“Thank you for not giving up on Florida”: A rallying cry at the Unified Voices Summit in Orlando
Last weekend, superheroes of education and civic engagement turned out by the hundreds in Orlando to stand against Gov. DeSantis and other other elected leaders who are censoring and… More
Trouble in Censorville: Teachers Describe Trauma Inflicted in the War on Education
Depression. Social isolation. Insomnia, weight gain, hair loss. These are some of the symptoms that 14 public school teachers describe experiencing in Trouble in Censorville, a collection of oral… More
Slashing All Arts and Culture Funding in Florida Will Stifle Free/Creative Expression
“A state with an emaciated arts sphere, where books are already banned and classroom dialogue is stifled, is one that is in danger of abandoning freedom of expression altogether,”… More
PEN America: USC Decision to Cancel Valedictorian’s Graduation Speech Amounts to “Heckler’s Veto”
PEN America’s Kristen Shahverdian, program director for Campus Free Speech, said: “This amounts to a heckler’s veto – this student should have been given the opportunity to give the… More
Georgia’s Ruling Party Reintroduces Draconian “Foreign Agent Law” Under New Name
The ruling Georgian Dream party is again pushing a so-called ‘Foreign Agent Law’ to undermine the essential and independent work of writers, cultural figures, and journalists More
PEN America: U.S. Ban on TikTok Takes a “Sledgehammer” Approach to the Challenge of Security and Safety Concerns Online
“Banning TikTok establishes an alarming precedent for addressing legitimate privacy and security risks posed by social media platforms,” said Laura Schroeder, Congressional Affairs lead. “The House has taken a… More
Free Speech and Other Organizations Urge Florida Lawmakers to Oppose Bill Banning Youth from Social Media
We know social media sites can present significant risks to minors, but the state’s response to such risks should be tailored to minimize harm, not passing measures that violate… More
PEN America Urges University of Houston to Reschedule Talk by Artist Shahzia Sikander and Show Her Film
PEN America’s senior manager for Free Expression and Education, said: “Artistic freedom is not optional on college campuses. As a public university, the University of Houston has an obligation… More
Chinese Woman’s Rights Activist Li Qiaochu Convicted of Inciting Subversion
PEN America condemns the unjust conviction and sentencing of Chinese labor and women’s rights activist Li Qiaochu. Li, who is the partner of imprisoned activist, essayist, and PEN/Barbey Freedom… More
More than 50 Books Removed from Rockingham County, Virginia, Schools
PEN America sent a letter to Rockingham County, Virginia schools protesting its recent book bans. These are the books banned in Rockingham County. More