The infamous 887-page policy manual linked to Donald Trump and JD Vance aims to take Ron DeSantis’ war against liberal arts education nationwide.
Critical Race Theory
Black legal scholars developed critical race theory in the 1970s and ’80s as a framework for examining how racism has shaped the U.S.
Critical race theory is taught in some law schools and advanced undergraduate programs, but not in K-12 schools. Even still, Fox News mentioned the phrase “critical race theory” nearly 1,300 times between February and May of 2021, claiming it was being taught in grade schools across the country. Policymakers in over half of U.S. states have introduced bills or took other steps to restrict teaching critical race theory or limit how teachers can discuss racism and sexism in the classroom.
Confronting Shakespeare’s Ghost
I am a Shakespeare scholar—one who has had the audacity to put the word “race” next to his name. I frequently receive angry emails from strangers, primarily men, who think my scholarship is disgraceful.
The future depends on how we understand and teach the past.
New College of Florida Destroys Gender Studies Books
On Jan. 6, 2023, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis orchestrated a rightwing takeover of New College of Florida in Sarasota, the state’s only public liberal honors arts college. DeSantis appointed six new members to the college’s board of trustees who promptly voted to eliminate the diversity, equity and inclusion office and the gender studies program.
On August 15, administration at New College of Florida in Sarasota destroyed hundreds of books that had been housed in the Gender and Diversity Center on campus, placing them in a huge dumpster for disposal.
From the Frontlines of the MAGA War on Higher Education: The Ms. Q&A With New College of Florida Professor Amy Reid
“New College is a flashpoint for what’s going on. We’re a cautionary tale.” —Amy Reid
With Project 2025 promising to do to higher education across the country what DeSantis has done to New College of Florida, Ms. sat down with New College professor Amy Reid to discuss how the college has changed since the takeover, and how faculty are fighting back. Reid joined the faculty at New College as a French professor in 1995 and helped develop the gender studies program at the college. After the takeover, her peers elected her chair of the faculty, making her a member of the board of trustees.
Inside Project 2025’s Secret Training Videos
Project 2025’s plan to train an army of political appointees who could battle against the so-called deep state government bureaucracy on behalf of a future Trump administration remains on track.
Dozens of never-before-published videos coach future appointees on everything from the nuts and bolts of governing, to how to outwit bureaucrats. There are strategies for avoiding embarrassing Freedom of Information Act disclosures and ensuring that conservative policies aren’t struck down by “left-wing judges.” Some of the content is routine advice that any incoming political appointee might be told. Other segments of the training offer guidance on radically changing how the federal government works and what it does.
The 22 Scariest Lines We Found in Project 2025’s 900-Page ‘Mandate for Leadership’
Project 2025, the extremist blueprint for the next Republican president, maps out the permanent reversal of more than 50 years of gains for American women and LGBTQ+ people. The authors of Project 2025—80 percent of whom served in the first Trump administration—paint a picture of a nation where women are fundamentally second class citizens.
Project 2025 contains an 887-page policy agenda. We read the whole thing, so you don’t have to. Here are the most terrifying things we found.
Republicans Want to Kill the Dept. of Ed and Privatize Education. Billionaires Are Helping Them.
In the fall, the Department of Education will mark 45 years since its inception, but that anniversary could be its last if Donald Trump gets his way. The federal agency is one of several he’s vowed to slash if reelected president.
Project 2025, a set of policy recommendations for a second Trump term released by conservative think tank the Heritage Foundation, not only supports eliminating the agency and removing LGBTQ+ protections and diversity curricula from schools but also privatizing education.
Beyoncé Banned From the Classroom? The Race and Gender Debates Continue
Pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter continues to be a catalyst for cultural provocation. She dares to suggest that African Americans are vital to U.S. culture and are equally worthy subjects that require our attention and recognition of their value through their inclusion in our cultural heritage. if Kimberlè Crenshaw is the theory, Beyoncé is the practice. Our laws emerge from our culture, and those we hold up as culture bearers – including our pop stars – have the power to elevate the status of those most marginalized and to make visible our different political struggles.
Black Women Caught in the Digital Crosshairs
Black women are often in the crosshairs of abusive discourse driven by social media. That recent targets are often public figures suggests that social media abusers find it profitable to attack high-profile Black women who have become symbolic avatars for the group as a whole.
(This article originally appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Ms. Join the Ms. community today and you’ll get issues delivered straight to your mailbox!)
How ‘Dobbs’ Threatens the Future of Feminist Education
Dobbs hasn’t just restricted reproductive rights; it’s impacted the classroom. In some ways, this impact has been very direct. In 2022, the University of Idaho released a memo warning all faculty and staff to avoid counseling or referring anyone to abortion services while on the job to comply with a broad, unclear law preventing any state resources going toward abortion access.
This lack of clarity impedes feminist theorizing in women’s studies classrooms, especially, since women’s studies departments often serve as a locus for discussions of gender-based oppression on campuses.