The pulpit and the patriot: How religion fueled the American Revolution
In the years leading up to the Revolution, Protestant preachers, sometimes referred to as the “black-robed regiment,” used biblical texts and spiritual ideas to reframe the treasonous act of rebellion into righteous moral duty, according to Mark Valeri, vice director of the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis.
From the vault: Jesse Jackson on running for president
In a 1989 video digitized by WashU Libraries, Jackson reflects on his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., his role in Chicago politics and how he found himself to be a presidential candidate. Jackson died Feb. 17 at age 84.
Mustakeem to receive Dred Scott Freedom Award
Sowande’ Mustakeem, associate professor of history and of African and African American studies, both in Arts & Sciences, will receive a 2026 Dred Scott Freedom Award March 7.
Trump accounts must have auto enrollment
Widespread promotion has started for so-called Trump Accounts, including an ad during the Super Bowl. The accounts allow parents to opt in to claim investment seed money of up to $1,000 for their children. But that opt-in part is problematic, say two experts on child development accounts at Washington University in St. Louis.
Guaranteed income improves food security for Black households in Georgia, study finds
Guaranteed income programs may reduce food insecurity and improve nutrition among low-income Black households in Georgia, according to a new study led by the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.
‘Michelangelo & Titian’
In his new book, “Michelangelo & Titian: A Tale of Rivalry & Genius,” WashU’s William Wallace explores a mutual admiration, and simmering competition, that unfolded over decades.
Exhibit features rare copies of Declaration of Independence
“Unalienable Rights: 250 Years of the Declaration of Independence,” a new exhibit at Olin Library, explores all aspects of the declaration. Artifacts include a copy of the declaration that traveled to the moon, a copy of the first commercially produced declaration and WashU’s rare Southwick broadside, one of only seven in existence.
Destructive Imagination
Male Fantasies and the Emotional Roots of Russia’s War in Ukraine
Russian soldiers did not go to war with only guns and orders—they went with fantasies that made killing feel meaningful. Drawing on diaries, social media posts, memoirs, poems, and battlefield songs, Maria Kurbak reconstructs the war from below. She shows how Russian combatants turn old wounds—NATO’s bombing of Yugoslavia, the collapse of the USSR, personal […]
Kigali
A New City for the End of the World
A searing critique of capitalist solutions to climate change, “Kigali” is an ethnography of a city that is being destroyed so that it can be rebuilt for the end of the world.
Joe receives research honor
Sean Joe, the Benjamin E. Youngdahl Professor of Social Development at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, received an honorable mention for the 2026 Excellence in Research Award from the Society for Social Work and Research.
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