Rachel Swarns
@rachelswarns.bsky.social
NYU professor. NYT contributing writer. Author of THE 272: the harrowing origin story of the Catholic Church and one family's indomitable will to survive. I write about history, race, life.
When she's not reading submissions, CNF Editor Sufiya Abdur-Rahman is reading recent books by Rachel L. Swarns @rachelswarns.bsky.social and by CT 9 contributor Kristin Keane. Cherry Tree is open for submissions til October 1 at cherrytree.submittable.com/submit
For those of us shaken by the news today and searching for some historical context to make sense of it all, I’m re-listening to this interview with Steven Hahn, the Pulitzer Prize winning historian of Reconstruction and, more recently, the author of Illiberal America. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/23/o...
Opinion | The Very American Roots of Trumpism
nytimes.com
I loved telling this story. It is the story of slavery in the north, too often overlooked, and the story of the unexpected friendship between two women – one Black and one white – who confronted this history together. In these times, that feels like a balm.
That marked the beginning of a journey that has carried Bruno from the archives in upstate New York – where she documented her family’s enslavement of scores of people – to Washington, DC where she finally met a descendant linked to a family her ancestors had enslaved.
Debra Bruno loved telling stories about her Dutch ancestors in upstate New York...until a historian told her: “If you have Dutch ancestors in the Hudson Valley, they were probably slave owners.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/u...
She Confronted a History of Enslavers in Her Family. Here’s What Happened.
nytimes.com
I'm excited to be speaking about my forthcoming book, The Second Emancipation, at the Schomburg Library's Centennial Festival tomorrow at 1. www.publishersweekly.com/9781324092452
The Second Emancipation: Nkrumah, Pan-Africanism, and Global Blackness at High Tide by Howard W French
In this magisterial account, journalist French (Born in Blackness) revisits the history of the Pan-Africanist movement through t...
publishersweekly.com
Debra Bruno loved telling stories about her Dutch ancestors in upstate New York...until a historian told her: “If you have Dutch ancestors in the Hudson Valley, they were probably slave owners.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/u...
She Confronted a History of Enslavers in Her Family. Here’s What Happened.
nytimes.com
RFK Jr. said multiple times during his house and senate hearings today that no scientists have been fired from federal agencies. Our reporting has shown that hundreds, if not thousands, of scientists have been let go from NIH/CDC/FDA
Pope Leo’s ancestors had roots in Black Catholic communities that were deeply impacted by the Church’s involvement in and support of slavery/segregation. That they held on to their faith and worked to make the Church responsive to a diverse flock – and produced our new pope! -- inspire me.
Pope Leo’s ancestors had roots in Black Catholic communities that were deeply impacted by the Church’s involvement in and support of slavery/segregation. That they held on to their faith and worked to make the Church responsive to a diverse flock – and produced our new pope! -- inspire me.
Hidden legacies! Our new American pope was born in Chicago, but his maternal ancestors were Creoles of color from New Orleans, according to Jari Honora, a genealogist and family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection. #PopeLeoXIV
It's the story of America that we hold in our genes. ❤️💙
Hidden legacies! Our new American pope was born in Chicago, but his maternal ancestors were Creoles of color from New Orleans, according to Jari Honora, a genealogist and family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection. #PopeLeoXIV
Though prolonged incidents of racism can lead to symptoms like those experienced with PTSD, I have heard stories from experts and interviewees that these experiences can also inspire activism and involvement in advocacy and civil rights.
I have interviewed experts who explain that hate crimes instill fear, distrust, and psychological distress within affected communities. This often restricts freedom of movement and social interaction within a community.
The effects of hate crimes are severe for adolescents, with young people experiencing anger, fear, and social withdrawal, studies show. Experts explain that when youths are not in a position to make sense of hate crime experiences, they internalize them in ways that impact their racial identity.
For many Black communities, the trauma of hate crimes does not end when the attack stops. Hate crimes can lead to mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, PTSD, and substance use, according to a 2023 article by the American Psychological Association.
Experts expressed that a community's desire for retaliation can lead to collective action, sometimes in a radical way. Thank you @rachelswarns.bsky.social! This assignment has taught me a lot about the struggles my community faces.
I found my passion in journalism at 15 after experiencing anti-Asian hate and seeing reporters amplify my voice. Now, victims feel like their stories are not important just because the media moved on. In @rachelswarns.bsky.social’s class, I’m digging into how that silence fuels more hate.
Rachel Swarns (@rachelswarns.bsky.social)
NYU professor. NYT contributing writer. Author of THE 272: the harrowing origin story of the Catholic Church and one family's indomitable will to survive. I write about history, race, life.
rachelswarns.bsky.social
Some advocates say the mental health impacts of these laws corresponds with an increase in suicidiality. Transgender and gender-nonconforming teens in states that passed anti-trans laws targetting minors had up to a 72% increase in suicide attempts, according to a 2024 survey by the Trevor Project.
The ACLU tracked 533 anti-LGBTQ bills nationwide in the 2024 legislative session, including hot topic items such as gender-affirming care bans for minors and "Don't Say Gay" laws. These laws, and several Trump administration executive orders, specifically target minors.
Thank you to @rachelswarns.bsky.social for this assignment.
The NYPD’s statistics from 2024 say that 12% of hate crimes that year were against the LGBTQ community—totaling to 78 incidents. And, the ACLU is currently tracking 563 anti-LGBTQ bills in various state legislatures. I’m looking at how this happened and its impact on the community.
Anti-LGBTQ hate crimes have been surging around the country. Some experts say that the Trump administration has emboldened people to commit them. What does that mean for the queer community?
Gen Z is more likely than any other generation to identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite growing acceptance and tolerance, queer young people are feeling increasingly vulnerable. For @rachelswarns.bsky.social's class, I'm writing about why that is, and how young people are coping:
What does hate look like in New York City? My undergraduate students at nyu.edu have been poring over court records, interviewing lawyers, victims and scholars as they report on hate crimes – and the battle to combat them -- across the city.
