What a joy to spread the news that Jonesboro, Arkansas, has a newly constituted chapter of the NAACP! The need for a chapter was made tragically clear in 2012, when a young African American man, Chavis Carter, died in police custody. Carter's death from a gunshot wound to the head was ruled a suicide. As the... Continue Reading →

My oldest got a thermos--the kind of gift that signals you're growing up but not yet so grown up that you can expect only socks and long underwear--for Christmas. He's in heaven. Now, when he sets the tea kettle on the stove each morning, he puts in enough water for both his regular morning cup... Continue Reading →

This year, the AAUP will publish a special issue of The Journal of Academic Freedom examining the concept and reality of academic freedom today.  Submissions of up to 8,000 words are due by the end of the month. The details below come directly from the CFP. The goofy logo of Turning Point USA, comprised of students who... Continue Reading →

Arkansas State University, where I teach, the University of Kansas, my alma mater, and just about every Mennonite college I love and have taught at is or has recently been searching for a new president or chancellor. While the needs of each institution vary, here are the questions I'd ask if I were on the A-State... Continue Reading →

Naomi* was trying not to cry, but it wasn’t going well. She was a good friend of mine, unexpectedly pregnant with her third child, who would be born within a year of her second. She was a great mother who handled the surprise of that well, but, five months in, there was news. She was... Continue Reading →

For those of you who want to read along...here's my Spring 2017 SOC 3313: Sociology of Sex Syllabus: ssoc-of-sex-syllabus-spring-2017 Some reading highlights:

Submissions will soon be due for a Fall 2017 Symposium on Black Love at the University of Kansas. The event is being organized by Dr. Ayesha K. Hardison, associate professor of English and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Dr. Randal Maurice Jelks, full professor of American Studies and African and African American Studies. (Full... Continue Reading →

Some folks objected to my negative assessment of our ability to make meaningful change in our own financial lives. To be clear, I said repeatedly that people with the means to do so should review their financial habits to insure that their money is being used to do what they value. This is the premise... Continue Reading →

A higher ed group that I love dearly recently started a conversation about little ways to save money. Folks shared a range of tips (packing your own lunch and not drinking expensive coffee were favorites) that people were already using to save money. Here is the thing about lunches out and lattes, though: You can pack lunch every... Continue Reading →