The National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC), which represents 59 trusted education, publishing, and arts organizations, joins the Dramatists Legal Defense Fund and PEN America to encourage Texas Wesleyan University to support artistic free expression and reschedule Down In Mississippi, a play by Carlyle Brown that the university’s theatre department recently canceled due to language concerns and complaints.
History is often painful, but its ugliness is a reminder of things that must always be remembered. This is one of the messages of Mr. Brown’s play, which tells the story of brave students who traveled to Mississippi in 1964 to register Black citizens to vote.
The NCAC strongly recommends that Texas Wesleyan University’s theater department reschedule the production and provide the contextualization required for its specific student community through companion programs, workshops, or other educational materials.
Please read our full letter to Texas Wesleyan University below.