Jeff Snyder is an Associate Professor in the department of Educational Studies at Carleton College. Snyder's work explores the connections between the history of education and broader trends in American cultural and intellectual history, examining questions about race, national identity and the purpose of public education in a diverse, democratic society.
Snyder has a keen interest in issues of academic freedom and free speech, especially as they relate to liberal arts education. He was a Fellow with the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement during the 2022-2023 academic-year, along with his Carleton colleague Amna Khalid. They focused on threats to academic freedom in Florida, the state at the epicenter of the conservative movement to encourage state intervention in public school classrooms. Based on interviews Snyder and Khalid conducted with Florida faculty members, they submitted an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs who are challenging the Stop WOKE Act.
Snyder and Khalid have given many public talks together on the topics of free expression, campus politics and the relationship between intellectual freedom and social justice. They write regularly on threats to campus free expression from inside and outside academe--and from across the political spectrum. They very much enjoy campus visits where they can engage with students, faculty and administrators.
Snyder is the author of the book Making Black History: The Color Line, Culture and Race in the Age of Jim Crow. He is a frequent contributor to newspapers and magazines, including The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New Republic and The Washington Post. His work has been cited in The Atlantic, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other media outlets.