Martha S. Jones's Avatar

Martha S. Jones

@marthasjones.bsky.social

Historian | Writer | Lapsed Lawyer | Professor JHU | Director Hard Histories | Author The Trouble of Color, Vanguard, Birthright Citizens | msjonz@jhu.edu

7,070 Followers  |  108 Following  |  682 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2023
Posts Following

Posts by Martha S. Jones (@marthasjones.bsky.social)

So good to see and hear you!

06.03.2026 02:12 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Photo of the people named in the post, sitting in chairs on a stage facing the audience, talking into handheld microphones. Behind them, on a screen, is a photo of Nekisha Durrett's majestic installation at Bryn Mawr College.

Photo of the people named in the post, sitting in chairs on a stage facing the audience, talking into handheld microphones. Behind them, on a screen, is a photo of Nekisha Durrett's majestic installation at Bryn Mawr College.

Fantastic to see/hear a conversation about monuments & memory, between (L to R in pic) Hamza Walker, Hannah Burstein, Nekisha Durrett, Dr. Jones @marthasjones.bsky.social, & Jennifer Kingsley (& Christine Rome (sp?) & Cameron Turner (sp?) & others), at the Walters Art Museum tonight 🧑

06.03.2026 00:40 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

This is an interesting piece not only about the afterlife of monuments taken down during the 2020 George Floyd reckoning, but also how people have transformed the sites where they once stood.

05.03.2026 21:27 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
05.03.2026 17:17 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
05.03.2026 17:17 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
"From Controversy to Conversation" Talking the Hard History of Baltimore's "Confederate Monuments," March 5

A great success story: @marthasjones.bsky.social on Baltimoreans putting what once was a block that elevated Chief Justice Roger B. Taney to much higher uses.
#DredScott #slavery #equality #liberty
open.substack.com/pub/hardhist...

05.03.2026 14:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
"From Controversy to Conversation" Talking the Hard History of Baltimore's "Confederate Monuments," March 5

« The granite block, which began its life as a seat for the author of the Dred Scott decision, has become a platform for Baltimoreans who regularly bring their questions and concerns, their joys and their self-expression to the site. » hardhistories.substack.com/p/from-contr...

05.03.2026 11:23 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
"From Controversy to Conversation" Talking the Hard History of Baltimore's "Confederate Monuments," March 5

« The granite block, which began its life as a seat for the author of the Dred Scott decision, has become a platform for Baltimoreans who regularly bring their questions and concerns, their joys and their self-expression to the site. » hardhistories.substack.com/p/from-contr...

05.03.2026 11:23 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Constitution's grant of birthright citizenship was limited to "newly freed slaves and their children."

This πŸ§΅β¬‡οΈfrom @sam-breidbart.bsky.social explains how the amicus brief from @marthasjones.bsky.social and @katemasur.bsky.social demolishes that argument...

04.03.2026 14:53 β€” πŸ‘ 48    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Martha S. Jones (2013 ACLS Fellow) and Kate Masur (2020 Charles A. Ryskamp Research Fellow) have submitted a historians’ amicus brief in Trump v. Barbara.

Learn more about scholars working to increase public understanding and inform policymakers on birthright citizenship: bit.ly/4pz9XEk

02.03.2026 16:53 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
01.03.2026 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
28.02.2026 22:06 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Amicus briefs aren't just court filings. The best are compact and compelling reads from leading scholars on the biggest issues of the day... and they're FREE!

All of which is to say, check out the latest from @marthasjones.bsky.social and @katemasur.bsky.social on birthright citizenship ⬇️...

28.02.2026 16:51 β€” πŸ‘ 17    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
Preview
'The City That Reads': The power of libraries & literacy in Baltimore Guest host Dr. Carla Hayden, ex-Librarian of Congress and former CEO of Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library, explores Black history books, talks with the Pratt's current CEO and meets members of a youth l...

Honored to have marked the end of Black History Month with The Dr. Carla Hayden to talk about Baltimore as the city that reads on WYPR’s Midday.
www.wypr.org/show/midday/...

28.02.2026 14:43 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Historians’ Amicus Brief inΒ Trump v. Barbara Two historians and professors of legal history represented by Kendall Brill & Kelly LLPΒ have filed a brief supporting a challenge to President Trump’s executive order purporting to end birthright citi...

« The historians’ brief β€” authored by Professor Martha S. Jones and Professor Kate Masur β€” centers on the pre–Civil War advocacy of free Black Americans for a broad and inclusive principle of birthright citizenship.Β Β» www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

27.02.2026 22:30 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 16    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Another excellent brief.

27.02.2026 19:47 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

3/Also, I want to celebrate an Black American tradition of the Big Tent, and the Rainbow Coalition: that is at key moments when civil rights were on the line, in each case (birthright citizenship and the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965), we fought to bring immigrants to the table.

27.02.2026 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

2/Read it in full to understand how historians can develop a method in legal history that is respectful about how historians can broaden how we see and understand constitutional law.

27.02.2026 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

1/ @marthasjones.bsky.social and @katemasur.bsky.social have drafted a seminal brief: (a) that centers Black American beliefs on birthright citizenship and (b) uses a set of primary sources, such as speeches and Colored Conventions, fought for (and won) broad birthright citizenship for everyone.

27.02.2026 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 80    πŸ” 36    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2

"The framers [of the 14th Amendment] constitutionalized the universal view of birthright citizenship that free Black Americans advanced and the common law guaranteed."

@marthasjones.bsky.social and @katemasur.bsky.social provide a powerful history lesson in the form of a legal brief

27.02.2026 13:25 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

And, whoosh, this goes straight into the readings for my history methods and theory course.

27.02.2026 13:51 β€” πŸ‘ 12    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

There is no pair better qualified to speak on this matter. I am so glad they shared their arguments with the Court.

27.02.2026 13:14 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Historians’ Amicus Brief inΒ Trump v. Barbara Two historians and professors of legal history represented by Kendall Brill & Kelly LLPΒ have filed a brief supporting a challenge to President Trump’s executive order purporting to end birthright citi...

« The historians’ brief β€” authored by Professor Martha S. Jones and Professor Kate Masur β€” centers on the pre–Civil War advocacy of free Black Americans for a broad and inclusive principle of birthright citizenship.Β Β» www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

27.02.2026 12:04 β€” πŸ‘ 275    πŸ” 113    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 6
Preview
Historians’ Amicus Brief inΒ Trump v. Barbara Two historians and professors of legal history represented by Kendall Brill & Kelly LLPΒ have filed a brief supporting a challenge to President Trump’s executive order purporting to end birthright citi...

« The historians’ brief β€” authored by Professor Martha S. Jones and Professor Kate Masur β€” centers on the pre–Civil War advocacy of free Black Americans for a broad and inclusive principle of birthright citizenship.Β Β» www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

27.02.2026 12:04 β€” πŸ‘ 275    πŸ” 113    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 6
Post image

NEW: Profs. Martha Jones and @brennancenter.org Historians Council Member Kate Masur filed an amicus brief in the upcoming Supreme Court case involving Trump’s attempt to unconstitutionally strip birthright citizenship 🧡

26.02.2026 20:24 β€” πŸ‘ 418    πŸ” 101    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 5
Post image

⏰Historians @marthasjones.bsky.social &
@katemasur.bsky.social have filed a NEW brief in the birthright citizenship cases. It shows how the story of free Black Americans' advocacy for birthright citizenship unravels Trump's lead justification for his EO.

πŸ“‘β¬‡οΈ www.brennancenter.org/sites/defaul...

26.02.2026 23:07 β€” πŸ‘ 110    πŸ” 40    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
Journalism and History When History Is News: A Panel Discussion | John Carter Brown Library

Looking forward to being in conversation on "Journalism & History" with @kawulf.bsky.social, @marthasjones.bsky.social & @pastpunditry.bsky.social this evening at 5 p.m.

jcblibrary.org/events/journ...

24.02.2026 21:22 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
Video thumbnail

TODAY! Join us virtually at 5:30 p.m. EST for a panel discussion featuring JCB Director Karin Wulf, Laurent Dubois (University of Virginia), Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt University), and Martha Jones (Johns Hopkins University).

Register here: brown.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

24.02.2026 14:21 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

related: Vanguard by Martha Jones was very enlightening for me on some of those differences. I had kind of known that Black Protestant churches weren't just a difference of worship style, but all Protestant churches and their differences are a bit mysterious to me, a cradle catholic

18.02.2026 18:25 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Journalism and History When History Is News: A Panel Discussion | John Carter Brown Library

And we will round out the first phase of our Journalism and History When History Is News series with a discussion featuring JCB Director Karin Wulf, Laurent Dubois (U of Virginia), Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt U), and Martha Jones (Johns Hopkins U).
jcblibrary.org/events/journ...

20.02.2026 13:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0