Ben Railton
@americanstudier.bsky.social
Prof of Amer Lit & Studies. Dad to 2 amazing young men. Married. We the People: http://tinyurl.com/yyhxjktb; Of Thee I Sing: http://tinyurl.com/y6hsozjx. #ScholarSunday guru. https://blackwhiteandread.com he/him
Pinned
The Celestials’ Last Game | Ben Railton
Baseball, Bigotry, and the Battle for America
americanstudier.podbean.com
For new followers, here's my latest project, a podcast on sports histories, exclusion & inclusion, & the worst & best of America--& my single favorite moment from American history.
americanstudier.podbean.com
americanstudier.podbean.com
@eddsmitty.bsky.social, this is the kind of inspiring American story I know you'd love!
Here on Yung's birthday, I wanted to share perhaps my favorite story from his amazing life, as he depicts it in his autobiography My Life in China & America (1909):
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
November 17, 2025 at 9:28 PM
@eddsmitty.bsky.social, this is the kind of inspiring American story I know you'd love!
Here on Yung's birthday, I wanted to share perhaps my favorite story from his amazing life, as he depicts it in his autobiography My Life in China & America (1909):
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
November 17, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Here on Yung's birthday, I wanted to share perhaps my favorite story from his amazing life, as he depicts it in his autobiography My Life in China & America (1909):
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5...
As a white liberal with Southern roots, I hear this, but also:
1) "The South" has been ubiquitous w/"the white supremacist South" for far too long. I refuse to cede it to those fuckers.
2) There's a reason much of America bought into the Lost Cause for a century+. White supremacy knows no region.
1) "The South" has been ubiquitous w/"the white supremacist South" for far too long. I refuse to cede it to those fuckers.
2) There's a reason much of America bought into the Lost Cause for a century+. White supremacy knows no region.
as a white liberal with Southern roots, quite frankly, I think other white liberals from the South need to get the fuck over their oddly defensive attitude about what should be pretty blindingly obvious.
I understand why some white liberals from the Deep South want to insist that there isn't something distinct (and bad) about Southern political culture but the problem with this is that we wouldn't even have this idea of "The South" as distinct from the rest of the US if there wasn't a there there
November 17, 2025 at 8:28 PM
As a white liberal with Southern roots, I hear this, but also:
1) "The South" has been ubiquitous w/"the white supremacist South" for far too long. I refuse to cede it to those fuckers.
2) There's a reason much of America bought into the Lost Cause for a century+. White supremacy knows no region.
1) "The South" has been ubiquitous w/"the white supremacist South" for far too long. I refuse to cede it to those fuckers.
2) There's a reason much of America bought into the Lost Cause for a century+. White supremacy knows no region.
Reposted by Ben Railton
100 years ago today, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career & complex life open up a lot of American histories, from his mid-century meta-stardom to his moves toward TV later in his career, & of course from his fraught private life to his tragic 80s passing. 🗃️
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
100 years ago today, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career & complex life open up a lot of American histories, from his mid-century meta-stardom to his moves toward TV later in his career, & of course from his fraught private life to his tragic 80s passing. 🗃️
100 years ago today, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career & complex life open up a lot of American histories, from his mid-century meta-stardom to his moves toward TV later in his career, & of course from his fraught private life to his tragic 80s passing. 🗃️
November 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM
100 years ago today, Roy Harold Scherer Jr.—better known as Rock Hudson—was born. His iconic career & complex life open up a lot of American histories, from his mid-century meta-stardom to his moves toward TV later in his career, & of course from his fraught private life to his tragic 80s passing. 🗃️
Reposted by Ben Railton
A friend sent me a picture of my book.
It's tangible and exists, and I am so fucking proud of myself.
Today is officially publication day, and it's hard to wrap my mind around it. I know many of you have written many books, but I never thought I could. 1/3
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
It's tangible and exists, and I am so fucking proud of myself.
Today is officially publication day, and it's hard to wrap my mind around it. I know many of you have written many books, but I never thought I could. 1/3
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
November 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
A friend sent me a picture of my book.
It's tangible and exists, and I am so fucking proud of myself.
Today is officially publication day, and it's hard to wrap my mind around it. I know many of you have written many books, but I never thought I could. 1/3
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
It's tangible and exists, and I am so fucking proud of myself.
Today is officially publication day, and it's hard to wrap my mind around it. I know many of you have written many books, but I never thought I could. 1/3
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
Once more before Sunday ends, here's today's historic #ScholarSunday thread, a reflection of all the great work these threads have featured for more than 5 years. Please share widely to support their work, my work in assembling the thread, & our shared community, thanks! @hcrichardson.bsky.social 🗃️
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 250! (11/16/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 16, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Once more before Sunday ends, here's today's historic #ScholarSunday thread, a reflection of all the great work these threads have featured for more than 5 years. Please share widely to support their work, my work in assembling the thread, & our shared community, thanks! @hcrichardson.bsky.social 🗃️
Reposted by Ben Railton
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 250! (11/16/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
For the brunch crowd, here's today's special & especially super-sized #ScholarSunday thread. Please share as widely as possible to get all this great public scholarship out there, & thanks! 🗃️ @thetattooedprof.bsky.social
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 250! (11/16/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 16, 2025 at 5:35 PM
For the brunch crowd, here's today's special & especially super-sized #ScholarSunday thread. Please share as widely as possible to get all this great public scholarship out there, & thanks! 🗃️ @thetattooedprof.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Railton
⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️
🧵 Did you know a Black woman stood up against a notorious gangster? Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queen, was a Caribbean immigrant who built a gambling empire in Harlem during the 1920s–30s. (cont)
#ProudBlue
#ResistanceRoots
#USDemocracy
#Voices4Victory
🧵 Did you know a Black woman stood up against a notorious gangster? Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queen, was a Caribbean immigrant who built a gambling empire in Harlem during the 1920s–30s. (cont)
#ProudBlue
#ResistanceRoots
#USDemocracy
#Voices4Victory
November 16, 2025 at 2:06 PM
⚠️WOKE CONTENT⚠️
🧵 Did you know a Black woman stood up against a notorious gangster? Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queen, was a Caribbean immigrant who built a gambling empire in Harlem during the 1920s–30s. (cont)
#ProudBlue
#ResistanceRoots
#USDemocracy
#Voices4Victory
🧵 Did you know a Black woman stood up against a notorious gangster? Stephanie St. Clair, aka Madame Queen, was a Caribbean immigrant who built a gambling empire in Harlem during the 1920s–30s. (cont)
#ProudBlue
#ResistanceRoots
#USDemocracy
#Voices4Victory
Reposted by Ben Railton
🎄🎄 CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY 🎄🎄
My book **Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy** was surprise published yesterday! Here's the book description and Barnes & Noble link if you're interested in gifting it to history and film lovers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
My book **Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy** was surprise published yesterday! Here's the book description and Barnes & Noble link if you're interested in gifting it to history and film lovers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
November 16, 2025 at 2:07 PM
🎄🎄 CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY 🎄🎄
My book **Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy** was surprise published yesterday! Here's the book description and Barnes & Noble link if you're interested in gifting it to history and film lovers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
My book **Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy** was surprise published yesterday! Here's the book description and Barnes & Noble link if you're interested in gifting it to history and film lovers!
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/selling-ou...
Reposted by Ben Railton
Artists, activists, and educators launch new platform for anti-racist education. Join us today!
#ScholarSunday
PAY ATTENTION! PROJECT
www.payattentionproject.org
#ScholarSunday
PAY ATTENTION! PROJECT
www.payattentionproject.org
Pay Attention
www.payattentionproject.org
November 16, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Artists, activists, and educators launch new platform for anti-racist education. Join us today!
#ScholarSunday
PAY ATTENTION! PROJECT
www.payattentionproject.org
#ScholarSunday
PAY ATTENTION! PROJECT
www.payattentionproject.org
Reposted by Ben Railton
An amazing place for this in a US history context is all of @americanstudier.bsky.social's work, especially his biweekly Considering History column at the @satevepost.bsky.social often highlighting stories exactly like this, of Americans who fought for the best of what we can be against the worst.
November 16, 2025 at 1:00 PM
An amazing place for this in a US history context is all of @americanstudier.bsky.social's work, especially his biweekly Considering History column at the @satevepost.bsky.social often highlighting stories exactly like this, of Americans who fought for the best of what we can be against the worst.
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Thread 250! (11/16/25) – Black and White and Read All Over
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more ...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Here it is, a very special--& especially supersized—250th #ScholarSunday thread of great public scholarly writing & work, podcast episodes, new & forthcoming books from the last week. Please add more below, share as widely as possible, & enjoy, all! 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
Reposted by Ben Railton
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly work I’ve been doing for the last five & a half years. 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Meta-thread (Ahead of Thread 250) – Black and White and Read All Over
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly wo...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly work I’ve been doing for the last five & a half years. 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
The young men who play football for Texas A&M aren't responsible for the school's wholesale abandonment of educational principles in favor of cowardice & censorship.
But if the same week you abandon every part of your mission & just try to do football you are getting absolutely shellacked, well
But if the same week you abandon every part of your mission & just try to do football you are getting absolutely shellacked, well
a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table with a can of soda and says yes very sad anyway ..
ALT: a man in a suit and tie is sitting at a table with a can of soda and says yes very sad anyway ..
media.tenor.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:03 PM
The young men who play football for Texas A&M aren't responsible for the school's wholesale abandonment of educational principles in favor of cowardice & censorship.
But if the same week you abandon every part of your mission & just try to do football you are getting absolutely shellacked, well
But if the same week you abandon every part of your mission & just try to do football you are getting absolutely shellacked, well
Reposted by Ben Railton
We 💓 critical patriotism. 🙏 @americanstudier.bsky.social for your thought leadership & this Veteran's Day column (sorry we're a little late in sharing it). www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/cons...
Considering History: The Critical Patriotism of Vietnam Veterans | The Saturday Evening Post
From its origins in public protest to its advocacy efforts, Vietnam Veterans Against the War exemplifies the critical patriotism of veterans throughout American history.
www.saturdayeveningpost.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
We 💓 critical patriotism. 🙏 @americanstudier.bsky.social for your thought leadership & this Veteran's Day column (sorry we're a little late in sharing it). www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2024/11/cons...
Reposted by Ben Railton
IT'S HAPPENING!!! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Join 'Tis the Season for my keynote and lots of other wonderful scholars discussing Christmas in Pop Culture all day in this FREE VIRTUAL conference
shastacollege-edu.zoom.us/j/89560735727
Join 'Tis the Season for my keynote and lots of other wonderful scholars discussing Christmas in Pop Culture all day in this FREE VIRTUAL conference
shastacollege-edu.zoom.us/j/89560735727
November 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
IT'S HAPPENING!!! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
Join 'Tis the Season for my keynote and lots of other wonderful scholars discussing Christmas in Pop Culture all day in this FREE VIRTUAL conference
shastacollege-edu.zoom.us/j/89560735727
Join 'Tis the Season for my keynote and lots of other wonderful scholars discussing Christmas in Pop Culture all day in this FREE VIRTUAL conference
shastacollege-edu.zoom.us/j/89560735727
Honored to have contributed a column to Rockwell’s @satevepost.bsky.social for almost 8 years now!
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/category/con...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/category/con...
November 15, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Honored to have contributed a column to Rockwell’s @satevepost.bsky.social for almost 8 years now!
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/category/con...
www.saturdayeveningpost.com/category/con...
@lollardfish.bsky.social, as someone who has been very supportive of my threads over the years (thanks!), & who helped make the case for us to leave Substack & start our own site (thanks again!), I'd love if you could share this thread & help the site get subscribers & support. Thanks once more!
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly work I’ve been doing for the last five & a half years. 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Meta-thread (Ahead of Thread 250) – Black and White and Read All Over
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly wo...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:57 PM
@lollardfish.bsky.social, as someone who has been very supportive of my threads over the years (thanks!), & who helped make the case for us to leave Substack & start our own site (thanks again!), I'd love if you could share this thread & help the site get subscribers & support. Thanks once more!
Starting in just over an hour! Be there if you don't want to find yourself on the naughty list.
Got plans this Saturday? Ho ho hold up, you should check out 'Tis the Season: Christmas in Pop Culture, 1900-2000, a virtual conference feat a keynote from @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social, a closing panel moderated by @lizwfab.bsky.social, & much more! 🗃️
scmainweb.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/files/resour...
scmainweb.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/files/resour...
scmainweb.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com
November 15, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Starting in just over an hour! Be there if you don't want to find yourself on the naughty list.
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly work I’ve been doing for the last five & a half years. 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
#ScholarSunday Meta-thread (Ahead of Thread 250) – Black and White and Read All Over
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly wo...
blackwhiteandread.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Tomorrow I drop my 250th #ScholarSunday thread! That’s a whole lot of sharing of public scholarly goodness, so today I wanted to offer just a few reflections & requests when it comes to this weekly work I’ve been doing for the last five & a half years. 🗃️
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...
Sharing this week's Veterans' Stories blog series again. It's hard doing public scholarly writing during The Time When Everything Happens Constantly & is So Fucking Much (TM), but this series embodies my blog, includes favs like Tourgée & Du Bois, engages my new column. Share if you could, thanks! 🗃️
Veterans' Day is first & foremost an occasion to commemorate the millions of Americans, past & present, who have served & sacrificed as part of our armed forces. A list that includes both of my grandfathers, my wife's grandfather, & I know many folks with whom I'm connected on this site as well. +
November 14, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Sharing this week's Veterans' Stories blog series again. It's hard doing public scholarly writing during The Time When Everything Happens Constantly & is So Fucking Much (TM), but this series embodies my blog, includes favs like Tourgée & Du Bois, engages my new column. Share if you could, thanks! 🗃️
Just over 24 hours from now! Gonna be a banger of a keynote, "White Christmas" level (cf. Irving Berlin to his secretary: "I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend. Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote"). Be there or risk a lump of coal! 🗃️
My FIRST EVER keynote. I've been practicing and everything.
11am EST this Saturday November 15th on the linked Zoom meeting!
11am EST this Saturday November 15th on the linked Zoom meeting!
Got plans this Saturday? Ho ho hold up, you should check out 'Tis the Season: Christmas in Pop Culture, 1900-2000, a virtual conference feat a keynote from @gvaughnjoy.bsky.social, a closing panel moderated by @lizwfab.bsky.social, & much more! 🗃️
scmainweb.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/files/resour...
scmainweb.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/files/resour...
November 14, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Just over 24 hours from now! Gonna be a banger of a keynote, "White Christmas" level (cf. Irving Berlin to his secretary: "I want you to take down a song I wrote over the weekend. Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it’s the best song anybody ever wrote"). Be there or risk a lump of coal! 🗃️