February is Black History Month! It’s a time, as President Ford put it, to “honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Here are ten books to check out this month, each of which contributes to a fuller articulation of African American
Philip N. Howard— Since the great tragedy of Charlie Hebdo, politicians and pundits around the world have succumbed to the notion that social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, are to blame for violent online extremism. They argue that social media is not only a conduit for terrorists it is
Stephen Alford— On Wednesday 8 February 1587, Bull the public executioner cleaved the head from the body of Mary Queen of Scots in the hall of Fotheringhay Castle. It was the most dramatic, as well as the most dangerous, moment of the reign of Elizabeth I. Its international repercussions were
We know you’ve missed us! Our weekly roundup of news from university presses is back with updates from our fellow academic publishing houses. There much to learn on What SUP at the social university presses, we hope your 2015 has been educational thus far. This week, we found new book and prize
Sherman A. Jackson— “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad!” This was the cry of the Parisian gunmen fleeing the scene of what they had to know would spell their ultimate doom. For as “committed Muslims,” they had to believe the Qur’an’s promise that their own eyes and ears would finally
Happy National Readathon Day! The National Book Foundation has organized the holiday to promote a love of reading and to make sure that the book worm doesn’t become an endangered species. You can find out how to support the foundation’s efforts here, but the most important thing is to set aside
After Greil Marcus shared a collection of songs that for him defined rock n roll in The History of Rock n Roll in Ten Songs, we gave you the chance to make your own lists. Out of all the great entries for our History of Rock n Roll Playlist Contest
Rob DeSalle and Susan L. Perkins— Alexander Fleming once coyly said about his discovery of penicillin, “When I woke up just after dawn on September 28, 1928, I certainly didn’t plan to revolutionize all medicine by discovering the world’s first antibiotic.” As lore has it, he “accidently” discovered penicillin as
Michael Wayne— On the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s birthday, media outlets across the country will be running excerpts from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech delivered at the March on Washington. Let’s look at a somewhat different version of his dream, this one presented at the annual convention
Adrian Goldsworthy— Names and dates mattered a lot for the Romans, and so did legal formalities and appearances. On the 16th of January 2,042 years ago Rome’s Senate convened. The leader of the house, the princeps senatus was present, and three days ago he had shocked everyone by announcing that