Author Archives: David S. Meyer

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About David S. Meyer

Author and professor of Sociology and Political Science at the University of California, Irvine

Labor Day, 2020

Posted on September 7, 2020 by David S. Meyer

(2020) Here’s a repost and re-edit of the Labor Day thinking here. In a the COVID-19 crisis, inequality is more stark than ever. The president of the United States trumpets the recovery of the stock market, which has done precious … Continue reading →

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An athletes’ boycott is a strike for racial justice.

Posted on August 26, 2020 by David S. Meyer

It’s not like the racial justice protests stopped; they just stopped getting as much attention, particularly if activists were disciplined and not destructive. And racialized police violence certainly didn’t stop, as the taped police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, … Continue reading →

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We were warned about the post office…..

Posted on August 22, 2020 by David S. Meyer

Today, a coalition of groups is staging a national campaign of protests in support of the United States Post Office.  (At right, see a demonstration in Royal Oak, Michigan.) You can find your neighborhood event at this convenient website which, … Continue reading →

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Good Trouble and school openings

Posted on August 8, 2020 by David S. Meyer

John Lewis always encouraged young activists. He routinely recounted his parents warning him to stay out of trouble when he left home for college and a leading role in the civil rights movement. Explaining the protests, the beatings he endured, … Continue reading →

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March for Our Lives (rightly!) claims credit for NY’s lawsuit against NRA

Posted on August 7, 2020 by David S. Meyer

Political activists don’t get credit unless they claim it. Minutes after New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she was filing a lawsuit calling for the National Rifle Association to be disbanded, March for Our Lives sent out an … Continue reading →

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Wall of Moms; Lawn of Dads

Posted on July 24, 2020 by David S. Meyer

Protest polarizes. So does repression. The battle in the streets at a demonstration is far less important than the battle in the stands, as those watching decide who to root for and, sometimes, to try to help. This means that … Continue reading →

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Trump and the battle of Portland

Posted on July 22, 2020 by David S. Meyer

The president of the United States is ready to sacrifice Portland, Oregon–to say nothing of the US Constitution–to buy into a longshot strategy for winning reelection. Portland, like virtually every city in the United States, has seen large and somewhat … Continue reading →

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Mourning heroes

Posted on July 18, 2020 by David S. Meyer

John Lewis is dead. So is C. T. Vivian. Our heroes are mortal, and their passing hurts, particularly now when moral courage and civic action seem more important than ever. There is some consolation in knowing that Rep. Lewis and … Continue reading →

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Who organized the racial justice demonstrations?

Posted on July 13, 2020 by David S. Meyer

I want to know who’s put together these demonstrations against racialized police violence all across the United States.  The  police  killing  of  George  Floyd  was  a provocation,  but  protests  don’t  automatically  follow  from  injustice. Organizers make demonstrations happen. Those large … Continue reading →

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Social change at Princeton (and everywhere): slowly, then suddenly

Posted on June 27, 2020 by David S. Meyer

Princeton University is renaming some buildings, awards, and programs, striking Woodrow Wilson’s name from its School of Public and International Affairs, a response to the heightened awareness of structural racism in the United States, demonstrated most literally by hundreds of … Continue reading →

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