Free Speech Book Club
Free speech is enshrined in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Yet few people thoroughly explore the meaning of and law behind free speech. In collaboration with the University Honors Book Lab program, Inclusive Excellence seeks to introduce undergraduate students to the history of and current controversies surrounding freedom of speech.
Objectives
Utah State’s Free Speech Book Club brings people together and provides students the opportunity to accomplish the following:
- Define the concept of free speech.
- Describe the origins of free speech.
- State the importance of the First Amendment’s free speech clause to self-government and a free society.
- Identify conditions under which speech has been limited.
By understanding the concept, origins, importance, and limits of free speech, the Free Speech Book Club ensures that students comprehend one of the basic principles of liberty afforded by the United States, all while stressing Inclusive Excellence’s core values of mutual respect, civil discourse, advocacy, accountability, responsibility, and community.
Current Free Speech Book Club Selection
The Spring 2024 book club selection is Nadine Strossen’s Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know.
Strossen is New York Law School Professor Emerita, past national President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) (1991-2008), and serves on the advisory boards of the ACLU, Academic Freedom Alliance, Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), Heterodox Academy, and National Coalition Against Censorship.
According to the Cato Institute, a public policy research organization that creates a presence for and promotes libertarian ideas in policy debates, Strossen’s Free Speech “provides a timely and much needed response” to confusion over the nature of the First Amendment’s protection of speech.
Apply
The University Honors Program facilitates the application process for Honors students to sign up for the Free Speech Book Club. If you are an Honors student, please visit the Honors Book Lab website for more information.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Free Speech Book Club, please contact Dr. Chris Babits at chris.babits@usu.edu.
