed you where she stood with her actions, money, and time. Honoring her legacy means recognizing her support of literacy, racial justice, inclusion, and queer and trans rights.

Not Dolly Parton! Nooooooo

A position or view currently being “mainstream” or shared by the majority does not, in itself, make it a good, right, justified, or acceptable position or view. Look at all the things in history that were “mainstream” or shared by the majority, especially views/positions that are meant to oppress.

Many claim to value “merit” BECAUSE it is a subjective term with selective application. Many say things should be based on “merit” but intentionally leave it undefined/loosely defined with exceptions because they want the ability to exclude, selectively apply it, or weaponize it for/against others.

My advice for POC writers/academics/etc: Making it part of your personality/work to be the POC who bashes other POC to separate oneself or gain esteem will never work out for you. You will be used and thrown away because, at the end of the day, you are still you when you stop being useful to them.

I keep seeing “Woke 1”, “Woke 2”, and I come back to this ⬇️

I keep seeing “Woke 1”, “Woke 2”, and I come back to this ⬇️

Just a reminder that no one should listen to anything James Carville (or really anyone who markets themselves as a "moderate") says.

Enes Kantor thinks he's being witty/funny by "declaring himself an WNBA prospect". The reality is that if trans athletes are so prevalent/this was such a common issue, he wouldn't need to play this terrible joke. He's basically proving the point that they're manufacturing issues for false outrage.

First draft of my dissertation complete! 109 pages of text (not including references, appendices, etc.)

The reason Ossoff is good at this is unlike many others, he uses his power to help constituents rather than only seeking power for power’s sake. He built a responsive infrastructure and knows delivering local/state results can garner support. It’s why split votes happen. www.ajc.com/politics/202...

Dems in power will use polling to distract from the fact that Stevens lost as a current rep with party backing, almost unlimited money, and estsblishment endorsements. Whether she lost by 10% or .1% should be a wake up call that they’re very out of touch with voters. But many won’t care or listen.

Outside the South but I gave a talk at an AI Ethics conference about how the PA constitution (and maybe others) can be used to push back against data centers, and I’ve heard from people in various states across political parties. The anti-data center movement might be the most bipartisan movement.

While Rogers lost by a small margin, that was with Trump on the ballot. Repubs haven’t won a major statewide election in Michigan 10+ years. With straight ticket voting, a Dem leaning year, outreach to Black voters, and reconciliation, many Dems who voted against AES in the primary will support him.

There will be lots of talk about whether Abdul El-Sayed will underperform compared to a moderate, but in 2024, Slotkin ran as a moderate in Michigan and didn’t even outperform Harris. Rogers just underperformed compared to Trump. The idea that centrists are necessary or solve all problems is false.

And before anyone tries to make the claim that these reforms are about “ideological diversity”, there’s no indication that there are any efforts to hire more liberal faculty in area that are more conservative or libertarian, such as economics, business, or engineering.

It's disappointing that college presidents helped the Trump admin create a list of reforms that includes cracking down on protests and hiring faculty members based on conservative ideology. Any institution agreeing to these terms is admitting that they don't actually care about free speech or merit.

To be clear, freedom of speech rights and protection of such speech primarily relate to government intervention, censorship, retaliation, etc. Demonstrations outside of a WNBA game in public areas are protected. Demonstrations inside an arena are not protected. The two should not be conflated.

People don’t need protection from trans kids. Trans kids need protection from a society that vilifies them, ostracizes them, and incites hate towards them for trying to find acceptance/community. Trans kid have such high rates of suicidal ideation/attempts, and they need all the love and protection.

Chapter 4 draft of dissertation complete!

I keep seeing pushback that there is a difference between standards and respectability politics. Agree. And that might apply in professional settings, but we’re talking about classrooms. Who cares what students wear in class as long as they are safe/healthy? What is the point of these “standards”?

I'm so worried about Black queer folk & Black women-identifying people. The language of not wearing "revealing" clothing is going to fall on them completely. And it's up to individual professor discretion to enforce?!? Seems like a recipe for surveillance & punishment for marginalized Black folks

A dress code is not just a dress code. Black students and young adults are often scrutinized, criticized, and attacked by others. Rather than push back against anti-Black/anti-DEI attacks, those who should care and protect them are doubling down and creating additional reasons to scrutinize them.

It is possible to respect elders, their past actions, and how they helped get us where we are while still critiquing the beliefs, stances, and political positions that they hold now. It honors their impact yet still holds them accountable for any current problematic/detrimental views or positions.

Forcing respectability onto Black children/young adults has always been harmful. And it is often worse when forced upon them by Black people who should be but often aren’t safe. There is no level of respectability that will erase society’s disdain for Blackness or desire to uphold racial hierarchy.

I’ve taught college for 10+ years. I’ve never cared what they wore except if they were dressed or groomed in a way that made me concerned about physical or mental wellbeing or safety. A classroom isn’t the workplace. It is a place of learning, and I encourage students to come as they are/want to be.

I’ve said it many times and will say it again. Stop using “DEI” pejoratively. Stop saying “DEI hire” even to mock someone/point out hypocrisy. Don’t give a platform or credibility to false ideas that DEI means lesser/not deserving. Like “woke”, it is damaging to allow others to redefine/reframe it.

Though some are often inauthentic and doing it to try to gain favor, many don’t recognize that the chameleon effect can happen quickly, even with strangers. Mimicking speech patterns can be very subconscious. Also, studies have shown a connection between empathy and adopting speech patterns/accents.

Protect Trans kids. Always.

People don’t need protection from trans kids. Trans kids need protection from a society that vilifies them, ostracizes them, and incites hate towards them for trying to find acceptance/community. Trans kid have such high rates of suicidal ideation/attempts, and they need all the love and protection.

Coding and analysis complete. 9 pages into draft of Chapter 4