Michael Messner
LightNews LightNews
banner
mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner
@mam52.bsky.social
780 followers 540 following 94 posts

sociologist, author of books on gender and sports, men and feminism, gender-based violence, war and peace. New book examines 120 years of high school yearbooks: THE HIGH SCHOOL: SPORTS, SPIRIT, AND CITIZENS, 1903-2024.
https://www.thehighschoolbook.com/ .. more

Videos

Michael Alan Messner is an American sociologist. His main areas of research are gender and the sociology of sports. He is the author of several books, he gives public speeches and teaches on issues of gender-based violence, the lives of men and boys, and gender and sports. .. more

Political science 37%
Sociology 36%
Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

annie1x.bsky.social
AnnieOakleyinGA @annie1x.bsky.social · 7h
#Pinks #ProudBlue
Combatting the regime’s whitewashing of history and our rich heritage is very important to me. This month I try to make a Black History post everyday. Happy Black History Month! 💙

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Daniel W. Drezner, Robert Wolfe , and 4 more

adamserwer.bsky.social
Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 5d
One thing I found deeply moving about resistance in the Twin Cities was the universalism of loving your neighbor, the philosophy driving the opposition to the ICE/BP invasion. I couldn't help but notice the contrast with the blood and soil-ism of Miller and Vance. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Trump-administration officials and MAGA influencers have repeatedly called these activists “violent” and said they are involved in “riots.” But the resistance in Minnesota is largely characterized by a conscious, strategic absence of physical confrontation. Activists have made the decision to emphasize protection, aid, and observation. When matters escalate, it is usually the choice of the federal agents. Of the three homicides in Minneapolis this year, two were committed by federal agents. “There’s been an incredible, incredible response from the community. I’ve seen our neighbors go straight from allies to family—more than family—checking in on each other, offering food and rides for kids and all kinds of support, alerting each other if there’s ICE or any kind of danger,” Malika Dahir, a local activist of Somali descent, told me. If the Minnesota resistance has an overarching ideology, you could call it “neighborism”—a commitment to protecting the people around you, no matter who they are or where they came from. The contrast with the philosophy guiding the Trump administration couldn’t be more extreme. Vice President Vance has said that “it is totally reasonable and acceptable for American citizens to look at their next-door neighbors and say, ‘I want to live next to people who I have something in common with. I don’t want to live next to four families of strangers.’” Minnesotans are insisting that their neighbors are their neighbors whether they were born in Minneapolis or Mogadishu. That is, arguably, a deeply Christian philosophy, one apparently loathed by some of the most powerful Christians in America.

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Robert Wolfe

womenriseup2026.bsky.social
WomenRiseUp2026 @womenriseup2026.bsky.social · 9d
#Epstein

#EpsteinFiles

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Steve Peers, David Rothschild , and 1 more

acyn.bsky.social
Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 10d
Vance: If we're trying to find a sex offender, tell us where the guy lives.

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

gravelinfluencer.bsky.social
Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 11d
The best part of this is that Karoline Leavitt "proved" her point by posting the first photo that shows up when you Google Greenland. Because yes, that little iceberg is definitely the whole country!
A Google photo showing an iceberg in Greenland

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

authorsabb.bsky.social
Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 12d
Several AABB members spoke with The Hill about the impact of book bans on the industry. This piece raises big questions, not just for our leader in government, but for our leaders in publishing as well.
Trump’s return chills embattled LGBTQ book industry: ‘They’re stepping back’
President Trump’s return to office has fueled the grassroots forces that have driven a spike in LGBTQ book bans in recent years, creating a notable chill in the market for queer stories, according to authors and others in the publishing industry.
thehill.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · 13d
as though he was ever thinking "purely of peace." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Donald Trump links threats to seize Greenland to Nobel prize snub in letter
US president says he no longer feels the need to think ‘purely of peace’ in letter to Norwegian prime minister
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Stephan Lewandowsky, Michael A. Messner, Steve Peers

captmarkkelly.bsky.social
Captain Mark Kelly @captmarkkelly.bsky.social · 20d
Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have tried to silence me for speaking out.

Today, I’m fighting back because this isn’t just about me. This is about the rights of all retired veterans and all Americans, and I’m not going to let this Administration take those away.

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 28d
Your activism will be even more important this year.

Here are 10 crucial things you can do in 2026. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/what-you-can-do-in-2026
10 Crucial Things You Can Do in 2026
Your activism will be even more important this year
robertreich.substack.com

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Henry Jones

casuallylucid.bsky.social
🌬CasuallyLucid🌀🌊 @casuallylucid.bsky.social · 29d
"Russian commentators have frequently suggested that Latin America lies in America’s domain just as Ukraine was under the Russian shadow. Vladimir Putin thinks the same of much of eastern Europe. Xi Jinping will draw his own conclusions."

Apparently this attack was originally planned for Christmas.
The ‘Putinization’ of US foreign policy has arrived in Venezuela
Trump is no longer bending the rules – he is demolishing them, with consequences far beyond Caracas
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Kimberly A. Prather, Michael A. Messner, Stacy D. VanDeveer

sethabramson.bsky.social
Seth Abramson @sethabramson.bsky.social · 29d
I'm losing track of how many countries a man livid he wasn't given the Nobel Peace Prize has illegally bombed.

Iran. Venezuela. Nigeria. Afghanistan. Iraq. Libya. Pakistan. Somalia. Syria. Yemen.

Not to mention threatening to annex Greenland and Canada and invade Panama.

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Dec 31
Protest matters; keep at it in '26! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very
From emancipation to women’s suffrage, civil rights and BLM, mass movement has shaped the arc of US history
www.theguardian.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Dec 19
when I was a teaching assistant for Harry Edwards, circa 1979, he used to say that your chances of getting hit by a falling piece of Skylab were greater than your chances of becoming a pro athlete.
news.osu.edu/will-my-kid-...
Will my kid be a pro athlete? Study finds what parents think
Many children grow up dreaming – or maybe even expecting – that they will become a star in football, basketball or whatever their favorite sport may be.Most parents have more realistic expectations of...
news.osu.edu

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Dec 17
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
A Harvard scholar’s ouster exposes a crisis of institutional integrity | Eric Reinhart
The dismissal of a a renowned health leader who refused to ignore Palestine highlights false claims of universality in human rights, global health and academia
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

rbreich.bsky.social
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · Dec 15
Trump's response to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner says it all.

Some thoughts...
https://robertreich.substack.com/p/trumps-response-to-the-deaths-of
Trump's response to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner says it all
Friends,
robertreich.substack.com

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Diane Ravitch

thetnholler.bsky.social
The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · Dec 12
🔥 @repdeliaramirez to @KristiNoem: “Bottom Line: You lie with impunity. You reject checks & balances. You ignore Congress & the courts… you can either resign, Trump will fire you, or you’ll be impeached.

You’re going to be held accountable. I’m going to make sure of that.”

Reposted by Michael A. Messner, Rebecca Sear, Cameron Campbell , and 2 more

philipncohen.com
Philip N Cohen @philipncohen.com · Dec 8
New from me: In the New Republic @newrepublic.com, I wrote that we should refuse to choose between the easy way and the hard way to boost birth rates.
What If Both Sides in the Birth Rate Debate Are Wrong?
The right wants to steer women away from work and toward motherhood. The left wants to provide them with more state support so it’s easier to have children. We should refuse this choice.
newrepublic.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Dec 4
Sad to hear of the passing of Wilson "Woody" Powell, Korean War vet, longtime activist in Veterans For Peace. His story of empathy and reconciliation with the Korean people was deeply moving. Short video clips from my interview with him here: www.guyslikemebook.com/powell?fbcli...

Reposted by Michael A. Messner

theoriginaltomjoad.bsky.social
Tom Joad™️ @theoriginaltomjoad.bsky.social · Nov 28
This piece took me over 2 months to write.
It’s about a man given illegal orders that is impossible not to obey.
Please read.

open.substack.com/pub/joadt/p/...
0714
A Story About Illegal Orders
open.substack.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Nov 19
Timely new Latino Studies article by sociologists Fatima Suarez, Veronica Montes, Emir Estrada, and Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo, "Relational Mentoring in Troubled Times." trebuchet.public.springernature.app/get_content/...
trebuchet.public.springernature.app

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Nov 9
In this My View piece in the Santa Fe New Mexican, I argue for honoring the original meaning of Armistice Day, as a commitment to peace. enewmexican.pressreader.com/article/2817...
eNewMexican
eNewMexican
enewmexican.pressreader.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Nov 4
Bball season! I'm stoked that my favorite team, the USC Women of Troy, open tonite. Check out my short book teaser that spotlights the history of girls' high school hoops: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMkR...
"The High School: Sports, Spirit, and Citizens, 1903-2024" ("Girl's Basketball")
YouTube video by Rutgers University Press
www.youtube.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Nov 2
Check out this short teaser for the new book by Fatima Suarez, Latino Fathers: What Shapes and Sustains Their Parenting: vimeo.com/1132672507?s...
Chapter 1. Working at Fatherhood
A teaser of Chapter 1 in Latino Fathers: What Shapes and Sustains Their Parenting
vimeo.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Rebecca Solnit, Jonathan A. Eisen , and 24 more

bookshop.org
Bookshop.org @bookshop.org · Oct 30
Amazon is helping fund a $300 million build of a ballroom for the White House.

Independent bookstores are donating to food banks and organizations that help with food insecurity.

They are not the same.

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 22
A powerful Jewish refutation of "false accusations of antisemitism that abusively deploy our collective history to tarnish those with whom we stand together in the pursuit of peace and justice." jewsdemandaction.org
Jews Demand Action
jewsdemandaction.org

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 21
A heartwarming time last week at my alma mater, Chico State U, talking with students, walking the lovely campus, and dining with faculty, including my inspiring teacher from 1974, Kathy Kaiser.

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 18
Santa Fe NO KINGS even larger than the last one.

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 17
This comes as a pleasant surprise, but make no mistake: USC's response was driven by a clear and powerful statement from faculty, staff, and students to say no to Trump's challenges to academic freedom. www.latimes.com/california/s...
USC rejects Trump education compact aimed at shifting the university to the right
USC interim President Beong-Soo Kim said in a statement that he had sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education turning down the Trump offer.
www.latimes.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 4
Here is the recording of my Levan Center book chat about The High School, with Alice Echols, Jeff Montez de Oca and CJ Pascoe: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUco...
Levan Book Chat—Michael A. Messner, The High School
YouTube video by USC Levan Institute for the Humanities
www.youtube.com

mam52.bsky.social
Michael Messner @mam52.bsky.social · Oct 2
www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
Contributor: I'm an intersex professor. Am I supposed to lie by teaching 'only male and female'?
A campaign against teachers who acknowledge realities of human biology forces a choice: Teach truth and risk your job, or lie and maybe keep it.
www.latimes.com