Flashpoints: free speech in american history, culture & society [flashpoints: free speech in american history, culture & society will present the fascinating and complex history of free speech in…

The Pen American Center, Inc. received a two-year, $149,700 Project Grant award from the National Endowment for the Humanities under the Promotion of the Humanities Public Programs grant program (CFDA 45.164). The award will support the FLASHPOINTS: FREE SPEECH IN AMERICAN HISTORY, CULTURE & SOCIETY event series, which will examine the complex history of free speech in American democracy through public presentations in multiple cities from 2021 through 2023. The series will illuminate past debates over who has the right to speak and shed light on present debates about free speech in the context of protest, dissent, and social change. Accompanying digital resources will be made available to educators and the public after the event series concludes. The grant program supports opportunities for the public to explore human history and culture through humanities programs in public venues.

Flashpoints: free speech in american history, culture & society [flashpoints: free speech in american history, culture & society will present the fascinating and complex history of free speech in american democracy to public audiences in cities across the country. The series will examine how free speech has evolved, illuminate past debates over who has the right to speak, and shed light on present debates about free speech in the context of protest, dissent, and the quest for social change. The historical flashpoints in this series highlight pivotal moments in which artists, activists, writers, filmmakers, and intellectuals tested the limits of free speech, challenging the public to redefine ?freedom? And realize IT anew for populations and causes that were at risk of having their liberties denied. Timed to mark both pen america?S 100TH anniversary in 2022 and the lead up to the U.S. Semiquincentennial, the event series will run for two years from 2021-2023, and the digital resources will be available to educators and the public for years to come.]