Alan Dettlaff
@AlanDettlaff
Followers
16,294
Following
6,698
Media
708
Statuses
8,019
Author | abolitionist | co-founder of the @upendmovement to abolish family policing | book: | 🇲🇽🏳️🌈 | views mine | Free 🇵🇸
Joined June 2011
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
#PLdaGloboNão
• 468302 Tweets
Arsenal
• 444475 Tweets
Tottenham
• 299199 Tweets
Spurs
• 223691 Tweets
Maynez
• 101287 Tweets
インプレゾンビ
• 96802 Tweets
Ortega
• 81154 Tweets
Corinthians
• 60530 Tweets
Ange
• 53430 Tweets
Menem
• 51216 Tweets
#虎に翼
• 45959 Tweets
Romero
• 39349 Tweets
West Ham
• 33014 Tweets
Harrison Butker
• 31818 Tweets
Fever
• 28509 Tweets
Caitlin Clark
• 26604 Tweets
Peñarol
• 26304 Tweets
Hulk
• 21990 Tweets
Gabi
• 19617 Tweets
#WNBA
• 16944 Tweets
Lunin
• 15311 Tweets
Petrobras
• 14740 Tweets
#VoleiNoSporTV
• 13124 Tweets
Yuri Alberto
• 11918 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
In just one week from today, on August 11, my book will be officially released! But pre-orders have already shipped so you might receive yours early. Thank you all so much for your support. I can't wait to share this with everyone!
5
40
131
This is what it’s like now for LGBTQ+ students at
@UHouston
.
Of course, no one with the university told anyone about this. We found out from these signs which were posted last week.
539
5K
16K
Yesterday I was removed as Dean
@UH_SocialWork
. While this isn’t what I hoped for, I’m very proud of my time as Dean and particularly of advancing an abolitionist perspective in social work. Unfortunately, the resistance to this was too great, and as a result I am no longer Dean.
270
602
5K
The life of a police officer is of no greater value than the lives of those the police murder. This is a masterclass in confronting propaganda and talking points with the truth. ❤️
@msolurin
12
292
1K
Regardless of the outcome of this election, it's important to remember that the majority of White people in this country looked back on everything that's happened over the last four years and said, "We'd like more of that."
23
378
1K
I want to assure all of you that my commitment to social work, to social and racial justice, and to the work of abolition, remain as firm as ever. Backlash is something we know happens, but we also know that the work continues.
4
53
1K
When I was a CPS agent, Black mothers were often labeled "hostile & uncooperative" when they showed any form of anger. Then this was used against them to take their children as they were deemed "non-compliant." This is how racism manifests every day in the family policing system.
29
356
1K
The White privilege on display today has been stunning. If anyone ever questioned whether there are two different systems of “justice” in America, we’re all now watching it play out.
7
300
1K
I'm so excited to share with you all the cover of my new book! Coming this September from Oxford University Press!
47
196
1K
In my first year as Dean, I was reprimanded for using a quote from Assata Shakur and told I could never reference her again.
This was the spark that began my radicalization.
Happy Birthday Assata. Thank you for helping me understand what liberation really means. (more tomorrow)
1
164
1K
The craziest thing about the January 6 hearings is that 1,049 people have been shot and killed by the police in the past year.
11
190
816
The corporate media doesn’t want you to know this is happening. Please help share.
#FreePalestine
BREAKING: Thousands and thousands of New Yorkers take over the Brooklyn bridge for a free Palestine and an immediate end to the genocide in Gaza.
225
13K
38K
9
380
838
In more news of the “water is wet” variety, if we give parents money to buy food for their children, they’re less likely to be charged by the state with neglect.
11
267
821
Dear Journal Editors: Please inform your reviewers that it is not necessary for authors to provide a citation when they state a system is racist. This falls under the category of "common knowledge" and a citation is not required.
728
175
820
There should be no world where wealthy executives debate whether to continue a game after someone possibly just died while playing that game on live tv. Capitalism is an evil beyond understanding.
16
110
763
I’m very grateful to those of you who have supported this work and joined me in this work. This is the work that I will continue in my role as professor and I look forward to continuing to work with the many of you who are also committed to this.
2
26
722
I am also very proud of the work we did collectively to advance a commitment to racial justice in our College and in the broader profession, and I'm hopeful this work will continue as well.
2
30
670
ANNOUNCING OUR 2nd KEYNOTE SPEAKER!
We are very excited to announce that Mariame Kaba (
@prisonculture
) will be joining us for a keynote presentation on Day 2 of the
@upendmovement
virtual convening. October 17th-18th, 2022.
REGISTER HERE:
4
131
613
Thank you to each of you who has shown me support both professionally and personally during my time as dean. Please know how much I value your own commitment to this work and the solidarity many of us found as we continue to push for real systemic and structural change.
3
23
608
I have no interest in “reimagining” policing. I want to end the police. It is an entirely different position.
#AbolishThePolice
32
105
581
I will always be grateful for all of the support so many of you have shown me and I look forward to our continued work together toward liberation.
15
22
582
Angela Davis on
#socialwork
:
"Social work has a radical history. Here we are 50-75 years later & we see social work has been infected with a carceral logic that prevents people who are social workers from doing the work that needs to be done in order to change society."
7
168
541
.
@UH_SocialWork
students! We have copies of
@dereckapurnell
's Becoming Abolitionists for all of you! Stop by to pick up your copy any time (or if you're an online student, we'll mail them).
18
32
528
Typically, when a Dean moves on or steps down, they get a nice letter from their university wishing them well & outlining their accomplishments. Since I won't be getting this from
@UHouston
, I thought I'd document these accomplishments here - just for the record. A thread...
8
40
509
On the eve of the first "National Conference on Police Social Work" in Bloomington, Indiana, an Indiana cop is charged with battery after stomping a homeless, handcuffed Black man in the face.
Don't tell me we need to consider "all perspectives" on this...
A white police sergeant in Indiana is charged with 2 felonies after bodycam footage allegedly showed him stomping on the head of a handcuffed homeless Black man.
238
561
2K
3
181
487
If you didn’t previously have a reason to stop listening to Brené Brown, you do now.
21
69
470
The Supreme Court just decided that Black and Brown people were starting to advance just a little too much for their liking.
This is how whiteness stays in power.
24
137
461
I started this morning kind of down and struggling to shake off a lot of negative thoughts. And then I came into my office to see this. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this. I'm incredibly grateful and proud to be part of this with you.
20
12
442
At what point does a society decide that it is ok to treat someone like this? How can anyone know of this story, and not do everything in their power to close every prison in this country?
11
173
428
A reminder that reporting anyone to a “child protection” hotline is not a neutral act. It causes harm every time.
21
56
416
When social workers partner with the police, we are complicit in the racial violence and oppression they produce. If we mean what we say in our value statements, we should wholly reject programs like this.
6
129
389
10 years ago today, Vince and I got married in New York City after 13 years together (that makes 23 years total)! These are some of my favorite pictures from that day.
38
3
385
TOMORROW! The conversation on abolition in social work will not be silenced.
JOIN US:
7
90
384
This is a shocking account of how deeply white saviorism is embedded in child welfare systems, funneling babies from their parents into adoptive homes. Those of us who worked in the system know this but to see it described so blatantly is still shocking.
12
170
370
Since
@UH_SocialWork
is not allowed to share this news, I want to thank all the graduating students who voted for me to receive the “Outstanding Faculty Member” award this year. You are the future of this profession and I’m incredibly grateful to each of you.
23
26
363
Thank you
@TexasObserver
for inviting me to share the story of my removal as Dean of
@UH_SocialWork
, and to share my thoughts on the real promise of abolition and why this work must continue.
7
126
360
The "child welfare" system has been terrorizing Black families for decades. We should all be angry about the harm the system is causing to trans youth in Texas, but we should be even angrier that this harm has been allowed to happen to Black families for decades.
7
102
352
I started to put together an abolitionist library in my office for students to check out and borrow books from. I know this is just scratching the surface so I'd appreciate your recommendations. What else do I need?
61
41
358
In 2020 alone, the state forcibly seized 216,838 children from their parents. 64% were due to "neglect" and another 9% due to "housing."
This is not a system that is protecting children from harm. This is a system that is inflicting harm on families solely because they are poor.
18
116
346
ICYMI: Here is the full clip of
@CBSSunday
’s story on the family policing system.
If you didn’t previously understand why many of us are calling for abolition, this piece tragically documents the pain and destruction this system causes families.
16
164
337
Social workers need to abandon the idea that we need to be open to “all perspectives." We don’t. Particularly when it comes to the police.
We can simply say no, we’re not going to consider “all perspectives” about a harmful, racist system that's responsible for endless trauma.
3
64
341
I haven’t said much about this because it makes me very anxious, but over the last several months I’ve been writing my very first book. It will be about abolishing the family policing system and will hopefully be out next year. More to come…
26
13
340
When Black children and families tell us about the harm they’ve experienced from foster care, that’s evidence.
10
54
331
To all the White academics out there, when Black women leaders talk about liberating Black children and families from the racist "child welfare" system, it isn't a good look when you all jump in to express your opposition to this.
5
49
325
Why do we as a society accept the idea of separating children from their parents and then paying strangers ("foster parents") up to $1000/mo to take care of someone else's children. What if we just gave that money to the parents who need it?
20
103
306
The new
@nasw
Code of Ethics, effective 6/1/21, states "Social workers must take action against oppression, racism, discrimination, and inequities..."
This means social workers MUST actively work to dismantle the police, prisons, & foster care. It's our ethical responsibility.
14
113
308
One of my proudest moments as Dean from 2022:
"I am really happy to learn about the Social Work department at
@UHouston
and the fact that you’re moving in a progressive direction as opposed to accepting the carceral logic that has defined social work for so long." - Angela Davis
3
27
299
I'm so grateful to everyone who has shown me support here and want you to know how much I value and appreciate all of you. All of your thoughts, well wishes, and support mean the world to me and I hope we can continue to connect here. 1/2
4
14
299
I developed a proposal for a special journal issue on "Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work" and it’s now been rejected by two social work journals after “careful consideration.” Hmm...
34
24
293
I've shared before that when I was a family policing agent, parents' rights were routinely violated. The cops would develop workarounds so I could take over some of their roles in order to avoid notifying parents of their rights. This was all purposeful.
4
117
290
The criminal legal system was created to maintain White supremacy and it continues to do so. It cannot provide justice.
9
91
292
Teaching students how to practice in a racist way so they’re better able to pass a racist exam is not something to be proud of.
11
51
289
More that 53% of Black children in the United States will be the subject of a "child welfare" investigation by the time they turn 18.
This is not help. This is state-directed surveillance and terror.
2
102
282
Further evidence that contact with Child Protective Services does nothing except worsen outcomes for children.
7
104
285
To this day, social work as a profession continues to support and cooperate with a system of policing that routinely murders and terrorizes innocent Black people.
What will it take for social work to stand up and say enough is enough?
11
76
281
Cornelius Frederick was a boy in foster care. One day he threw a sandwich. He was restrained by 6 staff members until he was unconscious. Two days later he died. This is what happens to children in foster care.
#NationalFosterCareMonth
#justiceforcornelius
23
122
266
Since I became Dean in 2015:
* enrollment has increased by 44%
* research expenditures increased by 85%
* peer-reviewed articles increased by 169%
* faculty increased by 52%
* faculty from underrepresented groups increased from 14% to 44%
2
18
281
If you previously weren't convinced that
@ASWB
's licensure exams are racist AF, take a look at the data they just released...
29
116
266
So when
@uhouston
puts out a statement that says, "The university did not believe that Alan Dettlaff was the best individual to continue to move the college forward as dean," it's important to have this data as a reference point.
6
4
255
The profession of social work cannot simultaneously oppose racism and oppression and support the police, prisons, and foster care. We need to take a stand and disavow these systems. If we don't, our Code of Ethics is just performative nonsense.
7
59
246
"I have seen children removed because of complaints of “dirty homes,” or because they were home alone while a parent went to work or had to run an errand, or because they missed one too many days of school."
This is why we need to abolish family policing.
2
84
241
What if we all ignored the Supreme Court? Refusing to comply is a valid political strategy if we all commit to it.
22
37
235
This is one of the most violently racist things I've seen published in a recent academic journal. We should all be outraged that this was allowed to be published. Contact the editor and demand this article is denounced and retracted.
80
76
232
“These children are being repeatedly raped in your care. They're being drugged if they complain. If their behavior is not up to snuff, they're getting psychotropic drugs. And that is not safe.”
The "child welfare" system does not keep children safe.
7
138
229
NEW ARTICLE ALERT!
"Perhaps there is no greater call to challenge injustice and oppression for social work than critically examining and dismantling its role in upholding the systems that perpetuate injustice and oppression through the carceral state."
3
71
223
This newborn baby has been seized by
@TexasDFPS
because of a minor issue that was being treated by the family’s midwife.
The problem?
@TexasDFPS
didn’t trust the midwife or the parents to provide appropriate care.
Follow this story and demand justice.
16
131
219
Just a reminder that Democrats had decades to codify Roe into law and they chose not to.
151
38
224
For
#SocialWorkMonth
, let’s think of what it would really mean for social work to break barriers.
What if we stopped kidnapping children? What if we stopped partnering with police? What if we stopped locking people in institutions?
Imagine what our profession could become…
3
78
225
"All my experiences with capitalism, I'm afraid, have indicated that it encourages some of the worst features in people. Eat or be eaten….I can't buy that. I mean, maybe it's the awful face of capitalism, but I haven't seen the other face." - Desmond Tutu
1
54
221
In a truly horrifying new report from
@AEI
, Sarah Font argues that youth should not be reunified with their parents, but should stay in foster care because of the "additional resources."
What if instead we advocated for children to have access to those resources in their homes?
23
68
219
Foster care does not provide “care” and Child Protective Services does not provide “protection.”
Foster care is part of the carceral state that responds to problems by locking people in cages, whether that cage is a prison cell, a detention center, or a foster home.
8
69
205
I'd like to remind you all that Democrats passed a resolution honoring the police during the anniversary week of George Floyd’s murder, designating this week as National Police Week.
576 officers lost their lives in the line of duty in 2021.
We passed a Senate resolution designating this week as National Police Week to honor the officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. One small way to recognize their courage.
4K
397
3K
6
71
208
I've been thinking often of how we should begin to think of the Black Panther Party as the true origins of social work, in terms of what social work should truly be. Real social work provides care in whatever way care is needed - it does not expect compliance in a "service" or…
18
68
215
A gift from one of my graduating students. They know me so well!
6
11
207
An experiment in abolition is about to happen in Chicago!
CHICAGO POLICE UNION PRESIDENT SAYS 800-1000 OFFICERS MAY RESIGN IF BRANDON JOHNSON WINS MAYORAL RACE
3K
578
5K
7
32
207
This is what happens when White Rage & White Fragility take over any sense of reason. This group will not stop until they prove that anti-Black racism does not exist in CPS. And they simply don't care about the harm they cause along the way.
@SageJournals
is complicit as well.
13
54
207
The fact that social work continues to debate whether we should walk hand in hand into communities with the police - the very people responsible for murdering and terrorizing them - says a lot.
We profess these “social work values” but nearly everything we do causes harm.
7
39
206
Children taken from their parents by the "child welfare" system are now being housed in jail cells in Illinois.
If you didn't previously understand foster care as part of the carceral state, the lines are much less blurry now.
1
114
201
Some researchers say that forcibly separating children from their families is a rare occurrence that’s only used as a last resort.
CPS in California removes 1 out of every 8 Black children born in the state. That isn’t a rare occurrence. That is systematic racism and oppression.
6
69
202
I am proud to sign on to this letter from social workers calling on the Biden administration to stop the genocide of Palestinians and collective punishment of Gazans through an immediate ceasefire and end to the occupation.
#CeasefireNOW
READ AND SIGN:
13
93
201
In 2018, psychologists across the country called family separations tantamount to torture. Yet every year, the "child welfare" system violently tears nearly 250,000 children away from their parents due mostly to poverty. There is a disconnect in our public consciousness.
9
67
198
We're hiring 2 new assistant professors
@UH_SocialWork
and we're looking for abolitionists! I know many of you are out there so I hope you'll consider applying. Feel free to be in touch with me any time.
APPLY HERE:
10
106
194
The "child welfare" system is not concerned with children's welfare. It is an arm of the carceral state that responds to societal problems by locking people in cages, whether that cage is a prison, a detention center, or a foster home.
10
49
193
Just had a great meeting with my publisher at
@OUPAcademic
. Look for “Racist Intents: American Child Welfare in the Afterlife of Slavery and the Case for Abolition” in September 2023.
11
28
197
Why do White child welfare “researchers” work so hard to try to prove that racism doesn’t exist in the child welfare system? Why is it so important for them to try to make everyone believe this is simply not a problem? They’re just so exhaustingly ridiculous.
12
29
189
The cops stole money from Breonna Taylor's apartment after they murdered her. How does anyone still support this institution?
6
89
186
All social work students should be paid for their internships. No one should be expected to work for free, much less pay tuition in order to work for free.
This is exploitation by the social work profession and it needs to end. Follow
@P4PNational
to stay connected.
Social Workers across the country are fighting for dignity and respect on the job.
102
500
2K
4
44
193
Your health and your family's health are more important than any academic conference. I encourage you all to make the decisions that are right for you. You are more important than anyone else's expectations of you.
4
19
189
Really
@nasw
? You're applauding someone who is literally blocking action on voting rights, climate change, free community college, family leave, and prescription drug costs? Shouldn't you be advocating for these things rather than applauding the very person working against them?
4
37
185
Happy anniversary
@VincentPryor
! Today is our 9-year wedding anniversary (22 years together total). This is one of my favorite pictures right after our ceremony in NYC.❤️
16
0
189
Things that prevent crime:
- Housing
- Healthcare
- Quality public education
- Jobs
- Access to resources
Things that don’t prevent crime:
- Hiring more cops
President Biden will urge states and cities to use unspent money from last year’s $1.9T Covid relief package to fund crime prevention programs and hire police officers.
1K
510
1K
3
55
186
Once again, the social work profession needs to contend with the fact that it is complicit in upholding a harmful, violent, oppressive system.
We cannot say we stand against violence and oppression while simultaneously supporting a system that is responsible for it.
Greg Abbot has officially directed Family and Protective Services to begin investigating all trans children in Texas and prosecuting their parents as child abusers.
He has also instructed all teachers, doctors, and caregivers to begin reporting any trans students they see.
7K
44K
66K
5
63
181
My book is now available for preorder! I'm so excited for this to be out in the world. Thank you all SO MUCH for your support. You can preorder here:
6
75
185
I want to express my gratitude to everyone who reported the harassment that occurred at the
@CSocialWorkEd
#APM2022
and to everyone who has supported our student who was one of the victims of this harassment. 🧵1/
2
15
185
It nearly killed me, but I just submitted the full draft of my book to the publisher
@OUPAcademic
!
Coming hopefully sometime in 2023: "Racist Intents: American Child Welfare in the Afterlife of Slavery and the Case for Abolition."
15
15
181
Foster care does not provide “care” and Child Protective Services does not provide “protection.”
Foster care is part of the carceral state that responds to problems by locking people in cages, whether that cage is a prison cell, a detention center, or a foster home.
4
47
176