Free Expression and the Coronavirus Pandemic
Developments in the United States could threaten our civil liberties as responses to the coronavirus pandemic test governments and social structures worldwide.
New Mexico Museum of Art Urged to Reaffirm Artistic Freedom After Removing Project on Fracking
New Mexico Museum of Art chilled artistic expression by removing a project focused on the impact of fracking on the local community from an environmentally-focused exhibition over political concerns.
San Antonio Censors Queer Latina Performance Artist Xandra Ibarra | UPDATED
The City of San Antonio censored queer Latina performance artist Xandra Ibarra's work addressing race and gender stereotypes, likely infringing on the First Amendment.
Publishers Under Pressure
Following a walkout by members of its staff, Hachette announced that it has canceled the publication of a memoir by Woody Allen.
Failure of Democracy: California School District Bans Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
Democracy was missing in action in Colton, California, when the Board of the Colton Unified School District voted to remove Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye from the District’s reading list.
Massachusetts School Retains Puberty Book After Challenge
A Massachusetts middle school has decided to retain Sex is a Funny Word, an award-winning book about puberty, after its removal from the library was demanded by a small number of parents.
NCAC Files Supreme Court Brief in Case of Combat Veteran Charged with Harassment
NCAC has filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to hear the case of a combat veteran who was arrested after he swore at a Department of Veterans Affairs employee on the telephone.
Michigan Teacher Denies Student Request to Write About Same Sex Marriage
Michigan teacher who denied student request to write about same-sex marriage owes student an apology and district should reaffirm students' free expression rights.
NCAC Urges Passage of PATRIOT Act Reforms
NCAC endorses PATRIOT Act reforms to establish warrant protections for location information and internet browsing/search history, mandate an investigation into surveillance of First Amendment protected activities, and require the government to provide notice to defendants.
NCAC Opposes Copycat Missouri Bill Threatening Tennessee Libraries
NCAC supports the American Library Association to oppose library censorship legislation proposed by Tennessee lawmakers nearly identical to a bill proposed last month in Missouri.
UPDATE: VICTORY! NCAC Urges District to Retain DRAMA in Wyoming School Library
Wyoming school district considering a book challenge filed by a parent who argued against books about LGBTQ characters being available to students.
Statement on the Cancellation of American Dirt Book Tour
NCAC disappointed at cancellation of American Dirt book tour. Debate is essential in a free society.
NCAC Statement on Missouri Library Bill
The National Coalition Against Censorship and the other national groups signed below call upon the Missouri legislature to reject Missouri House Bill 2044, a recently introduced library censorship bill. The bill poses urgent dangers to the constitutional rights of Missouri’s citizens, including librarians, parents, and children. It is also redundant in light of existing Missouri law that already makes it [...]
NCAC Joins Call for Full Press Access to Senate Impeachment Trial
Free speech and government transparency organizations call for the United States Senate to allow full press access to the current impeachment proceedings.
Proposed Library Legislation in Missouri Threatens Freedom to Read
NCAC opposes proposed legislation threatening Missouri libraries' independence and citizens' freedom to read.
NCAC Receives Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts renews its major support of NCAC's Arts Advocacy Program
UPDATE: LGBTQ Books Under Threat in Loudoun County, Virginia, School Libraries
NCAC is calling on Loudoun County Public Schools to avoid viewpoint discrimination and uphold kids' right to access LGBTQ books.
Arizona Legislature Considers Sex Ed Restrictions: UPDATED
Arizona considers banning sex ed before seventh grade.
Free Speech Stories 2019
These are the free speech stories our readers cared about most this year.
NCAC’s Arts Advocacy Program Shines at the Creative Time Summit
In November 2019, for Creative Time Summit X: Speaking Truth, our Arts Advocacy Program (AAP) organized the roundtable session Fear and Controversy: Censorship in the Arts at the Cooper Union with artists Christina Freeman (UltraViolet Archive), Roopa Vasudevan (Center for Media at Risk, University of Pennsylvania) and Joy Garnett (NCAC's Arts Advocacy Program). The number of attendees (approx. 25 [...]
Arizona Legislators Challenge It’s Perfectly Normal
Lawmakers challenging introduction of comprehensive sex ed are calling for ban on popular sexual health guide in schools and libraries.
US Customs Detained and Seized Equipment of US Photographer Tim Stegmaier
Photographs and the First Amendment. Stegmaier's Harrowing Journey Through U.S. Customs in His Own Words.
Support NCAC With Data Science Books from No Starch Press
No Starch Press data science book bundle benefits NCAC because data collection and analysis is used throughout the world to suppress people's rights.
UPDATE: VICTORY! Pepperdine University Censors Student’s Art
Pepperdine University is refusing to display an art student's works alongside her peers because the works depict nudity.
National Groups Urge Washington College (Maryland) to Reschedule Student Production of ‘The Foreigner’
Washington College, Maryland, has censored a student-directed production of The Foreigner due to the appearance of the Ku Klux Klan as the play's villains.
LGBTQ Children’s Book Removed from Library Shelves in West Virginia
NCAC urges Upshur County library officials to uphold their own policies and the First Amendment by returning Prince & Knight to the children's section of their library.
Florida County Rejects Library’s New York Times Subscription Over Political Viewpoint
Commissioners in Citrus County, Florida, recently voted against allocating funds for a digital subscription to the New York Times for county libraries based on political disagreement with the paper.
NCAC Celebrates 45th Anniversary
NCAC awarded Free Speech Defender Awards to young adult author Jason Reynolds and groundbreaking artist Carolee Schneemann at its 45th anniversary celebration.
NCAC Joins Statement of Civil Rights Concerns About Social Media Monitoring by Law Enforcement
When agencies use social media to keep tabs on people they perceive as suspicious, it has a disparate impact on historically overpoliced communities, especially communities of color.
Author Aida Salazar on Censoring Gender Fluidity in Schools
Author Aida Salazar shares her own experience with school visits for her new book, The Moon Within, and the struggles she faces with teachers.
UPDATE: VICTORY! NCAC Opposes Proposed Protest Fees on National Mall
In August, the National Park Service issued a proposed rule to introduce fees for holding protests on the National Mall, posing a serious threat to Americans' right to free speech and assembly.
NCAC Opposes Removal of Dear Martin from Georgia School Curriculum
Columbia County Superintendent removed three novels from the proposed high school curriculum despite teachers' recommendations.
Mayor Vetoes Bill Clarifying Washington DC Arts Commission’s Independence
UPDATE: 10/24/19: On October 22, the DC Council voted unanimously to override Mayor Muriel Bowser's veto of an emergency bill that would have clarified the DCCAH’s independence. “The underlying legislation cemented DCCAH's separation from the executive's office after a tumultuous summer during which the mayor tried and failed to grab control of the District's public arts.” (see original post below) [...]
Cancel Culture: Can Free Speech in Cultural Institutions Survive the Onslaught of Moral Outrage?
Svetlana Mintcheva, NCAC's Director of Programs, presented a talk at the Harvard Law School Library on the effects contemporary moral outrage has on the arts and culture.
Facebook Urged to Maintain End-to-End Encryption in Face of Government Pressure
NCAC urges Facebook to resist government pressure to end its use of end-to-end security encryption.
Department of Education Threatens Academic Freedom at Duke–UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies
Government intervention into the content of higher education courses is very likely to suppress certain views, chill dissent, and restrict academic discourse.
Allen Ginsberg Censored in Hermosa Beach, California
An artist in Hermosa Beach, California, has been pressured by Hermosa Beach Mural Project organizers to remove poet Allen Ginsberg from a new public mural.
“I wish we didn’t need Banned Books Week”: The Real Cost of Banning Books
Stories that feature characters with diverse ethnicities and sexualities remain at the top of challenged books lists in our schools and libraries. Each removal tells a kid that theirs isn't a story worth telling.
Censorship Leaves Us in the Dark: A Banned Books Week Reading List
Celebrate Banned Books Week 2019 by reading some of our favorite banned and challenged books.
California Artist Turns Censorship Into Powerful Artistic Statement
Christy Chan turned censorship into a powerful artistic statement in Richmond, California