First Amendment Day Events

Tree Planting, 9 a.m.

As the kick-off event for First Amendment Day, a UNC Liberty Tree was planted in front of Carroll Hall, home to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.  Cathy Packer, faculty director of the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy; Richard Harrill, director of the Campus Y; and Dean Jean Folkerts of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication each spoke briefly.  Then Student Body President Jasmin Jones read the First Amendment.  Members of the audience joined in to help plant the tree.  There was a “UNC Liberty Tree” sign on the tree (an elm) and a Carolina blue bow on the shovel.

Student a cappella groups sang banned music in the Pit (the place in the center of campus where students gather during the day) between classes.  One group sang a medley of rap songs; another sang a Madonna song.

Large painted cubes located near the Campus Y were available for students to write on and express their thoughts about free speech.

First Amendment Books, Throughout the day

The Park Library in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication displayed books that explain and explore the First Amendment.  Featured books included Abandoned in the Wasteland: Children, Television, and the First Amendment by Newton Minow, Freedom for the Thought that We Hate: A Biography of the First Amendment by Anthony Lewis and Tolerance and the First Amendment by Lee Bollinger.  For a complete list, please visit:  http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/jomcparklib/lists/1048745.

Step Up!  Speak Out, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Campus Y organized soap boxes for students to stand up on and exercise their right to freedom of speech on the topic of their choice.

Banned Book Reading, 12:30 to 2 p.m.

Campus leaders and others read from banned books in The Pit.  As part of this event, Chancellor Holden Thorp read an excerpt from Catcher in the Rye.  At the same time, a selection of banned books was displayed in The Pit.  This event was organized by Erica Eisdorfer of the Bulls Head Bookshop, Lisa Norberg of the University Library and School of Library and Information Sciences graduate student Maggie Hargrave.

The Civil Rights Movement Moves the First Amendment, 1:45 to 2:15 p.m.

Student members of the Carolina Association of Black Journalists organized a demonstration of the ways African Americans pushed back when they were denied First Amendment freedoms during the Civil Rights Movement in America.  Students taped their mouths shut and held signs referencing historic Supreme Court cases from that period.  Information sheets about these cases were provided.

The Rights and Responsibilities of Carolina's Student Media, 4 to 5 p.m.

A panel of Carolina’s student journalists – editors from the Daily Tar Heel, the student-run campus newspaper; Carolina Review, a monthly conservative journal; and Campus BluePrint, a new publication of the UNC Young Democrats – discussed their rights, their responsibilities and whether they are fulfilling their responsibilities. Panelists took questions from the audience and engaged in a lively conversation about their editorial processes and decisions. The panel was moderated by Andy Bechtel, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and was organized by senior religious studies major Bryan Weynand, who is the editor of Carolina Review.

 
Civil Rights Walk, 4 p.m.

The Black History Walk was an event presented to teach the history of the struggle for Civil Rights on UNC's campus and in the surrounding Chapel Hill community. Beginning in the Pit, the tour, conducted by Professor Tim McMillan of the African and Afro-American Studies Department, highlighted sites such as Franklin Street’s Chapel of the Cross, where a slave balcony still exists. Local community members talked about their experiences in Chapel Hill, the history of the fight for equality on Franklin Street and how the struggle continues to this day as local developments threaten the integrity of working and middle-class communities in Chapel Hill.  The event was organized by the UNC-Chapel Hill Chapter of the NAACP, United with the Northside Community-Now (UNC-NOW) and Students for the Advancement of Race Relations (SARR) for a Black History Walk.

This panel discussion between Haley Koch, Nikhil Patel and Hugh Stevens covered the First Amendment issues raised by the protest against former Congressman Tom Tancredo’s speech last spring on campus.  Haley Koch, a UNC senior and activist, was arrested for her role in the protest that prevented Tancredo from speaking in Bingham Hall. The case against Koch was thrown out by a judge on Sept. 14, but as a result of the publicity generated by the charges, Koch has repeatedly been threatened and harassed. Nikhil Patel is a UNC senior and the president of Youth for Western Civilization, the conservative student group responsible for organizing the Tancredo speech. YWC has struggled to remain a viable campus group since being stigmatized as a white supremacist group by more liberal students; the organization recently lost its faculty adviser for the second time since the Tancredo speech.  Hugh Stevens is a nationally known First Amendment and media lawyer who served as general counsel for the North Carolina Press Association for 20 years and continues to serve as counsel to the North Carolina Press Foundation, the North Carolina Open Government Coalition and several North Carolina newspapers, including The News & Observer. Steven’s interest in the First Amendment began as a student at UNC-CH in the 1960s. During the discussion each panelist shared his or her perspectives of the Tancredo incident and the First Amendment implications of the protest; the state of free speech on the UNC campus more generally was also discussed during this dialogue.  Panelists then participated in a question-and answer-session with members of the audience.  The event was organized and moderated by senior journalism and mass communication major Sam Wardle.

Unlearning Liberty, 7 to 8 p.m.

Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), delivered the keynote lecture.  Lukianoff reported on the state of the First Amendment on American college campuses and stressed the importance of the free exchange of ideas on campus.  Lukianoff said: “[T]he censored of one generation too often become the censors of the next.  Our ultimate goal is to break this sad and predictable cycle and prove that students at America’s colleges and universities are strong enough and smart enough to live with truly free and open debate.” 

Story Time – With Milk and Cookies, 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

The UNC Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Straight Alliance (GLBTSA) and the Lambda Law Students Association discussed children’s books that have been banned from libraries because they have gay and lesbian themes.  The books included And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson and King and King by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland.  Members of Lambda Law Students Association provided the censorship history of each of these banned books.  Then members of the GLBTSA read the stories aloud while the audience enjoyed freshly baked cookies and milk.

First Amendment Day Photos

UNC Liberty Tree The planting of a UNC Liberty Tree was the kick-off event for First Amendment Day. The UNC Liberty Tree is located in front of Carroll Hall, home to the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Spectators at the Tree Planting Members of the UNC community gathered near the steps of Carroll Hall to the kick off First Amendment Day.

Dr. Cathy Packer Delivers Remarks Dr. Cathy Packer, professor at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and the organizer of First Amendment Day, delivered remarks to the audience outside of Carroll Hall.

Richard Harrill Discusses the First Amendment Prior to the tree planting, Richard Harrill, director of the Campus Y, discussed the importance of the First Amendment. The Campus Y co-sponsored First Amendment Day.

Jasmin Jones Reads the First Amendment Jasmin Jones, student body president and senior in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, read the text of the First Amendment aloud.

Dean Folkerts Helps Plant the UNC Liberty Tree Dean Jean Folkerts of the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication pitched in to help plant the UNC Liberty Tree.

Students Aid in the Tree Planting Ceremony Hard-working graduate students at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Woodrow Hartzog and Nora Sullivan, also joined in to help with the tree planting.

Banned Book Reading Campus celebrities, including Chancellor Holden Thorp, read from banned books in The Pit during lunchtime.

Students Examine Banned Book Display Students stopped by to look at the display of banned books in The Pit.

Students Gather to Listen to Readings Students gathered to listen to books that were banned throughout the years.

First Amendment Day T-shirts Students showed their support and raised awareness for First Amendment Day by wearing t-shirts that were created for the event. The shirts were designed by JOMC master's student Monica Ulmanu.

"The Civil Rights Movement Moves the First Amendment" Students gathered in The Pit to demonstrate how African Americans pushed back when they were denied First Amendment freedoms during the Civil Rights Movement.

Student with Mouth Taped Shut As one part of the demonstration, students taped their mouths shut to symbolize the suppression of free speech during the Civil Rights Movement.

Students Hold Signs Signifying Important Supreme Court Decisions Students in The Pit displayed signs regarding important Civil Rights Era Supreme Court decisions related to the First Amendment.

Students Receive Information on Court Decisions Information sheets about the Court decisions referenced on the signs were handed out in The Pit during the demonstration.

"The Rights and Responsibilities of Carolina's Student Media" A panel of Carolina's student journalists -- the editors from The Daily Tar Heel, Carolina Review and Campus BluePrint -- discussed their rights and responsibilities.

"The State of Free Speech at Carolina: A Conversation with Haley Koch, Nikhil Patel and Hugh Stevens" Haley Koch, a student activist; Nikhil Patel, president of Youth for Western Civilization; and Hugh Stevens, a prominent media lawyer, discussed the protest against former Congressman Tom Tancredo’s speech in the spring of 2009 on campus.

Stevens Discusses Free Speech at UNC Stevens, a UNC alum, explained the First Amendment issues surrounding the protest of the Tancredo speech.

"Unlearning Liberty" Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), delivered the keynote lecture on the state of the First Amendment on college and university campuses throughout the country.

Audience Assembles for First Amendment Day's Keynote Lecture Students, faculty and members of the community gathered in Carroll Hall to hear Lukianoff's account of the Supreme Court's pivotal decisions on free expression on college campuses as well as FIRE's challenges to university policies restricting speech.

Lukianoff Stresses the Importance of Free Speech on College Campuses In his closing remarks, Lukianoff urged students to break the cycle of censorship and work toward making college campuses a forum for open debate.

"Story Time - With Milk and Cookies," presented by the GLBTSA and the Lambda Law Students Association An audience gathered to hear the censorship history of several banned children's book and enjoyed freshly baked cookies and milk while the stories were read aloud.

Student Reads Aloud from a Banned Book Kyle Flannelly, a first-year psychology major, read aloud from King and King by Linda De Haan and Stern Nijland after a brief account of how and when the book was banned.

Story Time Ends with a Reading of And Tango Makes Three Wrapping up First Amendment Day, Kathia Davidson, a junior majoring in pyschology, read from a book that recently caused controversy, And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson.

Photos by UNC seniors Wendy Thigpen Holmes and Reiley Wooten and UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication faculty members Jock Lauterer and Ruth Walden.