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freedom of expression

 Freedom of Expression Week logo

Freedom of Expression Week 2021

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; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

--First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

UNCW State of the First Amendment Survey

Sep 1 - Sep 30

Voice your opinions about our First Amendment freedoms!

Emulating the Freedom Forum Institute’s annual State of the First Amendment survey, we will survey the UNCW community’s own opinions and knowledge about the First Amendment. The survey will go live Sep 1st and remain active for one month. Take part and contribute!

Leadership Lecture: Nadine Strossen

"HATE: Why We Should Resist It with Free Speech, Not Censorship"

Tuesday, Sep 14, 7 pm

Online

 Nadine Strossen photo

Since speech is powerful and can cause great harm, why do all Supreme Court Justices protect freedom “even for the thought that we hate”? Why shouldn’t online companies deny platforms to haters and terrorists? Why does Nadine Strossen, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, support freedom even for neo-Nazi ideas? Why do advocates of racial justice and human rights – not only in the US, but also around the world – maintain that censoring “hate speech” would actually do more harm than good in promoting the essential goals of equality, dignity, diversity, inclusivity, and societal harmony?

Nadine Strossen, the John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law at New York Law School and a leading expert in constitutional law and human rights, will address these and other pressing questions in what promises to be a thought-provoking, interactive discussion of one of our most important, and most contested, constitutional protections.

More information here.

Cosponsored by the Department of Communication Studies, the Department of Sociology and Criminology, the School of Social Work, UNCW Athletics, The Seahawk and TealTV.

Constitution Day First Amendment Quiz

Friday, Sep 17, noon-1:30 pm (No rain date)

Chancellor's Walk (West end, by the pond)

The popular First Amendment quiz is back! Stop by our table on Chancellor's Walk to test your knowledge of our five First Amendment protections. While there, grab a slice of pizza, a sweet treat and a free pocket-sized U.S. Constitution.

 

Freedom of Expression 2020

BANNED: A Freedom of Expression Trivia Quiz

Our self-paced Kahoot censorship quiz is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!

Test your knowledge of famous songs, books and movies that have been challenged or banned in recent years.

  • What is a challenge? It's an attempt to remove or restrict materials or services based on content.
  • What is a ban? It's the removal of materials or cancellation of services based on content.

Censorship by the Numbers

  • Censorship attempts in 2019 were UP 14% over the previous year.
  • Where do challenges take place?
    • 66% Public libraries
    • 19% School libraries
    • 12% Schools
    • 2%   Academia
    • 1%   Special and prison libraries
  • What materials were challenged in 2019?
    • 56% Books
    • 22% Programs, meeting rooms
    • 9%   Displays, artwork
    • 8%   Films
    • 5%   Other, including social media, games, newspapers, magazines

(Source: American Library Assoc., 2019. More at ala.org/bbooks)

Constitution Day Observance 2019

Tuesday, Sep 17, 2019

11:30am to 2:30pm

Fisher Student Center Lobby

Stop by for free pizza. Test your knowledge of the First Amendment's five protections. Gather information on the current state of the First Amendment and free expression on campus. And take away a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution, yours for free.

Freedom of Expression Week 2018

Nov. 12-14

A Campus Dialogue about Respect, Civility, and Dissent

Students, faculty, staff and the wider community are invited to explore the rights and responsibilities of our First Amendment freedoms.

“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”  ― John Milton, Areopagitica

Free Expression Week events

First Amendment Free Food Festival

Leadership Lecture:

Greg Lukianoff

Ken Paulson

Saving American in a Single Bound: The Super Power of Democracy and Diversity
Nov 12
Nov 13
Nov 14
Fisher Student Center Lobby, Noon--2pm
Burney Center, 7pm
Lumina Theater, 6pm

First Amendment Free Food Festival

Due to inclement weather, the First Amendment Free Food Festival is canceled. Instead, stop by the Fisher Student Center for free pizza; a pop quiz on the First Amendment; a free, pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution; and information on the two lectures listed here.

Leadership Lecture

Greg Lukianoff

President of FIRE

Greg Lukianoff is an attorney and the president of FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Boston Globe, in addition to dozens of other publications. He is a regular columnist for the Huffington Post and has frequently appeared on television, including the “CBS Evening News,” “Fox & Friends,” and “Stossel.” He received the 2008 Playboy Foundation Freedom of Expression Award and the 2010 Ford Hall Forum’s Louis P. and Evelyn Smith First Amendment Award on behalf of FIRE. He is a graduate of American University and Stanford Law School.

Ken Paulson

Saving American in a Single Bound: The Super Power of Democracy and Diversity

Ken Paulson is the dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at , and president of the Newseum Institute's First Amendment Center. He formerly was president of the Newseum. He is the former editor-in-chief of USA Today and remains a columnist there. Paulson edited newspapers in Wisconsin, New York, New Jersey, and Florida. In addition to the bachelor's degree he earned from the University of Missouri, he has a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Freedom of Expression Historical Timeline

Warwick Center Lobby

A timeline of important events and court cases in the history of free expression in the United States.