Dr. Melissa Sara Smith

Big Rapids, Michigan! 535 people!

I spoke to Platte County Democrats in Weston, MO tonight…population 1800.

Here’s the thing, the event was sold out. As well as the last three events I have attended in rural Missouri.

Rural Democrats are here. We have always been here. And now we’re organizing.

This is no time to go high. If GOP states redraw maps, then Democratic states should redraw maps.

Give the same energy. They will never play fair or by the rules. Ever.

He Made Me Who I Am and Then Forgot Who He Was Daddy

I am angry at the MAGA movement for being so effective in marketing hate to the exact demographic my dad represented. I am also angry at my dad for falling for it.

jesspiper.substack.com/p/he-made-me...

Crockett: Earlier someone was talking about cities being hellholes. Los Angeles contributes almost 20 billion in taxes. That’s more than all states in this country except for four.

Queer history, pop culture and computers helped Iowa artist Ben Millett cover a gallery in quilts - Little Village Ben Millett’s quilts are tactile records, coded with color, memory and meaning. They look soft because they are, but their softness doesn’t dull their message. Instead, it amplifies it.  On […]

Ben Millett learned to quilt from his grandmother. Now, he's debuting the Des Moines Art Center's first all-quilted exhibition on July 26, utilizing both age-old and high-tech tools and an explosion of colorful textiles.

Not all resistance wears a bullhorn.
Some write letters.
Some carry water.
Some raise their voices.
Some raise the spirits.
Some paint banners, others hold them.
Every role matters.
This is a chorus, not a solo.
Show up how you can.
We need you all.
#Resist

"I didn't know he would do this."

Yes, you did, or you voted while being completely uninformed which is just as bad.

Prove you didn't know it by joining folks resisting the regime. Prove it by disavowing him. Prove it by fighting for what's right. Otherwise, just be quiet.

I get that reference. Lol.

In case you need a starting place I recently created a list called Banned Books Activism which is just people and organizations that do banned books activism. I’m adding to the list as I discover new accounts to follow. You can find the list here: bsky.app/profile/mali...

A group of Quakers are marching more than 300 miles to demonstrate against the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants. Organizers of the march say their protest seeks to show solidarity with migrants and other groups that are being targeted by the administration.

I shall perhaps steal this for my college syllabi.

Motion 1: Resolution to Establish a Mutual Defense Compact for the Universities of the Big Ten Academic Alliance in Defense of Academic Freedom, Institutional Integrity, and the Research Enterprise Option Votes Yes 2761 (92.8%) No 214 (7.2%)

Just announced: University of Michigan Faculty Senate resoundingly votes to support Big Ten academic mutual defense compact. 92.8% of over 3,000 votes.

Wow!!!! Wow wow wow! You are amazing.

Booker's TikTok feed

Sen. @booker.senate.gov's speech on the Senate floor, now live for almost 25 hours, has been liked on TikTok a staggering 350 million times www.tiktok.com/@senbooker/l...

We expected 2,000 people out in GOP-held Greeley, Colorado.

11,000 people showed up.

Something special is happening, folks. Now is the time to organize in every dimension possible and get to work.

Everything is awful all the time.

a person standing on top of a rocky mountain with a fire in the background Alt: a person standing on top of a rocky mountain with a fire in the background, lighting the beacon

Social Studies Teachers and Friends,

We are bringing #sschat to Bluesky! We have a slow chat lined up for you for National Civics Learning Week. You can keep up with us at: @socialstudieschat.bsky.social.

Want to help? If so please:
Share with your friends!
Tag awesome Social Studies teachers!

The line is not between left and right, liberal or conservative.

The line is between democratic citizens and a fascist movement, between defenders of an evidence-based worldview and people who try to replace it, between human rights and human atrocities, between freedom for all and serfdom for most

Rep. Tom Suozzi gets huge applause and a standing ovation after calling out Trump’s ambush of President Zelenskyy at the White House.

Suozzi is a Democrat who won a special election in a red district—more of this, please!

Every single Dem should be holding town halls across the country RIGHT NOW.

💔💔🇺🇦

I walked the halls of @mainframearts.bsky.social this afternoon, and this gem by quilt artist, @benmillett.us, reminded me that love, creativity, courage and resiliency cannot be taken away. Hugs and love, dear ones.
❤️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🌈

It may not be cool or hip in some circles, but we legitimately do need a massive amount of people to run for office.

Flood the school boards, councils, county seats, state legislatures, Congress, etc.

Big changes at the top happen when the ground shifts at the bottom. And that can start now.

Your space is so beautiful and inspiring. I hope I can visit it in person one day!

How many days till spring break?

Picture of Matilda the Yorkie drugged up after getting a few teeth pulled.

Matilda made it through her dental cleaning, but they had to take a lot of teeth. Poor girl was pretty drugged up when we brought her home.

Photograph of a Yorkie dog named Matilda.

Today I’m gonna skip the news and just focus on this little girl. She’s at the vet’s office getting her teeth cleaned, and I’m a nervous mom.

The International Space Station is only 3 feet shy of the length from back of end zone to back of end zone.

#infographics
#relatable

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska says the call volume coming into her offices is 40 times normal. They are feeling it! Let’s keep it up!