In my new piece for @lawfaremedia.org, I trace the longer history of the Trump administration's controversial Afrikaner refugee policy and examine South Africa's response to it: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/afri...

Afrikaner Refugees and the Limits of U.S. Pressure on South Africa

Beyond Washington’s refugee policy is a larger story about South Africa’s foreign policy and the limits of U.S. power in a multipolar world.

lawfaremedia.org

Peter Cole traces how Soweto’s Black students ignited a nationwide revolt against apartheid in June 1976, reshaping South Africa’s political future. roape.net/2026/07/08/s...

Soweto students rise up against apartheid | ROAPE

Soweto was a Black “township,” the South African term for an all-Black (or Indian or “Coloured”) suburb whose residents’ primary purpose was to serve the needs of the nearby white population, in this ...

roape.net

Check out my newest piece for Lawfare @lawfaremedia.org

Lawfare@lawfaremedia.org · last mo.

The U.S. has admitted thousands of Afrikaner refugees while freezing admissions for nearly everyone else, based on a "white genocide" claim South Africans across racial lines reject. @mattiecwebb.bsky.social on why this policy is costing Washington credibility: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/afri...

It’s Flag Day, & let’s counter the dumpster fire at one of our most historic public sites with all the great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books in my 280th #ScholarSunday thread! Add more below, share widely, & enjoy, all! 🗃️ + blackwhiteandread.com/scholarsunda...

#ScholarSunday Thread 280 (6/14/26) – Black and White and Read All Over

It’s Flag Day, & let’s counter the dumpster fire at one of our most historic public sites with all the great public scholarly writing, podcasts, new & forthcoming books in my 280th #ScholarSunday thre...

blackwhiteandread.com

Excited to share my newest article, which sits at the intersection of distance running & African politics. The Cape Town Marathon is now a World Marathon Major, but what does it mean for South Africa to represent the African continent? africasacountry.com/2026/06/the-...

The distance between

The Cape Town Marathon has become Africa’s first World Marathon Major. But can a city that sees itself as an exception to the continent be its marathon capital?

africasacountry.com

South Africa takes on Mexico today in the opening match of the FIFA World Cup. In my new piece for the Philadelphia Inquirer @inquirer.com, I use the World Cup to explore the history of U.S.-South African relations, arguing that race has remained at the center: share.inquirer.com/OSgmRh

Could the FIFA World Cup reduce U.S.-South African tensions?

The U.S.-South Africa relationship was long shaped by the Cold War. Today, racial politics are more exposed.

share.inquirer.com

Excited to share my H-Diplo review of Elisabeth Leake’s superb article, “The Decolonization Paradigm.” I saw Elisabeth introduce it as the Bernath lecture at last year’s SHAFR, so it was a joy to revisit her work here: networks.h-net.org/group/discus...

You don't need to be an IR theorist to realize that immensely threatening ultimatums to destroy entire "civilizations" send really bad signals to the international community as a whole, adversaries and allies alike. No matter the result.

Excited to share a project that Tom Penfold and I are beginning to work on. Countering Solidarity examines how apartheid South Africa tried to undermine international anti-apartheid movements. We are still early stages, but are eager to gauge interest! Feel free to reach out.

High school juniors passionate about world politics - apply now to IGA’s Summer Geopolitics Academy! Prepare for a degree and career in geopolitics. Visit our website for eligibility details and application instructions and spread the word. DEADLINE: APRIL 6

Follow our nonresident fellows on social media and keep an eye out for their important work. instituteforglobalaffairs.org/2026/02/nonr...

Six new nonresident fellows join the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group

The experts in IGA’s 2026 cohort of visiting fellows will conduct policy-relevant research and promote greater public understanding of critical geopolitical issues.

instituteforglobalaffairs.org

@mattiecwebb.bsky.social, PhD, is an assistant professor of history at the Virginia Military Institute, specializing in US foreign relations, labor, and the global politics of race and inequality. Mattie will bring a historical lens to contemporary debates on sanctions and corporate power.

I’m excited to officially join the Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group @instglobalaffairs.bsky.social as a 2026 Nonresident Fellow!

Institute for Global Affairs at Eurasia Group@instglobalaffairs.bsky.social · 6mo ago

IGA’s Independent America program is proud to present this year’s cohort of nonresident fellows. The nonresident fellows each bring a record of scholarship and cutting-edge policy research in a complex international landscape.

Want to see our fundamental rights as Americans according to the Bill of Rights? Like…the right to peaceably assemble (i.e. protest?) Here you go. www.archives.gov/founding-doc...

The Bill of Rights: What Does it Say?

Español Accordion [accordion classes="" id="59774" expand_first="true"][/accordion] Back to Main Page How Did it Happen?

archives.gov

in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today

#AHA26 highlights. It was great spending a few days in Chicago, reconnecting with friends and colleagues from all over. Got some feedback on a chapter for an edited volume, participated in an op-ed workshop, and explored the city. Can’t wait to be back—such an underrated city.

Two AHA panels that will be of great interest to historians of empire, labor, and the Cold War. Looking forward to seeing many of you in Chicago later this week!

Tej Nagaraja@tejnagaraja.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Will you be at the AHA historians meeting in Chicago this week? Hope to cross paths. This week proves to be a timely moment — to discuss the links between empire and economy, class and war. These are two panels — on Saturday, January 10:

Thinking about what to put on your reading list to kick off the new year? My book, Saving Apartheid: White Internationalism at the End of the Cold War is officially available for preorder (for release March 2026) wherever books are sold. Beyond excited! cup.columbia.edu/book/saving-...

Saving Apartheid | Columbia University Press

During the 1980s, as global antiapartheid sentiment grew, an international coalition of far-right activists arose to preserve racial hierarchy in South Afric... | CUP

cup.columbia.edu

Broke: America is a violent, expansionist empire but we tell ourselves we're not Woke: Damn straight we're a violent, expansionist empire and we're not not going to hide it anymore

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 7mo ago

BRENNAN: To be clear, there is no plan for US occupation of this country of nearly 30 million people? MARCO RUBIO: The president always retains optionality on anything and on all of these matters

Excited to catch up with so many SHAFR members at #AHA26. If you’re around on Saturday, catch our 3:30 panel: “Foreign Policy and Organized Labor during the Cold War: New History of a Pivotal Era”

SHAFR@shafrhistorians.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Headed to Chicago this week? Check out these panels made by and for @shafrhistorians.bsky.social #AHA2026

Currently reviewing “Zbig” by Edward Luce. Stumbled upon this fun, brutally honest caption. Carter was a consistent runner, logging occasional 12 mile efforts. So I’m not surprised Zbig struggled to hang on!

I’m thrilled to share my Krooss Prize summary, which Enterprise & Society @entandsoc.bsky.social recently published. I was a finalist for last year’s dissertation prize at the Business History Conference. My short article provides a preview of my forthcoming book with Columbia University Press.

Enterprise and Society@entandsoc.bsky.social · 8mo ago

And last but very much not least, we bring you the third and final of this year's Krooss Prize summaries, Mattie Webb's "Diplomacy at Work: The South African Worker, US Multinationals, and Transnational Racial Solidarity." OA here: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Former US military lawyers speak out: "The Former JAGs Working Group unanimously considers both the giving and the execution of these orders, if true, to constitute war crimes, murder, or both." Statement on Media Reports of Pentagon “No Quarter” Orders in Caribbean Boat Strikes 1/2

Check out this LAWCHA roundtable on Emma Amador's book! The Politics of Care Work: Puerto Rico Women Organizing for Social Justice...Wed., Oct. 22, 7pm...

I’m honored to have contributed to the South African Historical Journal’s “30 Years of Democracy: 1994–2024” roundtable. My essay, “Reflecting on South African History,” offers an overview of post-1994 trends in transnational and labor history. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

30 Years of Democracy: 1994–2024 Roundtable

Published in South African Historical Journal (Ahead of Print, 2025)

tandfonline.com

Looking forward to participating in the "What Force on Earth? Theorizing the Labor Movement" conference at the University of Chicago this weekend. I'll be on a panel on economic democracy. The lineup looks fantastic: neubauercollegium.uchicago.edu/events/what-...

If you find yourself this afternoon at Day 2 of #SHAFR2025, come on by Studio D from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm for an incredible lightning round of research from rising junior scholars @shafrhistorians.bsky.social

On the way to DC for the annual SHAFR conference. I’m looking forward to catching up with friends, attending some exciting panels, and suffering through the current DC heat wave. If you’re free, come to our Sat morning roundtable on The Global Cold War at 20! @shafrhistorians.bsky.social

“By casting Afrikaners as victims, the U.S. continues to protect power disguised as persecution; it heeds the calls of the privileged, while ignoring those still living with apartheid’s scars.” time.com/7287684/hist...

The Long History of the U.S. Backing White South Africans

The recent welcoming of Afrikaner refugees is the latest chapter in a history of U.S. support for white South Africans.

time.com