Pam Coukos

So I’m pretty upset about Brown agreeing to follow definitions of gender and sex and gender affirming care restrictions from the Executive Orders that conflict with established law and are causing great harm to trans people and their families - it’s bad in itself and it legitimizes those EOs. /6

Why? Because all the smart people telling me about authoritarianism and noncooperation are clear that it’s when those civil society institutions prop up the regime and protect its power that democracy is most at risk, and that anything we can do to weaken that support matters. . . ./5

The iceberg is the goal to force universities, like the rest of civil society, to not just go along with but actively support the Administration’s program of violating rights of trans students and due process for immigrants and erasing Black history and weaponizing civil rights enforcement. . . /4

Which leaves other universities that much more vulnerable. Instead of collective action to support higher education and academic freedom, Brown wanted to protect itself. I see some clever lawyering here, yes they did a few things to lessen the impact, but that’s deck chairs on the Titanic . . /3

It’s wildly illegal for the federal government to seize the university’s funds, then launch pretextual civil rights investigations, then say you can have your money back if you settle these “violations” on the government’s terms. Brown, like Columbia, has now made that a more viable strategy . . .

I’ve now read my alma mater Brown University’s agreement with the Administration, and I’m deeply troubled by numerous provisions in it, but the larger problem is that bargaining with lawless authoritarians gives them legitimacy. They aren’t settling a proper investigation, this was a shakedown. /1

Organizational Justice (SSIR) A path forward for diversity, equity, and inclusion work.

"Different people in organizations will always get different things for various reasons, but the people in an organization must trust that the processes allocating opportunities and benefits are fundamentally fair and legitimate."

New article by Ahmmad Brown and @femlaw.bsky.social:

My first guest is my Working IDEAL partner Cyrus Mehri and the person who first talked to me about "the democracy case for DEI" two years ago. He gives us the truth about white nationalism and the current moment and how we got here - and how even now we hold the possibility for democratic renewal.

Cyrus Mehri on What History Tells Us About the Possibility of Democratic Renewal Democracy, Equity, and Inclusion · Episode

Working IDEAL has a new podcast called Democracy, Equity and Inclusion. Because the fight to save our democracy goes right alongside the fight for equal opportunity. ow.ly/OL3350WlTt1

This is an important conversation and appreciate the data and perspective offered in the article and in the comments and critiques.
One thing not mentioned - nonviolent protest is essential to engage more people in the fight. Larger numbers matter. And some will step up the ladder of engagement.

A line chart with a blue line showing a large growth of protest events from Jan 20 - May 31, 2025, and a green line showing the relatively modest growth of protest events during the same period in 2017.

My team and I at the Crowd Counting Consortium (@djpressman@bsky.social, Soha Hammam, & Chris Shay) have a new piece out: wagingnonviolence.org/2025/06/amer.... In it, we show that through May 2025, the size and scale of anti-Trump protests have dwarfed those in 2017. 🧵

250 years ago, Americans rejected the rule of a mad king.

In two days, we’re taking to the streets again to say NO KINGS.

2,000 peaceful protests are planned in small towns and major cities across the country. Join your community on Saturday for #NoKings Day: www.nokings.org?SQF_SOURCE=i...

Last day to weigh in on Trump's plan to politicize the civil service Trump has already shown us how he would use Schedule F powers

Midnight, June 7 is the deadline to comment on the revised Schedule F, Trump's plan to politicize the civil servants by converting them into at-will appointees that can be fired for the mildest pushback against illegal actions.
It's easy - here is how:
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/last-day-t...

Our letter aims to help federal contractors and other employers navigate this complex environment, providing clarity about their options and obligations under the law.

The letter addresses the Trump Administration's January 21 anti-DEI Executive Order, and the Administration's ongoing actions that negatively impact civil rights enforcement and voluntary equal opportunity programs at federal contractors.

I am sharing this open letter, signed by 10 former Department of Labor Officials, including me, that we just released this morning. bit.ly/ContractorOp...

Reminds me of somebody else I was once all in for . . .

Obama’s Blistering New Takedown of Trump Gives Dems a Way Forward In an appearance on Thursday, the former president laid out the connection between Trump’s lawlessness and—yes—the price of eggs. Will other Democrats follow?

Barack Obama just delivered a blistering takedown of Trump's lawlessness. Importantly, Obama also offered Dems a way to argue that Trump's dictatorial abuses of power and his imminent wreckage of the economy are the same story.

New piece from me:
newrepublic.com/article/1936...

On our way to the Mall

Normally I think petitions and open letters tend to be symbolic and rank low on the list of impactful actions. Here the act of speaking out publicly when so many institutions and leaders are bullied into silence is powerful and important. Kudos to you and the others leading this effort.

(Image of a google doc; first line is title & in larger font) Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher education in a democratic and free society, and to the values and practices that facilitate the production, advancement, and sharing of knowledge. Given the continuous and escalating attacks on higher education along with many other pillars of American democracy by the Trump administration and its allies, we call on colleges and universities to protect these values. We affirm that: The democratic ideals of free thought, free speech, free association, freedom of assembly and the right to dissent are worth fighting for. Democracy both honors our dignity as individuals and enables collective action on behalf of the common good.

2. Education is a fundamental pillar of a democratic society. People come from all over the world to take part in the free exchange of ideas and the depth of knowledge and expertise found in US colleges and universities. The capacity and tools these institutions provide to think carefully and deeply about politics, society, and the built and natural worlds produce scholars and world citizens whose contributions benefit us all. The value of American education has long been a consensus position across parties and ideologies; both Democratic and Republican administrations have supported our system of higher education. 3. Diversity is essential. Democracy requires that we invest fully in the rich array of our differences. We affirm the fundamental dignity and value of each person of every race, ethnicity, national origin, class, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, legal status, religion, identity, ideology and viewpoint. Bringing together people with different experiences, talents, and perspectives is critical to a successful learning environment and ultimately benefits society as a whole. 4. Education, knowledge, and science are intrinsically worthwhile. They improve both individual lives and the collective well-being of a democratic society. Cutting funding risks inflicting lasting damage on scholarly inquiry, from work in the arts to social policy to life-saving medical research and care.

5. Academic freedom is necessary to the pursuit of knowledge. Research must be conducted free from political threat if it is to identify and develop ideas serving the human race. These ideas, turned into action, are critical elements of any functioning society, including the rule of law, medical care, and scientific advancement. 6. No amount of accommodation or compliance will protect us. The current attacks on higher education amount to an assault on the foundational principles of democracy. If we abandon our commitments to equality, pluralism, and free scholarly inquiry we turn our backs on the most essential ingredients to our democracy: reflecting on our past, pooling our present talents, and investing in our future. As scholars, educators, and people who care about our students and our democracy, we believe it is our duty to speak out against the attacks on diversity and pluralism, on scholarship and learning, on academic freedom, and on democracy itself. We are doing so through this statement, and will continue to do so on our campuses and beyond. We urge the leaders of America’s colleges and universities, and every American who believes in democracy and education, to stand up for the values we share. We call on college and university leadership to refuse to comply with the unethical, irresponsible and frequently illegal demands of the Trump administration; to join together to speak out in defense of the values of academic freedom, scholarship and research; to protect their students and faculty from government reprisals; and to fight attacks on our institutions in the public sphere and the legal arena.

A key step in fighting the Trump admin's attacks on higher education specifically and democracy more broadly is to say as clearly as we can that we share values that are meaningful and that we will not stand by while our institutions are destroyed.

You can do that here:
bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEd

Experts worry that DEIA bans are part of a push to undo the 1964 Civil Rights Act Civil rights experts worry bans on DEIA in education and government are part of a larger, ongoing push to undo the country's 1964 Civil Rights Act.

I spoke with @audiosand.bsky.social for @npr.org All Things Considered about the fact that the "Anti-DEI" movement is an anti-Civil Rights Movement.

www.npr.org/2025/03/17/n...

Done

So America is fighting with Canada (!) And cozying up to Russia (!) and shredding longstanding pro-democracy alliances. As someone who personally lived through “tear down this wall” and 9/11 I’m appalled the Republican Party now endorses this.

Out today from David. This is my family and our children. Share widely please.

Trump’s DOJ can’t rewrite the law on DEI. Here’s why companies shouldn’t back down Do not fall into the trap: A presidential executive order cannot nullify federal or state law.

Jenny R. Yang and I have a few words to say about why the current federal government's intentional campaign of fear and intimidation against fundamental principles of equal opportunity is contrary to law, to good business and to core American values fortune.com/2025/02/20/t...

This is how it works - collective action doesn’t just happen by magic. You need this step by step work assembling supporters. It will feel like nothing is happening then everything. The protests starting up. Those DOJ resignations. The pressure is building. Make some more calls.

Every Democrat in the US Senate could learn a little lesson from Wendy Davis right now.

It wasn’t just that she held the floor, but that she turned a procedural thing into a huge story, and it captured people’s attention.

I’m a lawyer, scholar, community organizer, and nerd, an original Hoosier, once & forever Californian and now Marylander. Founder of Working IDEAL. Believer in a more just society, a fair and equitable workplace, and the power of people working together to make it so.

Hello, just joined up. The times may be dark but I’m doing my part to hand out the flashlights. Excited to meet fellow members of Team Democracy and other Good Troublers and Organizers.