Christopher Martell

"Officers were asking everyone what country they were from, and if they said a certain country, they were told to step out of line and that their oath ceremonies were canceled.”

Immigrants kept from Faneuil Hall citizenship ceremony as feds crackdown nationwide Trump administration is pausing naturalizations for immigrants from 19 countries.

This is just wrong. The United States democracy collapses a little more. www.wgbh.org/news/local/2...

National Parks are now free on Trump's birthday, but not on MLK Jr. Day or Juneteenth The Trump administration overhauled the list of free National Park days for 2026.

Posted without comment. www.axios.com/2025/12/05/n...

If now isn't a good time for the truth, I don't see when we'll get to it. Nikki Giovanni

I was finally able to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Powerful. And this.

Free DC

For more on the Free D.C. project: freedcproject.org

A panel of Free D.C. members

Slide with information about the closing keynote given by Free D.C. members

#CUFA25 Closing Keynote: Listening to activists who have been doing the hard work of getting D.C. statehood through a non-cooperation campaign. Import lessons on political injustice that all social studies educators should learn and teach about.

Millennial Republicans more likely to identify as racist than Boomers: poll A national survey found that Millennial Republicans are more likely to call themselves racist than Baby Boomer Republicans.

When they say "Make America Great Again," this is what they mean. 34% openly identify as being a person with racist views. www.newsweek.com/millennial-r...

"How The Word Is Passed" book cover

And social studies teachers! He just released "How the Word Is Passed" for young readers. #sschat #edusky www.clintsmithiii.com/young-readers

Clint Smith III speaking to an audience

Appreciated hearing the wisdom of @clintsmithiii.bsky.social at our #CUFA2025 Fireside Chat. Filled with important history and its connection to the present wrapped in a poem. Read his books, if you haven't. www.clintsmithiii.com/how-the-word...

CUFA 2025 is officially underway! Next up, #NCSS2025 in two days...https://www.socialstudies.org/conference/schedule @cufancss.bsky.social

How did it come to this? Multiple Lenses on the Democratic Education Crisis Wednesday, December 3 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM EST Room 202B Presentation Type: CUFA Deselect Session Amid increasing concerns about the future of democracy and democratic education, this session explores the historical and philosophical roots of the educational crisis and considers how these might inform a way forward. C-354

Are you at #CUFA25 #NCSS25? Join our session at 10:45 this morning!

How Did It Come to This? Multiple Lenses on the Democratic Education Crisis

Wednesday, 12/3/25
10:45 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Room 202B

Rally Against School Closures. December 3rd. 5 pm. Bolling Building. Roxbury.

Today! Stop the school closures in the Boston Public Schools. 12/3/25 5 pm. Bolling Building. Roxbury.

I pray to the gods of the Interlibrary Loan. And, the undergrad work study students who diligently keep that place running like a well-oiled machine. 🙏

All the president’s millions: how the Trumps are turning the presidency into riches From Vietnam to the Balkans, Donald Trump’s family has launched a global dealmaking blitz since his re-election

Remember, Trump is in this for him and only him (and he never had a plan for lowering grocery prices, health care, or pretty much anything). Definition of a con man. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

How did it come to this? Multiple Lenses on the Democratic Education Crisis Wednesday, December 3 10:45 AM – 12:00 PM EST Room 202B Presentation Type: CUFA Deselect Session Amid increasing concerns about the future of democracy and democratic education, this session explores the historical and philosophical roots of the educational crisis and considers how these might inform a way forward. C-354

Dilemmas of Social Studies Teacher Education for Democracy in 2025 and Beyond Wednesday, December 3 1:15 PM – 2:30 PM EST Room 202B Presentation Type: CUFA Deselect Session This symposium examines dilemmas social studies teacher educators face preparing pre-service teachers for justice-oriented practice in this current political moment and beyond. Presenters explore tensions of purpose, pedagogy, and context, spanning universities and schools, inviting our community of practice to engage these challenges to advance anti-oppressive education and participatory democracy. C-439

Big City Social Studies Group: A Collaborative to Strengthen Social Studies Education Saturday, December 6 2:50 PM – 3:45 PM EST 143A Grade Level: Supervisory/Administrative Discipline: Teaching and Learning Presentation Type: Session Deselect Session Learn how large urban district instructional leaders and university faculty in major cities have worked together through a grassroots collaborative organization over the past five years. 527

Happy NCSS to all who celebrate! If you're attending the National Council for the Social Studies Conference this week in D.C., consider checking out our #CUFA25 and #NCSS25 sessions on democratic education, teacher education, and the Big City Social Studies Group. events.rdmobile.com/Speakers/Det...

Hilary G. Conklin: These are the civic lessons that ICE is teaching our children As a teacher, I’ve seen just how deeply young people internalize lessons from moments such as these.

An important read from Hilary Conklin on what ICE raids are teaching students about civics and why it is more important that ever to teach about the power that citizens must use to resist injustice and for democracy. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/02/o...

Hegseth Makes Fun of War Crimes With Twisted AI Children’s Book Meme Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a sick post of a children’s book character as a war criminal.

These are not serious people. But, they are very dangerous people. The United States is in dire straits. newrepublic.com/post/203770/...

Teaching About Human Rights in the Trump Era (Avoiding the "Both-Sides Trap") Above: Protests have regularly occurred in opposition to the Trump administration's attacks on U.S. democracy, growing authoritarianism,...

With Trump administration committing numerous human rights violations (i.e., ICE kidnappings, killing people on Gulf of Mexico boats), a good time to repost this about avoiding the both-sides trap when it comes to teaching human rights (from August). christophermartell.blogspot.com/2025/08/teac...

Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.

Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk offered a pithy summary: “We know this is not about peace. It’s about business." Authoritarianism and oligarchy go hand-in-hand with Trump. www.wsj.com/world/russia...

Wamsutta Frank James leads UAINE during the National Day of Mourning.

All students should read the censored speech of Wamsutta Frank James on the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim invasion. www.uaine.org/suppressed_s...

[LIVE] National Day of Mourning 2025 YouTube video by hate5six

Social studies teachers: Every year since 1970, the United American Indians of New England has organized the National Day of Mourning. Do you teach about this important challenge to settler-colonial Thanksgiving narratives? Here is this year's protest. #sschat #edusky www.youtube.com/live/6u-jF6p...

Jobs growth chart; average higher under Biden than Trump

Social studies teachers: How are you teaching about the current economy? Here is a recent jobs growth chart (data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; chart credit Steven Rattner). Important that we help students think about the data rather than the partisan rhetoric. #sschat #edusky

U.S. ready to cut support to Scouts, accusing them of attacking 'boy-friendly spaces' Documents show the U.S. military is planning to sever all ties with the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts.

Fun fact. I'm an Eagle Scout. It taught me that democracy is incredibly important and to treat all others with respect and care. The Trump administration doesn't have a single person who has learned those two lessons. www.npr.org/2025/11/25/n...

That record is gorges.

NCSS DC 2025 because democracy depends on it

We are planning to make @socialstudies.org conference this year about teaching against fascism and for justice and democracy, right? I'm ready. Are you?

Sadly, the degrees being de-classified read like a list of the most high-needs professions (and heavily care-oriented and women-staffed fields).

List of Degrees Not Classed as 'Professional' by Trump Admin Nursing Physician assistants Physical therapists Audiologists Architects Accountants Educators Social workers

There is an irony in Trump's Department of Education de-classifying education as a professional degree. This will hurt educators (increase student loan debt) and exacerbate the teacher shortage. www.newsweek.com/full-list-de...

How billionaires took over American politics The current concentration of wealth is unlike anything in history. So is billionaires’ involvement in politics.

"Money becomes evil not when it is used to buy goods but when it is used to buy power." -Samuel Huntington
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...

Abortion And DEI Policies Now Considered Violations Of Human Rights, U.S. Says The Trump administration has overhauled how the State Department conducts its annual Human Rights Report.

"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing." -George Orwell, "1984"
www.forbes.com/sites/maryro...

Trump official wants us to dress with ‘respect’ on planes. What does that mean, exactly? The U.S. Department of Transportation is hoping the public will help usher in a “Golden Age of Travel” — and it apparently means dressing up before you head to the airport.

Next time I fly, I will be dressing sloppier than usual as a small act of protest. 😂 thehill.com/policy/trans...