National Coalition Against Censorship Inc

NCAC PROMOTES FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, INQUIRY AND EXPRESSION AND OPPOSES CENSORSHIP IN ALL ITS FORMS.

THE YOUTH FREE EXPRESSION PROGRAM (YFEP) EMPOWERS YOUTH WITH KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSERT AND DEFEND THEIR RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. YFEP BELIEVES THAT DENYING YOUNG PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO CREATE, EXPLORE AND INQUIRE IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE PROGRAM WORKS DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON ISSUES AFFECTING A YOUNG PERSONS INTELLECTUAL AND CREATIVE FREEDOM, INCLUDING THE REMOVAL OF BOOKS FROM SCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND LIBRARIES, THE REMOVAL OF STUDENT-PRODUCED VISUAL ART, INTERFERENCE WITH STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALISM, THE CANCELLATION OF STUDENT-PERFORMED PLAYS AND MUSICALS, THE RESTRICTION OF STUDENT SPEECH ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS THAT SEEK TO LABEL CONTROVERSIAL CONTENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND INTERFERENCE IN HEALTH, HISTORY, AND SCIENCE CURRICULA. IN 2021, YFEP RESPONDED TO A NATIONAL BOOK-BANNING CRISIS IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES BY CREATING A YOUTH FREE EXPRESSION DATABASE. THE NEW RESOURCE INCLUDES A MAP OF THREATS TO YOUTH EXPRESSION, INCLUDING SUPPRESSION OF SPEECH AND PROTEST AND SCHOOL AND LIBRARY BOOK CHALLENGES. YFEP COORDINATED OVER 1000 SIGNATORIESINCLUDING PUBLISHING HOUSES, ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS, BOOKSELLERS, AUTHORS AND OTHERS--TO A STATEMENT CONDEMNING THESE ATTACKS ON FREE EXPRESSION.YFEP ALSO CREATED A NEW DIRECT-SERVICE PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LAUNCH IN 2022. THE PROGRAM EMBEDS FREE SPEECH CLUBS IN HIGH SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE TO ADDRESS A GROWING GENERATIONAL DISPARITY IN SUPPORT FOR FREE EXPRESSION.A KEY INITIATIVE OF YFEP IS THE KIDS RIGHT TO READ PROJECT (KRRP), WHICH PROMOTES THE FREEDOM TO READ AND ACCESS INFORMATION BY OFFERING SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND LIBRARIANS FACING CHALLENGES OR BANS TO EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES. IN 2021, KRRP INVESTIGATED CHALLENGES NATIONWIDE, DEFENDING MATERIAL COMING UNDER ATTACK FOR CONTENT ABOUT RELIGION, RACE, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, AND VIOLENCE. FROM SEPTEMBER TO DECEMBER OF 2021, OVER 300 CHALLENGES WERE REPORTED AS PART OF A COORDINATED ATTACK ON BOOKS IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES. EXAMPLES INCLUDED ENTIRE READINGS LISTS BEING REMOVED FROM SCHOOLS IN PENNSYLVANIA AND TEXAS. BOOKS BY AND ABOUT PEOPLE OF COLOR AND LGBTQ+ PEOPLE WERE PARTICULAR TARGETS, WITH VERY SIMILAR LISTS OF TITLES BEING CHALLENGED IN SCHOOLS FROM FLORIDA TO NEW YORK. IN RESPONSE, NCAC CREATED A BOOK CHALLENGE RESOURCE CENTER, BRINGING TOGETHER A VARIETY OF RESOURCES FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, AUTHORS, BOOKSELLERS AND OTHERS TO CHALLENGE CENSORSHIP IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. NCAC ALSO LAUNCHED A BOOK CHALLENGE HOTLINE FOR CONCERNED CITIZENS TO GET ONE-TO-ONE SUPPORT FOR FIGHTING CENSORSHIP IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

NCACS ACTIVITIES ARE DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION BY: ASSISTING STUDENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, PARENTS AND OTHERS OPPOSING CENSORSHIP IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES HELPING ARTISTS, CURATORS AND MUSEUM DIRECTORS RESIST ART CENSORSHIP INFORMING PUBLIC OFFICIALS, THE MEDIA AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC POLICIES AND LAWS THAT RESPECT FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND PRINCIPLES EDUCATING YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE WIDER PUBLIC ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF FREE EXPRESSION, CLAIMING THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS ENGAGING WITH A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF ACTIVISTS AND SUPPORTING LOCAL ACTIVISM ANALYZING CENSORSHIP TRENDS, PUBLISHING ANALYSIS AND DEVELOPING NEW STRATEGIES TO PROMOTE FREE SPEECH RIGHTSAS PART OF NCACS CORE PROGRAM, OUR ORGANIZATION IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED AS A COALITION AND IS COMPRISED OF MORE THAN 50 NATIONAL NON-PROFITS INCLUDING LITERARY, ARTISTIC, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, LABOR AND CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS. FOR NEARLY 50 YEARS, WE HAVE ENGAGED IN DIRECT ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION TO SUPPORT FIRST AMENDMENT PRINCIPLES. NCAC IS UNIQUE IN THAT WE ARE NATIONAL IN SCOPE, BUT OFTEN LOCAL IN OUR APPROACH. WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS TO RESOLVE CENSORSHIP CONTROVERSIES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LITIGATION.ANOTHER PART OF NCACS CORE PROGRAM IS THE FREE EXPRESSION NETWORK, AN ALLIANCE OF THE 45 LEADING ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND PRESERVING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. FEN PROMOTES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION SHARING UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF NCAC. FEN MEMBERS MEET REGULARLY TO REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF MUTUAL CONCERN AND TO DEVELOP COORDINATED STRATEGIES. THE FEN LISTSERV FACILITATES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING JOINT CAMPAIGNS AND LETTERS, AMICUS BRIEFS, AND LEGISLATIVE COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY.

NCACS ARTS AND CULTURE ADVOCACY PROGRAM (ACAP, FORMERLY ARTS ADVOCACY PROJECT) IS THE ONLY NATIONAL INITIATIVE THAT WORKS WITH INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND CURATORS INVOLVED IN CENSORSHIP DISPUTES TO RESOLVE CONTROVERSY AND DEVELOP STRATEGIC EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT EQUIP ARTISTS AND INSTITUTIONS WITH THE TOOLS TO PROMOTE ARTISTIC FREEDOM. IN 2021, OUR DONT DELETE ART PROJECT, A COLLABORATION BETWEEN SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND FREE EXPRESSION ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS PROMINENT ARTISTS, GREW AND EXPANDED. THE PROJECT CONSISTS OF A DIGITAL ART GALLERY, AN ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN AIMED AT PUSHING FOR GREATER ALLOWANCE FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND A RESOURCE CENTER FOR ARTISTS STRUGGLING TO NAVIGATE HOW TO SHARE THEIR ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA. DONT DELETE ART CREATED A TOOLKIT FOR ARTISTS NAVIGATING UNFRIENDLY SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AND HELP A WORKSHOP FOR ARTISTS TO DIRECTLY ASSIST ONE ANOTHER IN ADAPTING THEIR PRACTICES TO AVOID CENSORSHIP. ACAP ALSO WORKED SYSTEMICALLY TO PROMOTE ARTISTIC FREEDOM BY HELPING INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, DEVELOP SOUND FREE EXPRESSION POLICIES FOLLOWING CENSORSHIP INCIDENTS.