Hakeem Jefferson
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hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Hakeem Jefferson
@hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
97K followers 2.6K following 680 posts
Assistant professor of political science. I think about identity, stigma, race, and politics more than any normal person should. Lover of life. Pro-democracy.

People should dance more.

Not Hakeem Jeffries, the Minority Leader.
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hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Tomorrow is Democracy Day at Stanford.

If folks are around campus tomorrow, I’ll be on a panel with colleagues from 3-415 pm at Meyer Green:

“Democracy Under Threat at Home and Abroad”

Join us if you’re around! Should be a nice day out!
A promotional flyer for a Stanford Democracy Day panel titled “Democracy Under Threat at Home and Abroad.” The flyer includes circular headshots of five speakers—Christophe Crombez, Anna Grzymala-Busse, Hakeem Jefferson, Hesham Sallam, and Kathryn Stoner—with their names listed below their photos. Event details read: Tuesday, November 4 · 3:00 PM PT · Meyer Green. The right side of the image features Stanford logos for the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), the Freeman Spogli Institute, and The Europe Center.
November 3, 2025 at 11:20 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
A Nazi Tattoo Exposes Democrats’ Greatest Weakness www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/o...

@tressiemcphd.bsky.social is unmatched. Read her latest piece—and everything else she writes.
A screenshot of a block of text with a black background and white serif font. The text reads: “I don’t particularly care about the symbols people use to signal their membership in a group. Maybe you do need a terrifying tattoo to be a real Marine. And maybe sometimes that terrifying tattoo might resemble Nazi iconography. If you are willing to accept that from a distance, as many Democrats say they are, a person may not be able to tell the real symbol of hate from its doppelgänger, that is for you to live with. But, I do care about the political trade-offs we will ask people to make in the name of pragmatism. If the Democratic future requires us to exchange our discomfort with casual Nazism to advance a political agenda, I am not interested. Maybe other voters are — some polling suggests that young voters still support Platner. And maybe Platner will find a way to redeem himself. No one owes him that chance, but there is still a way forward. It’s called doing the work. But don’t tell me that excusing that tattoo is good politics. It is the exact same politics that the right is selling, in a different outfit.”
October 29, 2025 at 10:22 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
One tactic these data guys use online is to dismiss academic work they don’t like by calling it “overly complex” or “disconnected from reality.” I call this anti-rigor propaganda. It’s a move to sour people on serious scholarship when you don’t have better evidence.

Adam addresses it in the piece.
An excerpt from Adam Bonica’s Substack post critiquing a New York Times editorial. Bonica highlights how the Times dismisses academic research as “overly complex” and “disconnected from voter perceptions.” The quoted section from the editorial claims academic debates involve “statistical complexities” too hard for most people to follow and that researchers rely on “messy” data producing “bizarre results.” Bonica argues this preemptive dismissal is telling, suggesting the Times needs to discredit research showing that the electoral benefits of moderation have largely disappeared.
October 24, 2025 at 3:01 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
This gov’t wants us to think it can do whatever it wants—including terrorize ppl to enforce a racist immigration agenda.

This court says: No, you can’t.

Proud of our friend Mark Rosenbaum for fighting hard to make this happen.

As always, he’s clear on the stakes.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/u...
A quote from Mark Rosenbaum, a lawyer with Public Counsel. He says, “The order reflects there is something very wrong when the federal government goes to war against an American city and ignores the Constitution.” He adds, “Hopefully this ends the actions of the government rounding up carwash workers and other hardworking people like they were domestic terrorists.”
July 12, 2025 at 4:04 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
A hard day for those who care about justice. Sharing these words from Rev. William Barber II, who’s long been a moral voice for the poor.

“The passage of this bill is deadly, but it is not a defeat. We must meet it with a resurrection.”
Screenshot of a statement from Rev. William Barber condemning GOP budget bill. He calls it “one of the most morally-bankrupt pieces of legislation in our nation’s history,” citing deep cuts to healthcare, food assistance, and immigrant support, while benefiting the wealthy. He describes the bill as “policy murder in plain sight” and criticizes lawmakers who invoke religion while supporting harmful policies. He ends with a call to organize, vote out those responsible, and “build a movement together that can reconstruct our democracy.”
July 3, 2025 at 10:45 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
The people are celebrating as far as Los Angeles. Good job, NYC.
June 25, 2025 at 4:32 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Los Angeles
Alt text: Graffiti-style protest messages painted in white on the windowpanes of a storefront in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Each pane displays a satirical acronym for “ICE,” including phrases like “Illegal Country-wide Embarrassment,” “Induced Community Extinction,” “Institution of Child Endangerment,” and “Insecure Confused Ejaculation.” The window reflects street traffic, utility poles, palm trees, and a person taking the photo. A green “A” health grade is visible in the bottom right corner.
June 24, 2025 at 3:29 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Stanford folks: I’ll be one of the speakers at the Rally to Defend Education and Research this Friday (May 30), 12–2 PM in White Plaza.

If you care about academic freedom and the role of universities in a democracy, now’s the time to show up.

Hope to see many of y’all there!
Flyer for a campus event titled “Rally to Defend Education and Research.” The event is scheduled for May 30 from 12:00–2:00 PM at White Plaza. The flyer encourages attendees to “Get fired up for summer action” and includes icons of books, an atom, and a microscope. Additional text notes there will be faculty, student, and community speakers, live music, and opportunities to connect with campus organizations. The event is sponsored by the American Association of University Professors.
May 28, 2025 at 2:43 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:57 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:56 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:56 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:55 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
April 10, 2025 at 12:54 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
I never get tired of hearing how folks have used this assignment in their courses — and the amazingly creative projects their students come up with. It's just wild to see!

Here's the original rubric I used, which so many have improved upon over the years:
Screenshot of a course assignment description for a final project. Students are instructed to teach "outsiders" about a concept or idea learned during the quarter, using any medium except a standard essay or tweet thread. Suggested formats include a podcast, photo exhibit, magazine piece, long-form blog post, or poetry. Projects will be evaluated on five criteria: (1) clear understanding of the concept (10 points), (2) explaining its importance for some aspect of politics (U.S. or abroad) (5 points), (3) accessible language for a broad audience (5 points), (4) effort appropriate for a final class project (5 points), and (5) creativity and imaginative thinking (5 points).
April 8, 2025 at 8:31 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
The world feels pretty bleak right now, but hearing from scholars this week who are teaching my piece, The Curious Case of Black Conservatives, has been such a bright spot.

Notes like this always make my day.

Gated: academic.oup.com/poq/article/...

Ungated: www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/asudn...
Abstract Many Black Americans identify as conservative on surveys, despite their allegiance to the Democratic Party. Prominent theoretical accounts claim this mismatch results from identity-based considerations. I revisit this long-standing puzzle and offer an alternative explanation with broad implications for studying political attitudes and behavior across the social sciences. Leveraging data from the American National Election Studies, I demonstrate that the terms “liberal” and “conservative” are unfamiliar to many Black Americans, compromising the usefulness and validity of the liberal-conservative scale for Black respondents. Respondents unfamiliar with these terms misapply them and choose ideological labels that fail to align with their partisan preferences. Consequently, scholars and political actors make incorrect and imprecise inferences about the contours of Black politics. Findings also raise new concerns about the generalizability of claims that rely on ideological self-identification measures, including popular claims about mass polarization and partisan-ideological sorting among the American public. Critically, this work suggests a need for caution when using concepts that vary in their meaningfulness across social groups.
April 8, 2025 at 4:04 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
The Bay Area showed up in force today in SF against this authoritarian regime. Glad to stand alongside so many.

It’s going to be long, hard, and frustratingly evil along the way. But today gave me hope that the people are ready to fight back!
Hands off our democracy sign Protester dressed in funeral black holding an RIP Democracy sign Me and my protest crew A fuck Trump sign with a penis mid sign + a trump orange balloon
April 6, 2025 at 3:13 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
“Stanford learned on Friday, April 4, that 4 students & 2 recent grads have had their student visas revoked. The Univ learned of revocations during routine check of SEVIS database. Stanford notified students of revocations & made external legal assistance available to them.”
immigration.stanford.edu
News and updates Stanford learned on Friday, April 4, that four students and two recent graduates have had their student visas revoked. The University learned of the revocations during a routine check of the SEVIS database. Stanford notified the students of the revocations and made external legal assistance available to them. To protect student privacy, Stanford is unable to identify the individuals or provide other details. We are not currently aware of the details of the revocations or the reasons for them. We also are not aware of any presence of immigration authorities on campus today. Stanford deeply values its international community of scholars and remains committed to supporting the well-being of all members of our community. We understand that these developments may be deeply unsettling for members of our community. Resources for those seeking assistance are available through the Bechtel International Center and on this website.
April 5, 2025 at 4:18 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
It seems like this was a case of mistaken info, but authoritarians rely on uncertainty & ambiguity b/c they know it leads to panic & keeps people on edge. Students should be enjoying their Friday night, not worrying about an authoritarian government snatching them up on the way to a house party.
April 5, 2025 at 2:54 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
I just sent our university president and provost an urgent request to defend First Amendment freedoms at Stanford, given this administration’s willingness to punish those who disagree with it.

I urge you to do the same with your university leaders.
Dear President Levin and Provost Martinez: In light of the recent arrest of a former student at Columbia University and the ongoing threats to fundamental freedoms posed by the current administration, I urge you both to clearly and publicly denounce these dangerous attacks on First Amendment rights. Silence or neutrality in this critical moment risks complicity. Students and faculty urgently need reassurance that Stanford will vigorously protect our community members against threats of arrest, censorship, or sanctions for engaging in constitutionally protected expression. You have consistently emphasized the importance of free speech and academic freedom as foundational to our institution. Now is the time to unequivocally reaffirm those commitments. Our community must know that Stanford stands firmly behind them, ready to use every resource available to safeguard their right to express themselves freely, without fear of intimidation. I urge you to act swiftly and decisively to demonstrate our unwavering dedication to protecting constitutional rights, especially as threats against these freedoms escalate. I have cc’d the Stanford Daily on this correspondence because I believe our entire community should be engaged in encouraging decisive action from our administration at this crucial moment. Sincerely, Hakeem Jefferson Assistant Professor of Political Science Faculty Director of the Program on Identity, Democracy, and Justice at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law
March 10, 2025 at 8:56 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
I’m still shook.

These people came to my book workshop today, and I still can’t believe it.

What a gift. What a privilege. I still can’t believe how good it was.
Hakeem with book conference attendees
February 22, 2025 at 4:58 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Finally coming up for air! The preliminary draft of my book is officially in the hands of the book workshop attendees. Feels crazy to step out from under the urgent writing grind. Excited (and a little nervous) to hear their thoughts, but for now, I’m gonna enjoy the breather.
Title page: Respectability, Identity, Stigma, and the Politics of Social Control in Unequal Societies Hakeem Jefferson February 8, 2025 Abstract Respectability: Identity, Stigma, and the Politics of Social Control in Unequal Societies critiques and extends prevailing ideas about shared identity by examining how the burdens of collective costs complicate group solidarity. While shared identity often fosters cohesion, this book demonstrates how stigma and structural inequality impose unique pressures on Black Americans and other marginalized groups, leading not only to solidarity but also to intragroup surveillance, policing, and punishment. Respectability politics is a particularly salient manifestation of these dynamics, emerging in response to stigma and inequality. Although rooted in the Black American experience, respectability politics reflects broader patterns that appear across cultures and contexts, where marginalized groups contend with shared burdens and their consequences. A key contribution of this book is the development of the Respectability Politics Scale (RPS), a novel measure that provides a systematic way to study respectability politics and its consequences. This scale allows for empirical exploration of how respectability politics shapes attitudes toward punitive policies, intragroup dynamics, and broader systems of control. By introducing the concept of perceptions of collective costs—the belief that individual behavior reflects on and affects the group as a whole—this work situates respectability politics within a larger framework of identity, stigma, and social control. Through rigorous empirical evidence and comparative insights, this book not only illuminates respectability politics as a critical lens for understanding intragroup dynamics but also demonstrates its broader relevance to understanding systems of control in unequal societies worldwide. By doing so, it offers a path forward for scholars and practitioners seeking to challenge and transform these dynamics.
February 8, 2025 at 11:08 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
So cool to have my research and writing cited in the program for Eden, a stage play being performed at Yale Repertory Theatre.

Just the encouragement I need as I sprint to finish this first draft of my book on respectability politics.

yalerep.org/productions/...
A theatrical poster for Eden at Yale Repertory Theatre’s 2024–25 season. The title ‘EDEN’ is displayed in bold, red, vintage-style lettering at the top. The central image features a detailed black-and-white illustration of two hands clasped together, with strong shading and texture emphasizing their grip. The background includes a faded red sketch of an urban landscape with buildings and a distant water tower, giving the image a historical feel. The poster has a distressed, textured border. In the bottom right corner, a tilted red box contains the text ‘yale repertory theatre 2024–25 SEASON.’ A digital program page for the Yale Repertory Theatre production of Eden, a play by Steve Carter, directed by Brandon J. Dirden. The production runs from January 16 to February 8, 2025. The program lists the creative team, including Scenic Designer George Zhou, Costume Designer Caroline Tyson, Lighting Designer Ankit Pandey, Sound Designer and Original Music by Tojo Rasedoara, Projection Designer Ein Kim, Hair and Wig Designers Krystal Balleza and Will Vicari, Production Dramaturgs Austin Riffelmacher and Tia Smith, Technical Director Nickie Dubick, Fight and Intimacy Director Michael Rossmy, Vocal and Dialect Coach Paul Pryce, Casting Director Calleri Jensen Davis, and Stage Manager Hope Binfeng Ding. The program notes that Eden was first presented by The Negro Ensemble Company at Saint Marks Playhouse on March 3, 1976, and is produced by special arrangement with Broadway Play Publishing Inc. Yale Repertory Theatre acknowledges Carol L. Sirot for funding the 2024–25 season and thanks season funders, including Connecticut Humanities and The Study at Yale as a season sponsor. A program page titled ‘Politics of Virtue and Respectability in Eden’ features a quote from Marcus Garvey’s 1927 work The Tragedy of White Injustice: ‘The once dear, lovely Garden of Eden has become the sphere of men uneven.’ Below the quote is a black-and-white photograph of Marcus Garvey from 1922, seated in a car while wearing a military-style uniform adorned with medals and a large feathered hat. The text discusses the role of the Politics of Respectability in Steve Carter’s play Eden, referencing Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham’s 1993 book Righteous Discontent: The Women’s Movement in the Black Baptist Church: 1880–1920. It explains how respectability politics shape marginalized groups’ assimilation into dominant culture. A quote from political scientist Hakeem Jefferson elaborates on how respectability politics framed ‘good behavior’ as morally right and aligned with middle-class values, while negatively stereotyped behavior was seen as detrimental to racial self-help. The text concludes by stating that respectability is dictated by white supremacy, setting up the contradictions in Eden’s character Joseph Barton.
January 28, 2025 at 12:03 PM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
Book writing nugget: I used AI to analyze open-ended responses where Black and white respondents read about same-race teens causing a scene in a theater and explained why it bothered them. The difference is so clear: Black folks focus on collective costs; white folks, not so much.

Love this stuff!
Image description: A summary of a study exploring how Black and white respondents reacted to a scenario where same-race teenagers caused a disruption in a movie theater. Key comparisons are outlined, highlighting that Black respondents expressed concerns about how the behavior might reflect on Black people as a group, citing fears of reinforcing stereotypes and stigma. Quotes include: “People will assume all Blacks are noise makers,” and, “It feeds into stereotypes about us.” In contrast, white respondents did not mention collective costs or group implications, focusing instead on individual behavior, with quotes like: “This is about a lack of courtesy,” and, “Their race doesn’t matter.”
January 25, 2025 at 1:16 AM
hakeemjefferson.bsky.social
This is the chicken adobo recipe we used. It’s from the chef at Mineral—an incredible Filipino recipe in Toronto.

If you’re ever in Toronto, go visit!

www.mineralto.com
A recipe card for Chef Daniel’s Chicken Adobo from @MineralToronto. The card lists the ingredients: boneless skin-on chicken thighs (or portobello mushrooms as a substitute), garlic, shallots, neutral oil, bay leaves, cracked black pepper, soy sauce (with a gluten-free tamari option), unseasoned rice wine vinegar (or apple cider/white wine vinegar), low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock/water), and freshly cooked rice. The instructions are as follows: 1. Add canola oil to a preheated pot on medium-low heat, along with garlic and shallot. 2. Stir for 3 minutes, then add bay leaf and cracked pepper. 3. Cook for one more minute while stirring. 4. Add soy sauce, unseasoned rice wine vinegar, and low-sodium chicken stock, and bring to a low simmer. 5. Add the boneless chicken thighs (skin-side up) to the pot and keep at a low simmer for 15 minutes. 6. Carefully remove the chicken and place it on a platter. 7. Preheat a non-stick pan on medium heat, add canola oil, and place chicken thighs skin-side down. Sear until the skin is lightly browned and crispy, then remove and place back on the platter. 8. When the braising liquid in the pot is reduced to your liking, adjust the seasoning with soy sauce or vinegar to taste. 9. Pour the finished sauce over your crispy chicken thighs and serve with warm rice. The card includes a QR code and the website Mineralto.com at the bottom. (Alt text AI generated)
January 6, 2025 at 3:18 PM