"If fed govt outlaws campus affinity groups for their connection to DEI, it will be rejecting principle of free association. In that case...any conservative orgs have no more claims to legitimacy than any other college affinity group." Jeffrey Aaron Snyder chronicle.com/article/trumps…

Trump's anti-DEI campaign threatens one of our most sacred freedoms, the freedom of association. Voluntary affinity groups are an American tradition, not illegal segregation cc: Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️, Speaker Mike Johnson, President Donald J. Trump, Heritage Foundation, Manhattan Institute, Cato Institute banished.substack.com/p/whatever-hap…

This is an excellent letter by FIRE, which absolutely and consistently holds the line on free speech.

NEW: PEN America today criticized WY Governor Mark Gordon for signing the first law to censor higher education in 2025. The law prohibits DEI programming, restricts coursework, and threatens government services across Wyoming. Read more here. pen.org/press-release/…

Spot on Keith E. Whittington!

I recently spoke at UW-Eau Claire, on a panel organized by the Menard Center for Constitutional Studies: "Meaningful Conversations on Middle East Peace: Global Perspectives and Pathways Forward.” With Ari M Gordon & Amna Khalid. Video available here: cato.org/multimedia/med…

Two years ago I wrote an article providing a deep dive into cog/psych literature exploring whether and how the latest "Great Awokening" may correspond with the observed increases in anxiety and depression among young people: musaalgharbi.com/2023/03/21/ide… The Economist just dropped

The paperback version of FREE SPEECH is out! It comes with a new epilogue, so you can save money AND get new material.

There are real flaw with DEI. But the answer is not an ax that takes everything down. This is an issue that requires nuance and critical thinking. That is in short supply in our country today. realclearpolitics.com/articles/2025/…

"If university leaders cannot muster the strength or conviction to decline to follow unlawful and unethical orders and challenge these actions in the courts, then they should resign in disgrace or be pushed out." Musa al-Gharbi theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

"If, in this moment, faculty refuse to make use of the rights and freedoms we have, then it doesn’t matter if they’re stripped away, and they will be." Musa al-Gharbi theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

University leaders would do well to pay attention to what Michael S Roth is saying: "Many decision makers are afraid, and so they choose a path of appeasement with a White House bent on revenge and aggrandizing power, hoping it will work. It won’t." time.com/7272520/appeas…

Headed to #Toronto. On April 3, I'll be delivering the keynote for the opening night of #DXC25 at OCAD University, followed by a discussion with nam kiwanuka. If you're a scholar, journalist, or other stakeholder in Toronto, hit me up while I'm around!

"Those who attack people like Mahmoud Khalil today will be breaking bread with the “Ausländer raus!” folks tomorrow. They will seek new targets. Who’s next?" Michael S Roth nytimes.com/2025/04/07/opi…

"The willingness of the admin to target schools serving low-income students for noncompliance with its interpretation of federal civil rights law illustrates its commitment to returning American ed to a time before the Civil Rights Act." adam harris nytimes.com/2025/04/08/opi…

"History teaches a simple lesson: societies that welcome dissenting outsiders tend to flourish — intellectually, culturally, and politically. Those that silence them in the name of vague security grounds or ideological purity often decay." Jacob Mchangama open.substack.com/pub/thebedrock…

"Using the IRS as a tool for political retribution undermines the agency’s impartiality and jeopardizes the foundational principle of equal justice under law." Greg Lukianoff thefire.org/news/revoking-…

Coming to this a bit late but if you haven't read this interview w/ Wesleyan's president Michael S Roth, do so NOW! He models what higher ed leaders should be doing at this moment when the freedom to think is under attack: newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/a…

Excited to learn about Greg Lukianoff's new co-authored volume with Nadine Strossen coming from Heresy Press. This was an essential series on FIRE's site, and this makes its arguments all the more accessible. Happy to help promote!

I had the honor of speaking on AI and free speech at The Copenhagen Democracy Summit, where I presented some of The Future of Free Speech.