In light of the ongoing war on terrorism and the potential for an attack on Iraq, the role of the press in informing the nation about public safety concerns and the military, diplomatic, law enforcement, and intelligence actions of the government continues to be tested in novel and profound ways.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, NY March 21, 2001 Today, the National Coalition Against Censorship is urging the Tennessee Arts Commission to reconsider its apparent policy of banning all artwork containing nude figures from the TAC Gallery located in Nashville. The Tennessee Arts Commission and its gallery are funded by the State of Tennessee and the National Endowment [...]
The Hyde Park post office started hosting the Artist of the Month program, giving local artists the opportunity to display their work for an entire month in a place that draws hundreds of people per day. The works were on display in a special window in the building's lobby.
Dear Mr Viola, We are writing to urge you to restore the Artist of the Month program to the Hyde Park Post Office. It is our understanding that you cancelled the year-old program as a way to deal with one complaint regarding Fatgirl, the painting chosen to present the work of Audrey Francis, November Artist of the Month. There are [...]
The National Coalition Against Censorship, the ACLU of Southern California, The First Amendment Project of Oakland, CA and a large number of local and national artists announced that they are protesting the removal of Alex Donis' exhibition, "WAR," from the Watts Towers Art Center. Alex Donis, WAR. Shadow and Sergeant Kooney (oil and enamel on plexi) The show, which [...]
A computer-edited photo collage by Los Angeles artist Alma López triggered a heated controversy in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Santa Fe Community College Gainesville, FL March 21, 2001 Under pressure from the Catholic League and the local community, four works in the exhibition "Pat Payne: A look at Violence in Religious and Sexual Imagery" (February 8 - March 29, 2002) at the Santa Fe Community College Gallery were moved to a professor's office. Pat Payne's work blends sexual bondage [...]
The Benham Gallery Seattle, WA March 21, 2001 This February, exhibiting photographer Patricia Ridenour took her photographs down from the walls of the Benham Gallery when, at the opening, she found her work removed from the front gallery to the back room. The work in question (Ridenour's sixth show in 12 years at Benham, and decidedly not the first to [...]
The free expression and arts community today strongly supported the Brooklyn Museum of Art in its decision to challenge Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s threat to withdraw city financial support over a controversial art exhibit, scheduled to open this weekend.
In a new twist in the battle against evolution, creationists in Kansas hope to convince the Board of Education to drop evolution from the curriculum. Since it is unconstitutional to teach religious theory in the schools, creationists argue, evolution must also go. Shades of Isaac Asimov, who punned: "I'd let them teach creationism in the schools if they let us [...]
Dr. Marvin E. Edwards Superintendent School District U-46 355 East Chicago Street Elgin, IL 60120 Dear Dr. Edwards, We write to urge you to reinstate Judy Blume’s novel, Forever, in the middle school libraries in District 46. According to recent news reports, the decision to remove the book, and the desire to keep it out now, are based on disapproval [...]
We write to express our increasing concern over your public statements about children and the Internet, and specifically your endorsement of something called the "Parents’ Protection Page," as a "public-private partnership" to facilitate Internet censorship.
William J. Ivey, Chairman National Endowment for the Arts The Nancy Hanks Center 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20506-0001 Dear Chairman Ivey, We are writing to urge you to reconsider your decision to withdraw funding for The Story of Color, the Mexican folktale for children published by Cinco Puntos Press. According to press reports, the decision was based [...]
Statement of THE NATIONAL COALITION AGAINST CENSORSHIP
Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing on Flag Amendment, SJ Res. 40
Seven organizations dedicated to upholding the right of freedom of expression today declared their strong objection to the cancellation by high school principals of three free concerts by acclaimed folk-rock artists, the Indigo Girls. The organizations also praised the many students who are protesting their schools' censorship. A concert at Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina was canceled because of [...]
The following letter was sent to the members of the Senate Commerce Committee and other key senators. The complete list of recipients follows the text. I am writing to express concern about legislative efforts to restrict access to the Internet in schools and libraries, and particularly about S. 1619, the Internet School Filtering Act, which would require schools and libraries [...]
I write to express my serious concerns about your decision to remove three magazines from the Hauppauge Middle School Library. If press reports are accurate, as our inquiries suggest they are, removal of the magazines was precipated, in whole or in part, by a local religious figure who urged parishioners to object to them because they contain "information that goes against what we believe is the truth about sex as Catholic Christians."
>SUNY Chancellor and Trustees Label Womens Studies Conference Content Needlessly Offensive
NEW YORK, N.Y. - National anti-censorship groups representing librarians, artists, writers, booksellers, religious leaders and educators today denounced on-going efforts by Oklahoma City authorities to suppress a wide range of First Amendment-protected material, including the Academy Award-winning film, The Tin Drum. The National Coalition Against Censorship, the National Campaign for Free Expression, the Freedom to Read Foundation, and the American [...]