Kailyn S
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kailynasmith.bsky.social
Kailyn S
@kailynasmith.bsky.social
PhDing @ Boston University. HBCU Alum. Lifting Black voices in History/Philosophy of Science
Reposted by Kailyn S
The idols of white empiricism
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/full/10....
February 7, 2026 at 3:31 PM
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No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.

Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
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Delighted to share the news that my wonderful #HPS colleague @miguelohn.bsky.social has been appointed the next Director of the BU Center for Philosophy & History of Science, beginning July 1st. Congrats Miguel!
www.bu.edu/cphs/about/
About | Center for Philosophy & History of Science
www.bu.edu
February 5, 2026 at 5:56 PM
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#BlackHistoryMonth is a great time to celebrate mathematician and NASA scientist Katherine Johnson (née Coleman; 1918 – 2020). 🧪🐡👩🏾‍🔬🧮🎢 #histsci One of the first Black women employed as a NASA scientist (and its predecessor NACA), she was known for her mastery of complex manual calculations of orbital
February 3, 2026 at 12:49 PM
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Ernest Everett Just (1883–1941) was a Black American biologist who researched marine invertebrate reproduction, including sea urchins, marine worms, and sand dollars. #marinebiology #blackhistory #histsci #blackhistorymonth
February 2, 2026 at 11:44 PM
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Jordon King was told "no" 40 times looking for a professor to mentor him. Now he's researching the Everglades, inspiring thousands on social media, and showing young people that scientists don't all look the same. When barriers try to stop us, we break through them anyway.
February 1, 2026 at 7:28 PM
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This is the month and year to capitalize that B when referring to Black persons or populations or people. And for those in the back….. we do not say “Blacks” EVER #Blacksky #BHM365
February 1, 2026 at 6:08 AM
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Happy Black History Month!
This #BlackHistoryMonth, Boston Parks and Recreation is honoring Black Bostonians whose legacies live on in our parks. Today, we’re celebrating Phillis Wheatley, an enslaved woman who would go on to become the first published African American, and an internationally celebrated poet.
February 1, 2026 at 4:21 PM
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GPS pioneer and mathematician Gladys West has died. She was 95.
January 20, 2026 at 7:41 PM
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After 56 years, Indiana University is canceling the MLK dinner hosted by their Black Student Union.
Indiana University Cancels MLK Celebration Dinner
Indiana University in Indianapolis canceled a dinner in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. hosted annually in January by the Black Student Union, Mirror Indy reported.
www.insidehighered.com
January 15, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Reposted by Kailyn S
"The university’s Committee on Academic Freedom, Responsibility and Tenure voted 8-0 that Texas A&M 'had no justification for dismissing' McCoul and 'failed to follow required procedures at multiple stages,' according to a Sunday statement from the Texas A&M chapter of the AAUP."
Texas A&M committee sides with professor fired amid conservative furor
The interim leader of the public university will review the nonbinding report and make "a decision in the coming days or weeks," a spokesperson said.
www.highereddive.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:19 PM
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From an email to one of our faculty members....

Not even Plato can escape censorship at Texas A&M!
January 6, 2026 at 8:15 PM
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Texas A&M decided to publicly cancel my Ethics class, and share a false statement that I declined to provide information, which made it impossible for [them ] to request an exemption. See for yourself, if this statement is true.

They are getting creative!
ETHICS IS NOW CANCELED AT TEXAS A&M

Statement from Dr. Leonard Bright....
January 14, 2026 at 10:12 PM
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More on the sudden and unexpected cancellation of Dr. Leonard Bright's class...
January 14, 2026 at 5:52 PM
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@adamlmahoney.bsky.social and @capitalb.bsky.social have consistently been doing some of the best reporting on data centers and environmental racism, btw. If you want to support independent journalism, throw them a couple of dollars if you can
NEW: After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area

Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.

capitalbnews.org/data-center-...
After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area
Four million Americans live within 1 mile of a data center. The communities closest to them are “overwhelmingly” non-white.
capitalbnews.org
January 6, 2026 at 5:04 PM
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December 1, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Thinking about Octavia Butler’s mantra “so be it. See to it.”
February 4, 2025 at 4:13 AM
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If you're just learning about Nikki Giovanni, there's no shame. You can always read her words and meet her on the page.
December 10, 2024 at 3:08 AM
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I’m going to keep it real and hope I don’t get accused of overstating the issue; children’s liberation is the key to the future you want. The active, and often dismissed, oppression of children is near the root of what ails us as a nation.
November 13, 2024 at 1:48 PM