SpeechMatters UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement

Paulette Granberry Russell, president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE), discusses the wide and deep impacts that ongoing legislative attacks on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, officers and trainings have on higher education.
Episode Resources:
Chronicle of Higher Ed DEI Legislation TrackerNADOHE Legislation ResourcesNADOHE Communication Guide"DEI Isn't Scary; Political Purges Are by Ryan A. Miller

Jim Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association (AHA) joins the podcast to discuss how “divisive concepts” legislation creates challenges for the teaching and learning of history that compromise democratic values and institutions. Throughout the conversation, Grossman points to the vital role that facts, critical thinking and source credibility play in maintaining an informed and engaged public. 
Episode Resources:
https://time.com/6917632/history-wars-teacher-survey/   https://www.historians.org/divisive-concepts-statement  https://www.historians.org/news-and-advocacy/teaching-history-with-integrity/freedom-to-learnhttps://www.chronicle.com/article/here-are-the-states-where-lawmakers-are-seeking-to-ban-colleges-dei-effortshttps://www.historians.org/research-and-publications/perspectives-on-history/march-2023/the-integrity-of-history-education-bills-censoring-k%E2%80%9312-classrooms-censor-higher-education-as-wellhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdcoBQy41zI https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/02/opinion/the-new-history-wars.html

What is the state of youth voting among college students as we barrel toward the November presidential election? Today’s guests, Jennifer Domagal-Goldman from ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, and UC Berkeley undergraduate student, Alex Edgar, discuss successful strategies to increase youth participation in local, state and federal elections in 2024. Listen in for tangible tips on actions you can take now to engage the young people in your life and on your campus.
Episode Resources:
Every single person in a college community can help support nonpartisan democratic engagement on their campus by:
Visiting www.allintovote.org and check or update your registration and then take our Pledge to Vote - and then ask three friends or family members to do the same. Asking your president or chancellor to join more than 625 of their peers in signing our Presidents’ Commitment to Full Student Voter Participation. It sends a strong signal to the campus that nonpartisan voter engagement matters.Working with your athletic department to encourage all athletic administrators and coaches to sign the 2024 Coaches Pledge.Recognizing a student who’s doing extraordinary work on your campus with the ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. Submitting a nonpartisan campus democratic engagement action plan by May 31, 2024.Learn more about the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition: https://slsvcoalition.org/  Check out the latest U.S. Department of Education Toolkit for the Promotion of Voter Participation for Students: https://allin.vote/USEd-Toolkit   

Restorative justice – traditionally used as a way to respond to criminal acts – is now being used on college and university campuses to foster community, improve relationships and respond to harm. Leading the way is the Office of Restorative Justice Practices at UC San Francisco directed by this month's guest, Dr. Maria Jaochico. Dr. Jaochico grounds us in restorative justice approaches that can be utilized when community values compete with protected speech. 
Episode Resources:
Restorative Justice Practices at UCSF (UCSF)RJ101 For workplaces and organizations (UC Berkeley)National Education Association Restorative Practices (NEA)"Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice" by Fania E. Davis

People do not seem to agree on much right now; however, there does seem to be consensus that this is a challenging and painful time on college campuses. This month’s guests, Dr. Katya Armistead, assistant vice chancellor and dean of students for UC Santa Barbara and Dr. Genie Kim, director of student mental health and wellbeing at the UC Office of the President, discuss the hard work of providing support to the campus community when ugly speech rears its head.
Episode Resources
"How two Dartmouth professors are addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict" (NPR)Student mental health & well-being (UC Office of the President)Message to students on "Campus Climate and Civility" from Margaret Klawunn, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and guest Katya Armistead at UC Santa Barbara

Join the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) director of the Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, Ben Wizner, for a conversation about former President Trump’s use of the First Amendment as a legal defense, whether his speech on January 6th meets the Supreme Court’s test for incitement and how AI might impact the democratic process.
Episode Resources:
"Opinion: We’ve defended Trump’s 1st Amendment rights. But his latest claims about the Jan. 6 indictment are nonsense” by David Cole and Ben Wizner: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-08-12/opinion-is-trump-right-to-claim-free-speech-as-a-defense  Just Security Trump Trials Clearinghouse: https://www.justsecurity.org/88175/trump-trials-clearinghouseDOJ 2020 Election Interference Indictment:  https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Just-Security-Jan.-6-D.C.-Trump-Clearinghouse-%E2%80%94-Federal-Indictment-of-Donald-Trump-August-1-2023.pdf Georgia 2020 Election Interference Indictment: https://www.justsecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/just-security-fulton-county-da-indictment.pdf