Sophie Beach
@sophiebeach.bsky.social
China Digital Times | Berkeley
Pinned
Sophie Beach
@sophiebeach.bsky.social
· Nov 15
I’m delighted that the first freelance article I’ve written in a little while was published by @mekongreview.bsky.social, a magazine I’ve long read and admired. mekongreview.com/memory-as-re... Thanks to @kixes.bsky.social!
Memory as resistance - Mekong Review
The Uyghurs: Kashgar Before the Catastrophe and Under the Mulberry Tree: A Contemporary Uyghur Anthology are testament to the power of memory as resistance against crackdown and erasure.
mekongreview.com
Reposting for the newbies here. (Paywalled but also you all should subscribe to @mekongreview.bsky.social)
I was similarly surprised by this historical marker in tiny Warren, RI but glad to see this history publicly noted and recorded.
November 23, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I was similarly surprised by this historical marker in tiny Warren, RI but glad to see this history publicly noted and recorded.
Reposted by Sophie Beach
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
November 22, 2025 at 5:41 AM
hey guys i made a seasonal meme
It’s almost Back Home Baller season for those of us who celebrate youtu.be/ZmWH1F-caM8?...
Back Home Ballers - SNL
YouTube video by Saturday Night Live
youtu.be
November 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
It’s almost Back Home Baller season for those of us who celebrate youtu.be/ZmWH1F-caM8?...
Reposted by Sophie Beach
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Opinion | Jamal Khashoggi: What the Arab world needs most is free expression
The Arab world needs a modern version of the old transnational media so citizens can be informed about global events.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I will never forget having to edit Jamal’s final, posthumous piece for the Washington Post, after he was murdered.
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
He was calling for free expression in the Arab world. You can read it here :
www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/glo...
Reposted by Sophie Beach
Mahmood Mamdani on Zohran, Uganda and forced expulsion: ‘Who is part of the nation and who is not?’
Mahmood Mamdani on Zohran, Uganda and forced expulsion: ‘Who is part of the nation and who is not?’
After being expelled from his homeland in 1972, the academic has grappled with questions of political belonging – a major theme of his son’s mayoral campaign
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Mahmood Mamdani on Zohran, Uganda and forced expulsion: ‘Who is part of the nation and who is not?’
Reposted by Sophie Beach
#Taiwan #translation "I was compelled by the idea of translation as a test of my allegiances. But this metaphor is far from how I actually experience the process. Unlike a test, there is no right answer or a way to “pass” in translation, which is an art of compromise". lithub.com/between-chin...
Between Taiwanese and Mandarin: Translation as a Test of Allegiance
During my first semester of teaching in Taiwan, I was in the middle of a lesson on “Monsters and Ghosts” when a student’s hand shot up. His question was not really related to the content: “Teacher,…
lithub.com
October 17, 2025 at 9:42 AM
#Taiwan #translation "I was compelled by the idea of translation as a test of my allegiances. But this metaphor is far from how I actually experience the process. Unlike a test, there is no right answer or a way to “pass” in translation, which is an art of compromise". lithub.com/between-chin...
Reposted by Sophie Beach
Y’all wanna hear a wild story? Charlie is right — this medley Prince made 30 years ago, blending many of his greatest hits & fan favorites into an extended mashup, is one of the most fun “only Prince could do this” things he made in the 90s. BUT: he told us he was gonna do it. In an AOL chat room…
Unpopular opinion: the Purple Medley is one of the best things Prince ever did.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJE...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nJE...
Prince - The Purple Medley (Fan Music Video)
YouTube video by VDJ Vivacity
www.youtube.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Y’all wanna hear a wild story? Charlie is right — this medley Prince made 30 years ago, blending many of his greatest hits & fan favorites into an extended mashup, is one of the most fun “only Prince could do this” things he made in the 90s. BUT: he told us he was gonna do it. In an AOL chat room…
Reposted by Sophie Beach
“Longer tables, not higher walls.”—Chef José Andrés
November 16, 2025 at 4:21 PM
“Longer tables, not higher walls.”—Chef José Andrés
Reposted by Sophie Beach
A nice obituary for Alice, who was going to be recognized as one of The Post 50.
I hate that we now have to live without this phenomenal woman.
#GiftLink
wapo.st/49WOdx1
I hate that we now have to live without this phenomenal woman.
#GiftLink
wapo.st/49WOdx1
Alice Wong, disability rights advocate and wordsmith, dies at 51
Alice Wong, a transformational leader for disability rights and justice, who founded the Disability Visibility project to magnify disabled culture, died Nov. 14.
wapo.st
November 16, 2025 at 12:22 AM
A nice obituary for Alice, who was going to be recognized as one of The Post 50.
I hate that we now have to live without this phenomenal woman.
#GiftLink
wapo.st/49WOdx1
I hate that we now have to live without this phenomenal woman.
#GiftLink
wapo.st/49WOdx1
Reposted by Sophie Beach
CDT’s “404 Deleted Content Archive” Summary for October 2025, Part One
"Topics targeted include: sentencing of officials over a detainee's death; environmental issues; Nobel Prizes; the deadly crash of a Xiaomi electric vehicle; the re-sentencing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan …"
"Topics targeted include: sentencing of officials over a detainee's death; environmental issues; Nobel Prizes; the deadly crash of a Xiaomi electric vehicle; the re-sentencing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan …"
CDT’s “404 Deleted Content Archive” Summary for October 2025, Part One
CDT presents a monthly series of censored content that has been added to our “404 Deleted Content Archive.” Each month, we publish a summary of content blocked or deleted (often yielding the message “...
chinadigitaltimes.net
November 15, 2025 at 2:18 AM
CDT’s “404 Deleted Content Archive” Summary for October 2025, Part One
"Topics targeted include: sentencing of officials over a detainee's death; environmental issues; Nobel Prizes; the deadly crash of a Xiaomi electric vehicle; the re-sentencing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan …"
"Topics targeted include: sentencing of officials over a detainee's death; environmental issues; Nobel Prizes; the deadly crash of a Xiaomi electric vehicle; the re-sentencing of citizen journalist Zhang Zhan …"
Reposted by Sophie Beach
These tomato pickers earn 86 cents per 25 lb bucket. On an average day a worker fills around 170 buckets --or more than 4000 pounds of tomatoes picked by hand. The fruit is picked green so it ripens red by the time it reaches your store. #WeFeedYou
November 14, 2025 at 3:01 PM
These tomato pickers earn 86 cents per 25 lb bucket. On an average day a worker fills around 170 buckets --or more than 4000 pounds of tomatoes picked by hand. The fruit is picked green so it ripens red by the time it reaches your store. #WeFeedYou
Reposted by Sophie Beach
Translations: Mourning the Decline of Investigative Reporting on China's National Journalists' Day
"Based on our daily monitoring, there are now only 36 domestic news organizations that still conduct investigative reporting (that is, reporting that supervises official power)."
"Based on our daily monitoring, there are now only 36 domestic news organizations that still conduct investigative reporting (that is, reporting that supervises official power)."
Translations: Mourning the Decline of Investigative Reporting on China's National Journalists' Day
Last Saturday, November 8, was China’s National Journalists’ Day—often an occasion for mixed feelings among China’s beleaguered independent journalists. The WeChat account 磨稿子 Mó Gǎozi, or “Polishing ...
chinadigitaltimes.net
November 12, 2025 at 11:31 PM
Translations: Mourning the Decline of Investigative Reporting on China's National Journalists' Day
"Based on our daily monitoring, there are now only 36 domestic news organizations that still conduct investigative reporting (that is, reporting that supervises official power)."
"Based on our daily monitoring, there are now only 36 domestic news organizations that still conduct investigative reporting (that is, reporting that supervises official power)."
Reposted by Sophie Beach
"Each act of remembrance, each shared fragment of reality, becomes part of a collective memory that no censorship can destroy. It is through memory that a people reclaim their humanity."
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
"Each act of remembrance, each shared fragment of reality, becomes part of a collective memory that no censorship can destroy. It is through memory that a people reclaim their humanity."
Reposted by Sophie Beach
From CDT Founder and Editor-in-Chief Xiao Qiang's acceptance speech: "At CDT, our mission is to speak truth to power—not with hatred, but with clarity and courage—and to preserve collective memory as history."
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
From CDT Founder and Editor-in-Chief Xiao Qiang's acceptance speech: "At CDT, our mission is to speak truth to power—not with hatred, but with clarity and courage—and to preserve collective memory as history."
Reposted by Sophie Beach
NED – China Digital Times: 2025 Democracy Award Honoree
www.ned.org/china-digita...
www.ned.org/china-digita...
China Digital Times: 2025 Democracy Award Honoree - NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY
NED honors China Digital Times for its unwavering commitment to chronicling the Chinese people’s struggle for freedom.
www.ned.org
November 10, 2025 at 8:14 PM
NED – China Digital Times: 2025 Democracy Award Honoree
www.ned.org/china-digita...
www.ned.org/china-digita...
We are now less than $100 from our goal thanks to so many generous donors. Help us get there before the year ends!
We are now extending the campaign to help fund another crucial item in our budget: translation. Help us keep providing high-quality and timely translations so we can introduce more Chinese voices to the world. This is the most important way we help the world better understand China. Thank you! (2/2)
Keep CDT Online: We are extending our campaign!
China Digital Times (CDT) is a non-profit organization that relies on institutional and individual donations to sustain our operations. In recent months, we have lost a significant portion of our inst...
giving.chinadigitaltimes.net
November 10, 2025 at 7:37 PM
We are now less than $100 from our goal thanks to so many generous donors. Help us get there before the year ends!
Reposted by Sophie Beach
This came up in a work context earlier today, and I take it for granted this information is out there, but apparently not everywhere: I don’t work at Freedom House anymore. I was laid off at the end of May along with most other staff at the organization (over 80%) due to the US foreign aid cuts.
November 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
This came up in a work context earlier today, and I take it for granted this information is out there, but apparently not everywhere: I don’t work at Freedom House anymore. I was laid off at the end of May along with most other staff at the organization (over 80%) due to the US foreign aid cuts.
November 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
“At CDT, our mission is to speak truth to power—not with hatred, but with clarity and courage—and to preserve memory as history...Freedom begins with truth. And truth, when held in collective memory, becomes the seed of a freer future.” - Xiao Qiang @chinadigitaltimes.net
November 5, 2025 at 7:30 PM
“At CDT, our mission is to speak truth to power—not with hatred, but with clarity and courage—and to preserve memory as history...Freedom begins with truth. And truth, when held in collective memory, becomes the seed of a freer future.” - Xiao Qiang @chinadigitaltimes.net
Reposted by Sophie Beach
November 4, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Reposted by Sophie Beach
Beijing Banner Protester: "Establish a New China That is Free, Humane, and Governed by Rule of Law"
"CDT Chinese editors noted censorship of the following combinations: 'Sanlitun + lift ban on political parties', 'Sanlitun + protest', 'Sanlitun + warrior', 'Sitong Bridge + Sanlitun' …"
"CDT Chinese editors noted censorship of the following combinations: 'Sanlitun + lift ban on political parties', 'Sanlitun + protest', 'Sanlitun + warrior', 'Sitong Bridge + Sanlitun' …"
Beijing Banner Protester: "Establish a New China That is Free, Humane, and Governed by Rule of Law"
The image above shows a one-man protest that reportedly took place at the high-end Taikoo Li Sanlitun mall (formerly Sanlitun Village) in Beijing on October 25, shortly after the end of the Party’s Fo...
chinadigitaltimes.net
November 4, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Beijing Banner Protester: "Establish a New China That is Free, Humane, and Governed by Rule of Law"
"CDT Chinese editors noted censorship of the following combinations: 'Sanlitun + lift ban on political parties', 'Sanlitun + protest', 'Sanlitun + warrior', 'Sitong Bridge + Sanlitun' …"
"CDT Chinese editors noted censorship of the following combinations: 'Sanlitun + lift ban on political parties', 'Sanlitun + protest', 'Sanlitun + warrior', 'Sitong Bridge + Sanlitun' …"
Reposted by Sophie Beach
“If everything’s positive energy, there’s no energy at all.“
Netizen Voices: Tencent's Positive Energy Algorithm Task Force and the Perils of "Information Cocoons"
"When the algorithm detects users whose positive energy is running low, it will automatically recharge them for free."
"When the algorithm detects users whose positive energy is running low, it will automatically recharge them for free."
Netizen Voices: Tencent's Positive Energy Algorithm Task Force and the Perils of "Information Cocoons"
This week, a report at IT Home described recent corporate initiatives in the fight to promote "positive energy" and suppress "malicious" negativity online. (As China Media Project explains, "’Positive...
chinadigitaltimes.net
October 31, 2025 at 9:31 PM
“If everything’s positive energy, there’s no energy at all.“
Reposted by Sophie Beach
Following the tragic death of Middlebury student and trans athlete Lia Smith, social media was flooded with unverified claims about what led to her passing.
www.transvitae.com/s...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
www.transvitae.com/s...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
Slow Your Roll: Why Truth Still Matters in Tragedy
After Lia Smith’s death, unverified claims spread fast. This article urges truth, care, and fact-checking over speculation to protect trans lives and families.
www.transvitae.com
October 30, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Following the tragic death of Middlebury student and trans athlete Lia Smith, social media was flooded with unverified claims about what led to her passing.
www.transvitae.com/s...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA
www.transvitae.com/s...
#transgender #trans #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA