David M. Perry
Contributing columnist
Disabilities & HistoryDavid M. Perry is a historian and author. He's the associate director for undergraduate studies in history at the University of Minnesota, trying to convince students that studying history is good for them and good for their careers (it is!). He's written four books, most recently (with Matthew Gabriele), "Oathbreakers: The War of Brothers that Shattered an Empire and Made Medieval Europe" and "The Bright Ages: A New History of Medieval Europe." He's the father of two children, one of whom is autistic and has Down syndrome. He's written for dozens of local and national outlets, including CNN and The Washington Post. He moved to Minnesota for graduate school in 1997, married a Minnesotan, moved to Chicago for a decade in 2007, but came back to the Twin Cities in 2017 because this is where he wants to raise his kids. He lives in Shoreview.
Latest from David M. Perry
Perry: When is it OK to compare aspects of what’s happening in Minnesota to Nazi Germany?
Gov. Tim Walz has made some such analogies in relation to ICE and has been criticized for it.
February 4, 2026
Perry: Abolish ICE? How about DHS altogether.
Many are talking about better training and body cameras for ICE agents, or getting rid of the agency altogether. This is another option.
January 27, 2026
Perry: Trusted providers are being unfairly swept up in Minnesota’s fraud crackdown
Payments to these social services centers are being delayed. If they can’t make payroll soon, some may go out of business.
January 2, 2026
Perry: The return of the r-word
When slurs become acceptable, so do open hatred and bigotry.
December 22, 2025
Perry: The pro-Hitler problem with the American right
Antisemitism exists across the political spectrum, but the Nazi sentiment seeping into mainstream conservatism is especially troubling.
November 29, 2025
Perry: Federal firings leave oversight of disabled kids’ education in limbo
The Trump administration gutted the Education Department’s Office of Special Education Programs last month. Its fate remains uncertain.
November 14, 2025
Perry: How can AI be used ethically when it’s been linked to suicide?
It’s not on us to figure out how to use this technology ethically. It’s on the companies that make it to make sure it’s ethical.
October 25, 2025
Meet David M. Perry, our new contributing columnist focused on history, disabilities and education
He moved back to Minnesota because it is a state that believes in serving the public good. But, he writes, Minnesota is not always at its best.
October 15, 2025
