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›- Cloaking Inequity By Julian Vasquez Heilig
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Cloaking Inequity By Julian Vasquez Heilig - Education & Personal Development
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He Usually Folds: Why Higher Education Must Apply Pressure to Trump – Cloaking Inequity
It’s a familiar story by now. The bluster. The threats. The intimidation. And then—when someone finally stands their ground—Donald Trump folds or weakly deflects responsibility to get out of the line of fire. From the boardroom to the Oval Office, the former president has built a brand on spectacle. But time and again, when confronted…
Beyond Apples and Hashtags: What Teacher Appreciation Really Requires – Cloaking Inequity
It’s Teacher Appreciation Week. Across the country, students are writing heartfelt notes, school boards are issuing proclamations, and social media is filling up with photos of thank-you signs, coffee carts, and PTA-sponsored breakfasts. And yes—every gesture matters. For me, being an educator is not just a profession—it’s in my blood. I come from a long…
“Disruption” is having a moment—but for all the wrong reasons – Cloaking Inequity
What once referred to innovation in education is now being weaponized to justify attacks on academic freedom, equity, anWhat once referred to innovation in education is now being weaponized to justify attacks on academic freedom, equity, and public trust. Politicians are invoking “disruption” to burn down what they cannot control. University leaders invoke it to…
Rethinking Educational Leadership Searches: Lessons from the Michigan Presidency – Cloaking Inequity
As some of you may know, the University of Michigan—my alma mater—recently lost its president. This moment presents a critical opportunity, not only for higher education at large but especially for the future of Michigan and the Ann Arbor community. With your permission, I’d like to offer a vision for what the Board of Regents…
DEI Strategy + Faculty Development = Student Success – Cloaking Inequity
In recent years, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs have come under increasing scrutiny and attack. Yet the empirical evidence is clear: when thoughtfully designed and integrated, DEI initiatives play a pivotal role in improving campus climate, advancing student success, and closing equity gaps in higher education. Nowhere is this more evident than in the…
The Rise of the Unqualified: Inside the Kakistocracy Running American Education – Cloaking Inequity
This past week, I had the opportunity to gather with colleagues and scholars from around the world at the 2025 AERA Annual Meeting in Denver. It was a time to reconnect, to reflect, and to engage deeply with new ideas shaping the future of education research and policy. One of the moments that resonated with…
From Presidential Dreams to Purposeful Connections: Reflections from Puerto Rico – Cloaking Inequity
Last week, I found myself exploring the vibrant neighborhoods and beautiful landscapes of Puerto Rico—from the lively streets of Old San Juan and colorful La Perla to the rhythm of bomba at Piñones Beach, the art of Calle Cerra, the energy of La Placita, the innovation of the T-Mobile District, the serenity of Condado Beach…
When the Con Becomes Policy: How Trump University Can Become a National Model – Cloaking Inequity
Please don't yawn. When most Americans hear the word “accreditation,” their eyes glaze over. It’s not flashy. It doesn’t spark headlines like student debt relief or campus protests. But accreditation is one of the quiet, foundational pillars of American higher education. It’s the gatekeeper of federal student aid, the validator of institutional quality, and the primary public…
The Courage Deficit: How Trump Hacked Education—and What We Must Do Now – Cloaking Inequity
Donald Trump didn’t need to understand pedagogy, curriculum theory, or student development to begin reshaping American education. He only needed to understand one thing: most educational leaders lack courage and savvy. That’s the real hack. Trump recognized that superintendents, college presidents, school boards, and state commissioners—many of whom were trained and hired in an era…
How Trump Is Using Strategic Chaos to Reengineer Public Education – Cloaking Inequity
Donald Trump’s relationship with the media has always been a spectacle—loud, antagonistic, and unapologetically aggressive. But beneath the chaos lies a deeper, more calculated strategy. What appears as spontaneous outrage or off-the-cuff belligerence is often carefully designed to serve a broader purpose: manipulating public discourse to normalize extremist policies. This tactic isn’t new to authoritarian…
Trump’s HBCU Cosplay?: Dark Politics Behind the “Excellence and Innovation” Executive Order – Cloaking Inequity
On April 23, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a new Executive Order titled the White House Initiative to Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. On paper, it may appear to be a continuation—perhaps even an expansion—of past White House commitments across political administrations to HBCUs. It name-checks prosperity. It invokes innovation.…
Trump’s New Dark Age: What You Missed on “Talk Out of School” – Cloaking Inequity
If you missed it live, I joined education advocate and host Leonie Haimson on WBAI’s “Talk Out of School” to sound the alarm on a growing threat to American education. This wasn’t your average policy chat—it was a serious conversation about how Donald Trump and his political allies are dragging education into a new Dark Age, dismantling the very pillars…
The New Assassination: Silencing ChangeMakers with Smears – Cloaking Inequity
Once upon a time, America assassinated its changemakers with bullets. They killed Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr.—leaders who dared to call the nation to a higher moral ground. But physical violence has a cost. It leaves martyrs and monuments. So today’s power structure has evolved. In the age of media saturation and…
The NAACP Is Suing the U.S. Department of Education—Here’s Why Every Parent, Educator, and Student Should Be Paying Attention – Cloaking Inequity
Across the country, we’re witnessing an unprecedented and highly coordinated campaign to undermine public education, suppress civil rights protections, and target historically marginalized communities under the false banners of “freedom” and “parental rights.” At the center of this movement is a push to defund and dismantle the U.S. Department of Education—the federal agency charged with enforcing…
Talk Out of School: Is Trump Forcing Education Into a New Dark Age? – Cloaking Inequity
On Sunday, April 20 at 7 PM EST, I’ll be joining Leonie Haimson on WBAI 99.5 FM’s Talk Out of School to discuss one of the most urgent questions facing American public education today: Is Trump forcing education into a new Dark Age? That’s not just a rhetorical question. It’s a serious inquiry into the political and ideological project underway—a…
At Naval Academy: Maya Angelou Out. Mein Kampf In. This Is Not Okay. – Cloaking Inequity
The headline sounds like a dystopian satire. But it’s real. It’s happening. And it’s happening now. “Maya Angelou Is Out but Mein Kampf Stays at the Naval Academy Library,” reported The New York Times. Let that sink in. According to the Times, an order from the office of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—yes, that Pete Hegseth the former weekend FoxNews Host—triggered a…
In Defense of Liberty: When Stanford Stands Tall—and Michigan Shrinks – Cloaking Inequity
Every once in a while, your alma mater does something that reminds you what higher education is supposed to stand for. In a moment when academic freedom is under siege, when censorship is being repackaged as patriotism, and when political overreach is infiltrating the classroom, Stanford University rose above the noise. It didn’t just issue a statement—it…
The Freedom Flip: When the Right Became the Left (But Not Really) – Cloaking Inequity
For decades, the ideological divide in American politics could be roughly characterized by values: the political left pushed for anti-discrimination, equity, and inclusion, while the political right championed liberty, tradition, and patriotism. These weren’t just slogans—they were the guiding stars for political narratives and policy priorities. But something strange, even Orwellian, has happened in the…
Missing Without Action: Why Your University President’s Silence Could Cost Us Our Democracy – Cloaking Inequity
This week, more than 60 current and former university presidents—from some of the nation’s most respected institutions—issued a powerful joint statement in support of Harvard University President Alan Garber. Why? Because Garber refused to capitulate to sweeping, ideologically driven demands issued by the Trump administration. Let’s be clear: this is not just a Harvard story. It is a…
Some Universities Are Done Playing Defense—They’re Building an Army for Mutual Defense – Cloaking Inequity
A New Era of Academic Solidarity A quiet revolution is taking place in higher education—but not in classrooms or laboratories. It’s happening in Faculty Senates, university councils, and academic governance bodies across the country. These groups are sounding the alarm and organizing in response to the escalating political incursions into academic life. From ideological censorship to…
Crimson Courage: Harvard Stands Up to Political Intimidation – Cloaking Inequity
The storm clouds over American higher education have been gathering. What once seemed unthinkable is now common: politically motivated threats to academic autonomy, the weaponization of federal funding, and coordinated campaigns to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. These attacks are part of a well-funded, ideologically driven effort to remake education in a narrow,…
Moms for Liberty: The New Face of Authoritarianism in America’s Classrooms? – Cloaking Inequity
The Facade of Parental Advocacy At first glance, the name "Moms for Liberty" sounds harmless—almost wholesome. It evokes a Norman Rockwell painting of concerned mothers banding together to protect their children from harm. In fact, that is the group's carefully curated image. They claim to be defending “parental rights,” “liberty,” and “transparency” in public schools.…
Vanishing Visas: The Disappearance of Justice (and Souls) in U.S. Higher Education – Cloaking Inequity
What does it mean when students and faculty disappear? When the very institutions charged with cultivating the next generation of global leaders—our colleges and universities—become sites of surveillance and exile, we are witnessing not only an educational crisis, but a moral one. Over the past few weeks, reports have surfaced from Harvard, the University of…
Public Education in Danger: The Five Executive Orders You Need to Know About – Cloaking Inequity
In recent months, we’ve witnessed a barrage of executive orders—a deliberate and coordinated attempt to reverse decades of progress in public education and civil rights. So far, I estimate that at least 15 executive orders have been introduced or enacted that directly threaten the educational landscape, targeting everything from inclusive curriculum and gender identity policies to voting rights,…
First Jackie Robinson. Now Harriet Tubman. The Erasure of Black History in Real Time – Cloaking Inequity
In March 2025, I raised an alarm on Cloaking Inequity when tributes to Jackie Robinson—one of the most iconic figures in American history—were quietly removed from Department of Defense webpages. That post, The Erasure of Black History in the Name of an Assault on DEI, chronicled a disturbing moment: the U.S. government not only failed to honor a…
Hands Off!: Trump Now Threatens Billions in K-12 Education Funding Over DEI – Cloaking Inequity
The Trump administration has launched a full-frontal assault on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in public education. In its latest power move, the U.S. Department of Education has issued another threatening ultimatum to every state and school district in America: Sign a letter disavowing DEI or risk losing federal funding. At the heart of this…
What If the U.S. Department of Education Disappeared Overnight? – Cloaking Inequity
That’s one of the hard-hitting questions we explored during my recent conversation with Jesse Turner—on The Readman Truth to Power Hour on 103.5 WNHH. Jesse and I went deep. We talked about what’s really at stake in education right now—from the halls of Washington, D.C., to classrooms across the country. I shared some of the insights I’ve…
Reclaiming Education as a Civil Right: My Return to NAACP Leadership – Cloaking Inequity
It’s with deep honor—and a sense of full-circle purpose—that I share this news:I’ve returned to civil rights leadership with the national NAACP. I’ll be working alongside the formidable Dr. Adora Obi Nweze, Chair of the National Education Committee, as we expand and execute a bold vision for educational equity across the nation. As someone who…
The Rise of the Dual State in America – Cloaking Inequity
There’s a quiet but alarming shift happening in how power is being envisioned—and potentially wielded—in the United States. While headlines fixate on elections and candidates, behind the curtain, a deeper transformation is being modeled: the rise of what political scientists call a “dual state”. What sparked this reflection? A recent incident where U.S. national-security leaders…
What If Obama and Trump Faced Off in 2028? – Cloaking Inequity
So I was watching Chris Cuomo’s show the other night, and there it was: Steve Bannon, in all seriousness, said that Republicans are working on a way to allow Donald Trump to run for a third term. Bannon called Trump “the greatest political talent in a generation.” Whether you agree or not, that comment got…
Thoughts for Students: Gandhi, King, Chávez, and the Burden of Moral Resistance – Cloaking Inequity
In April 2024, university campuses across the United States became epicenters of activism as students established encampments to protest U.S. policies and university investments related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. These demonstrations, reminiscent of historical movements for justice, reignited debates on free speech, civil disobedience, and the ethical boundaries of protest. This topic is not only…
When Loyalty Replaces Qualifications: The Cost to Democracy—and How We Push Back – Cloaking Inequity
It started with the attempt to make Matt Gaetz the Attorney General of the United States. Despite lacking significant legal experience, Gaetz—better known for bombast and loyal soundbites than legal credentials—was chosen to lead the Department of Justice. It wasn’t about legal expertise or a proven record of upholding the Constitution. It was about unflinching loyalty. That…
The Erasure of Black History in the Name of an Assault on DEI – Cloaking Inequity
The U.S. Department of Defense just quietly deleted a webpage about Jackie Robinson’s military service—a piece of history that sheds light on his role as a Black Army officer who fought against segregation in the military. And why? Because it was part of a broader purge of anything connected to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).…
Victory for Educator Preparation: Federal Court Reinstates Over 100 Terminated Teacher Preparation Grants – Cloaking Inequity
In a major win for educator preparation programs, a federal court has ruled that more than 100 grants supporting teacher training and development—unlawfully terminated by the Trump Administration—must be reinstated. This decision marks a significant moment in the fight for high-quality teacher preparation and equitable access to well-trained educators across the nation. Why This Ruling…
America’s Cultural Revolution is Here: The Parallels We Can’t Ignore – Cloaking Inequity
The term “Cultural Revolution” is most closely associated with China’s Proletarian Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and Iran’s Cultural Revolution (1980–1987)—two radical movements that upended institutions, targeted intellectuals, and reshaped society to fit ideological purity tests. These revolutions led to the purging of educators, the rewriting of history, and the persecution of those who refused to conform. Now, in 21st-century America, we are…
History Warns Us: Have a Plan for When They Try to Disappear You – Cloaking Inequity
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a Jew. Then they…
The Killing of Gaza’s University Presidents and the Destruction of Palestinian Academia – Cloaking Inequity
In Gaza, the Israeli military’s ongoing assault has taken the lives of more than 100 professors and academics, a staggering blow to higher education, intellectual progress, and the future of Palestinian students. Among those killed are three distinguished university presidents, each of whom dedicated their lives to education, scientific advancement, and the empowerment of their…
The Leaders We Need: How Changemakers Will Save Education from Collapse – Cloaking Inequity
Leadership in education is always a test of vision, resilience, and the ability to balance competing demands. But when crises hit—whether it’s a global pandemic, budget shortfalls, or political interference—true leadership is revealed. Some leaders rise to the moment, navigating challenges with integrity and a focus on long-term solutions. Others react in ways that destabilize…
The Shocking Truth: How Authoritarians Are Attacking Freedom in America Right Now – Cloaking Inequity
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press..."—First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For those of you carrying pocket-sized Constitutions, here’s a reminder: the First Amendment explicitly protects free speech and a free press. Yet today, the…
Who Controls Your Classroom? The Fight for Academic Freedom in an Age of Censorship – Cloaking Inequity
A faculty member recently shared a troubling story that highlights the growing assault on academic freedom in higher education. She recounted how a dean at a Southeastern Conference (SEC) College of Education called her into his office and told her she was "teaching too much diversity" in her teacher education course. This chilling directive—an overt…