Events

“Stand-Up for Free Speech” Comedy Benefit

The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) proudly announces the return of its 3rd annual “Stand-Up for Free Speech” Comedy Benefit, an electrifying evening of laughter with a purpose. The event, hosted by NCAC board member and Emmy Award-winning comedian Judy Gold (Comedy Central Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, It’s Judy’s Show with Judy Gold & Showtime’s First Lady), will feature performances from an all-star lineup, including Alex English (NBC’s Saturday Night Live & HBO’s That Damn Michael Che) Mark Normand (TBS’s CONAN, CBS’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert & Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer), Jessica Kirson (FX’s Hysterical, HBO’s Crashing & Netflix’s Friends Who Kill), and Adam Ferrara (A&E’s Top Gear US, FX’s Rescue Me & Showtime’s Nurse Jackie).

All money raised will go to NCAC to continue its work fighting censorship everywhere. 

Social Media & Art Censorship

If you’re an artist who wants to share your creations with a wider audience, you know how important it is to post your work on social media. Just as important is understanding the rules of the social media platform you’re using – because bumping up against community guidelines and the platform’s terms of use can have long term impacts from downranking to banning. In this Zoom program, Saper Law will discuss where the laws stand now, and then Don’t Delete Art will share how artists can engage in DDA’s anti-censorship advocacy efforts. Learn how intellectual property, artistic expression, and free speech interact with corporate social media platform rules, and how artists can navigate the digital landscape. Plus, we’ll answer your questions! Full event information here.

2025 JCRED Symposium

Presented in-person and online, this Symposium will explore the intersection of free speech, higher education, and legal frameworks in a rapidly changing world. A panel of esteemed legal scholars, practitioners, and thought leaders will delve into key issues, including the application of the fighting words doctrine, the balance between free expression and campus safety, and the evolving role of the legal system in shaping speech rights on college campuses. Join us for a day of engaging discussions addressing these critical topics.

Opening Speaker

Catherine Ross, Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School

Panelists

• Donald Downs, Professor of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Christine Emeran, Director, Youth Free Expression Program
• Adam Goldstein, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, FIRE
• Gene Policinski, Senior Fellow for the First Amendment, Freedom Forum
• Mark Tushnet, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law Emeritus, Harvard Law School
• Eli Wald, Professor of Law, University of Denver Sturm College of Law

RRN Workshop Series: Book Banning and the Law

Join us for a workshop hosted by NCAC’s Executive Director Lee Rowland and Legal Fellow Erika Sanders. They will discuss book ban agitators’ shift from attempting to enact their agenda on the local level to the state level and how to understand the language in these censorship bills.

Don’t Delete Art: Why Content Moderation Must Account for Artistic Context

In this Lightning Talk, Elizabeth Larison (Director, Arts & Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship and member of Don’t Delete Art) and Emma Shapiro (Editor-at-Large, Don’t Delete Art, and artist) discuss how ill-considered content moderation negatively affects artists in unintended ways and replicates social iniquities, and why the digital rights and tech communities need to integrate artistic perspectives into discussions of content moderation and enforcement. Register via Rightscon.

Amnesty International General Meeting: Authoritarianism & Human Rights: What’s Coming and What Can We Do?

President Trump has repeatedly threatened peaceful protesters, critics, journalists, political opponents, civil society, and identities of nearly every type. This interactive workshop examines the rise of authoritarian practices and connects global human rights struggles to emerging realities in the United States. This thematic umbrella encompasses a wide range of interconnected issues, including the protection of civil society space, defeating HR 9495, addressing gun violence and national security, advancing RMR, promoting gender justice, and more. Using a human rights lens, we will explore a range of authoritarian tactics we need to prepare for by drawing on international examples and U.S. contexts. Participants will identify key indicators of authoritarian practices, understand the impact on human rights and freedoms, and learn concrete strategies for resistance. By linking international lessons to local realities, the workshop empowers attendees to recognize and respond to these trends in their own communities.

NCAC’s 6th Annual Curatorial Workshop: Curating Political Art and Politically-Outspoken Artists During Times of Intense Division

NCAC’s 6th Curatorial Workshop is dedicated to helping curators meet the challenge of presenting political art and politically engaged artists during times of intense political tension. Through speaker presentations and group discussions led by Natalie Bell (Curator, MIT List Visual Arts Center), Dalina Perdomo-Alverez (Associate Curator, MSU Broad Art Museum), Diya Vij (Curator, Creative Time) and others, participants will consider strategies to address the specific challenges curators and institutions face when attempting to address politics in an increasingly polarized society. For more information, including application requirements and deadlines, click here.

NCAC’s 50th Anniversary LET ME SPEAK: A Celebration and Benefit of Free Speech and its Defenders

Each year, NCAC recognizes the notable contributions of Free Speech Defenders whose activism has profoundly impacted the protection of First Amendment rights. This year is NCAC’s 50th anniversary celebration, and we look forward to looking back at where the organization has been, where we are today, and where we are going in the future.

This year’s event will be hosted by Judy Gold and will honor Floyd Abrams (First Amendment Attorney Award), Henry Louis Gates (Phil Harvey Freedom of Thought Award), Lee Bollinger (Judy Blume Lifetime Achievement Award), Noam Dworman (Free Speech Defender in Entertainment Award), and Jodi Picoult (Robie Harris Author Award)

Join us on November 19, 2023, at Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Desbrosses Street, New York, New York, from 6 – 9:30 p.m. ET, as NCAC honors this year’s Free Speech Defenders.  For information regarding tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact NCAC’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Josh Corday, at [email protected].

The Dangers of Book Ratings & Labeling

Often called ‘red-flagging,’ rating and labeling library books is an under-discussed consequence of the book-banning movement.

Hear from Carolyn Foote, co-founder of the Texas FReadom Fighters, as she shares what we can do to counter calls to label, restrict, or segregate library books.

NCAC Teach in on Art Censorship in the US

Join Elizabeth Larison, Director of the Arts & Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), for a teach-in on recent art censorship in the U.S. Larison will explore examples including the silencing of artists making work that critiques police brutality, the military-industrial complex, and more. This teach-in will offer artists tools to define censorship in the U.S. context, identify its mechanisms, and understand factors that lead to self-censorship. Case examinations and subsequent discussion will equip participants with a deeper understanding of the relational and institutional work needed to protect artistic freedom.

Freedom to Read Day of Action Rally

Join us on Saturday, October 19, for a Rally to Protect the Freedom to Read!

The freedom to read is an American value that must be protected. Book bans and challenges in the U.S. reached an all-time high in 2023 and continue to happen at an alarming rate. It’s more important than ever to show support for local libraries and the freedom to read.

On Saturday, October 19, 2024, libraries, bookstores, publishers, readers and other partners nationwide are hosting rallies and community events to unite against book bans and demonstrate our shared commitment to this fundamental freedom. Join Brooklyn Public Library for a day of action on Central Library’s Plaza featuring speakers, book giveaways and activities that honor the joy of reading and thinking independently.

Special guests include NCAC’s own Lee Rowland, Eric Klinenberg (author of 2020: One City, Seven People, and the Year that Changed Everything, and Palaces for the People), performances by the Resistance Revival Chorus, interview recording by our friends at StoryCorps, a live taping of The Beautiful & Banned podcast, inspiring calls to action from teen advocates, and much more.

Check out Freedom to Read Day of Action events on October 19 at The New York Public Library and Queens Public Library.

Discover everything you need to know to host or attend an event on the Freedom to Read Community Day of Action, get involved online, and take action to protect the freedom to read!

RRN Workshop: Promoting Diversity in Literature w/ “We Need Diverse Books”

WITNESS to Misogyny: Public Art and Gender

An online discussion about the role and reception of public art and the response to Shahzia Sikander’s Witness statue at the University of Houston. Panelists include Maria Gaztambide, Director of the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico; Elizabeth Larison, Director of the Arts & Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship; and Preetika Rajgariah, Artist. The discussion will be moderated by Elizabeth Gregory, Director of the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies program at the University of Houston.

Selected Shorts: Banned Books with Host Judy Blume

Celebrate the power of literature with Judy Blume as she takes the stage for an evening of funny and gripping tales that push boundaries. Join us as incredible actors bring to life compelling and thought-provoking stories on frequently censored topics, and by authors whose books have been the target of bans. This evening features stories by Roxane Gay, Shirley Jackson, Xu Mason, Walter Dean Myers, and David Sedaris, with performances by actors Jelani Alladin (Fellow Travelers), Jessica Hecht (Special), Troy Iwata (The Daily Show), Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock), and Amy Ryan (Only Murders in the Building)!

Use promo code NCAC for discounted livestreaming tickets!

FREEDOM TO READ WEBINAR

Freedom to Read webinar empowering people all over the country to get involved with the fight against censorship! Panelists from the Little Free Library Read in Color Program, Youth Action Fund, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Banned Books Week Campaign, the National Coalition of Censorship, and PEN America will come together to share their experiences and show you how to get involved with local anti-censorship advocacy.

Sign up at https://bit.ly/freedomtoread_

Empowering Young Filmmakers: 20 Years of the Youth Free Expression Film Contest

For the 20th Anniversary of the Youth Free Expression Film Contest, you are invited to join us for a celebration of student artistic freedom and creative expression in film.

The event will feature a film screening showcasing selected winners from the past 20 years, followed by a panel discussion featuring previous film contest judges and past winning filmmakers. Come see the importance of free expression in youth filmmaking!

Featuring award-winning actor, filmmaker, director, Matthew Modine!

Participation is free. Registration is required.

Seating is limited so attendance will be on a first come, first serve basis.

About the Speakers:

Matthew Modine is known for his work in hundreds of films television shows, and theatre. NYTIMES film critic Vincent Canby proclaimed Modine to be one of most versatile actors of his generation. Roles in such iconic films as “Full Metal Jacket,” “Birdy,” “Vision Quest” and the international hit Netflix series “Stranger Things,” have cemented his position in the entertainment industry. He consistently brings a wealth of experience and passion to his work in the cinematic arts.

Modine’s commitment to storytelling and deep his appreciation for independent film align perfectly with NCAC’s mission to enrich audiences by sharing immersive and captivating films that inspire conversation, create community and connect us to the larger world.

Connie Shi is an award-winning actor and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. She’s the producer of The Looming Cloud which premiered at Sundance 2024 and currently plays Detective Violet Yee on Law & Order.

Jonathan Whittaker is a seasoned New York-based production specialist, known for acclaimed projects like “Train Baby” and “America Here We Come,” with over 20 years of industry experience. As a Chair of Filmmaking at NYFA New York, he mentors aspiring filmmakers, sharing his expertise in the art of storytelling.

Gina Maria Leonetti is an NCAC Board member and a freelance documentary and film producer. She’s a graduate of the Directors Guild NYC Training Program and worked as an Assistant Director on films, television and commercials for 20 years.

Mark Leschinsky is an award-winning student filmmaker from Mahwah, NJ. In addition, he is the founder of the Student World Impact Film Festival (SWIFF), where he aims to empower the voices of fellow youth filmmakers.

Don’t Delete Art: Is Social Media Beyond Our Control?

Art censorship is alive and well on social media, where major tech companies serve as arbiters, dictating what content is seen and what is banned or pushed into the digital margins through algorithmic control. This can have dire consequences for emerging artists who use online platforms to build their careers, earn income, and display their art in otherwise repressive societies. Emma Shapiro (Don’t Delete Art), Elizabeth Larison (National Coalition Against Censorship), and Sibila Sotomayor Van Rysseghem (LASTESIS) will explore the reality of artistic suppression on social media and the tangible impacts censorship on digital platforms can have on artists’ livelihoods, emotional well-being, and free expression.

Presented by Artists at Risk Connection and Art at a Time Like This.

SECOND ANNUAL “STAND-UP” FOR FREE SPEECH COMEDY BENEFIT

Join board member and host Judy Gold along with Marc Maron, Greg Fitzsimmons, Dulcé Sloan, Lisa Ann Walter, and more for STAND-UP FOR FREE SPEECH at the world-famous Comedy Store in Los Angeles, to raise funds for the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Silencing: An Assembly on Censorship with Elizabeth Larison, Che Gossett, Gavilán Rayna Russom, Salil Tripathi, Saw Wai

On the occasion of Shilpa Gupta’s exhibition, I did not tell you what I saw, but only what I dreamt, Amant hosts an afternoon of poetry, lectures, and performances that brings friends, artists, and scholars together to delve into historical and contemporary understandings of silencing through censorship.

In keeping with the motivation of Shilpa Gupta’s sound installation For, In Your Tongue, I Cannot Fit (2017-18) currently on view at Amant, which comprises a set of one hundred names of poets who have been incarcerated from the past and present, this assembly presents a series of provocations on censorship in its many manifestations.

Silencing: An Assembly on Censorship features responses from Elizabeth Larison, the director of the Arts and Culture Advocacy Program at the National Coalition Against Censorship; Che Gossett, a trans femme writer, scholar, and archivist; Gavilán Rayna Russom, an artist, composer, and scholar; Salil Tripathi, an Indian author and editor and Chair of PEN International’s Writers in Prison Committee; and Saw Wai, a Burmese poet, performance artist, and political activist, whose poems and remarks criticizing Myanmar’s military have resulted in his imprisonment. This event is moderated by Patricia Margarita Hernández.

This is a free event, but registration is required.

Defending Student Press Freedom

A Conversation with High School Students to celebrate Student Free Press Day 2024

This virtual event features student leaders from NCAC’s Student Advocates for Speech and Student Press Law Center’s New Voices programs! Join students for a conversation about the value of student journalists and their role in shaping civic culture in their schools and communities in an election year.

Participation is free for all high school students. Registration is required.

Expression and Power

“Expression and Power,” a panel presented by A.I.R. Gallery and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) in conjunction with “CURRENTS: Free Expression and the Inexpressible”!

This panel brings together three artists from the 2024 CURRENTS exhibition, Avram Finkelstein, Viva Ruiz, and Asia Stewart, as well as NCAC’s Arts & Culture Advocacy Program Director Elizabeth Larison and exhibition curator Aliza Shvarts, to discuss censorship as well as the state-mandated silencing, medically enabled violence, cultural gatekeeping, and mediatized overexposure that circumscribes what we can and cannot express.

5th ANNUAL CURATORIAL WORKSHOP
On curating difficult content: Reconciling an ethics of care with artistic freedom  

In partnership with Creative Capital, NCAC’s Arts & Culture Advocacy Program presents its 5th Curatorial Workshop to address pressing issues facing curators today. Bringing together leaders in the field and early and mid-career curators, the workshop will address the increasing pressures upon curators and art institutions to balance an ethics of care while supporting the artists they work with.

LET ME SPEAK 
A Celebration and Benefit of Free Speech and its Defenders, presented by Macmillan Publishers

Each year NCAC recognizes the notable contributions of Free Speech Defenders whose activism has had a profound impact on the protection of First Amendment rights.

Join us on November 13, 2023, at Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Desbrosses Street, New York, New York, from 6 – 9:30 p.m. ET, as NCAC honors this year’s Free Speech Defenders.  For information regarding tickets and sponsorship opportunities, please contact NCAC’s Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Josh Corday, at [email protected].

FIRST ANNUAL “STAND-UP” FOR FREE SPEECH COMEDY BENEFIT

Join Judy Gold, Dave Attell, Sam Morril, Mark Normand, Adrienne Iapalucci, Yamaneika Saunders, Matteo Lane, Rich Vos & more to for STAND UP FOR FREE SPEECH to raise funds for the National Coalition Against Censorship. NCAC’s Mission: We envision an American society that understands, values, defends, and vigorously exercises free expression in a just, egalitarian, diverse, and inclusive democracy.

DAY OF ACTION
In support of Don’t Delete Art’s Manifesto Campaign

Don’t Delete Art (DDA)—a collaborative initiative uniting advocacy groups and artists in the defense of artistic freedom online—will lead A Day of Action on June 15, 2023 in New York City and on social media. The actions are an extension of the DDA Manifesto campaign, which urges social media companies to update their content moderation policies to integrate artistic perspectives.

Activities will be documented on Instagram at @dontdelete.art and include:

• New York City: Beginning at 11 a.m., DDA members will pass out stickers and Manifesto flyers outside major museums and educational institutions, calling on artists, curators, members of the general public, and leading cultural institutions to join the movement. Supporters are welcome to stop by to pick up campaign materials and sign the Manifesto.

• Artists on social media platforms are invited to use the DDA Giphy digital sticker to “censor” posts of their artwork to heighten the visibility of self-censorship among artists, who often do this in order for their posts to be favored by platform algorithms. For more information about how to find and use the sticker, stay tuned to the Don’t Delete Art Instagram account @dontdeleteart, and visit their Day of Action page.

Follow Don’t Delete Art on Instagram @dontdelete.art to track event activities.

Fighting for Press Freedom: How to be an Advocate for Student Journalism

The National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech Project and the Student Press Law Center (SPLC) invite you to a live online discussion: “Fighting for Press Freedom: How to be an Advocate for Student Journalism.”

Join teens that are active in fighting press censorship in their high schools and student activists working with SPLC to advocate for New Voices bills. The webinar will feature Rachel Oswald, a foreign policy reporter with CQ Roll Call , who will discuss the value of a free press and the need to advocate for press freedom.

Participation is free, but registration is required.

Are You Free to Read What You Want?

NCAC and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators hosted a live virtual discussion: Are You Free to Read What You Want? A conversation between students and Banned Authors. Click Here to watch the whole conversation!

A Celebration of Free Speech and Its Defenders: NCAC Annual Benefit

On November 15, 2022, NCAC will honor free speech defenders Colin Kaepernick, George M. Johnson, Michael Bamberger, Edha Gupta, Martha Hickson. Aryeh Neier will receive the Judy Blume Lifetime Achievement Award and Phil Harvey will receive the Leanne G Katz Founder’s Award (in memoriam). Event information here.

How to Fight Book Bans: Student Strategies

On February 28, 2022, NCAC and CBLDF hosted an interactive session to discuss the attacks on books in schools and share strategies for defending the right to read and fighting censorship in schools. Click here to watch the event.

Let Me Speak 2021 Annual Benefit

On November 10th, we hosted our annual Celebration of Free Speech & Its Defenders! Click here to watch the event. Thank you so much to all of our incredible honorees and participants!

Virtual Luncheon: Have We Gone Too Far In Protecting Free Speech?

NCAC presents leading voices in free speech discussing how free speech protections have shaped our lives and whether that protection strengthens or harms democracy–and society–in our current world. One of America’s preeminent free speech trial attorneys, Martin Garbus, joins Harvard Law School Professor Randall Kennedy in conversation, moderated by Professor Emily Knox. Click here to view the conversation.

Conversations on Censorship: Workshop on Race (for members of the National Council of Teachers of English)

On May 13th, NCAC facilitated a workshop for NCTE members on issues of censorship related to race. Participants exchanged expertise in a peer-to-peer format, and conversations will be entirely confidential. The workshop began with an introduction by Gordon Danning from the National Coalition against Censorship (NCAC), an overview of NCAC and NCTE resources, current cases, and important information for educators dealing with issues of censorship focused on race. Participants brought their own experiences, concerns, and/or case studies to discuss all aspects of censorship cases, from planning to challenge to resolution.

How to Tell A Story in a Minute: A Free Filmmaking & Free Expression Workshop

On February 27th, NYFA faculty taught a free workshop on How To Tell A Story In A Minute with tips for filmmaking at home and National Coalition Against Censorship discussed students’ free expression rights to launch the 2021 Youth Free Expression Film Contest.

Virtual Luncheon: Resolving Tensions over Race and Representation in Public Art

This discussion explores the various approaches to resolving tensions around challenged murals and public art, including shrouding or relocating artworks, commissioning new works, innovative course offerings, and public programs. Our participants examine the context and outcomes in a select number of cases. Click here to view the virtual luncheon.

Let Me Speak 2020 Annual Benefit