Thank You, Teachers!

It’s been a pleasure learning from and working with our community of educators this past school year. Education is vital to our republic and we know that teachers are one of the key factors in a student’s learning journey. Thank you for your dedication to our students, our country, and its future. We wish you a relaxing summer and look forward to seeing you again in the fall!

Celebrate the First Amendment All Summer Long

This summer, we’re highlighting resources for each of the five freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment in celebration of our newest gallery, The First Amendment, opening September 6, 2023.

Follow along as we dive into speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.

Speech and Press

Understanding the Roberts Court Featuring Bruce Murphy

Sunday, July 2 I 12:45 p.m. ET

Bruce Murphy, Ph.D., of Lafayette College, joins us for a look into the Roberts Court. Dr. Murphy will unpack decisions from the Court’s 2022-2023 term, with a special emphasis on cases involving the First Amendment, what they decided, and where the Court might be heading next term.

In Pursuit of Freedom: What Shaped Frederick Douglass

Tuesday, July 4 I 11:45 a.m. ET



Join Dr. tonya thames-taylor of West Chester University for an inside look at Frederick Douglass as she explores the pivotal events from his Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, his relationship with Black and white abolitionists, and his understanding of freedom. The presentation will conclude with a dramatic reading of Frederick Douglass’s historic 1852 speech in which he asked “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?” Dr. thames-taylor is an associate professor of history (American), founding director of the African American Studies Program, and member of the executive committee of the Frederick Douglass Institute at West Chester University. She is a specialist in the 19th and 20th centuries and her research focuses on gender, race, human rights, and Southern histories.

More From the National Constitution Center

Virtual Tour: Civil War and Reconstruction

Wednesday, July 5 I 12 p.m. ET

Explore the Center’s compelling exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, as one of our museum educators leads viewers through the exhibit. Learn how constitutional clashes over slavery set the stage for the Civil War, and how the nation transformed the Constitution after the war during the Reconstruction period. Along the way, you’ll hear the stories of people central to the conflict over slavery and give you an up-close look at special artifacts on display. In July we will also take a special look at Frederick Douglass and discuss his famous 1852 speech, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” 

Monthly Civil War & Reconstruction Tours made possible through the generosity of TD Bank.

Artificial Intelligence, Defamation, and New Speech Frontiers

As ChatGPT and other generative AI platforms have taken off, they’ve demonstrated exciting possibilities about the potential benefits of artificial intelligence; while at the same time, have raised myriad open questions and complexities, from how to regulate the pace of AI’s growth, to whether AI companies can be held liable for any misinformation reported or generated through the platforms. Earlier this month, the first ever AI defamation lawsuit was filed, by a Georgia radio host who claims that ChatGPT falsely accused him of embezzling money. The case presents new and never-before answered legal questions, including what happens if AI reports false and damaging information about a real person? Should that person be able to sue the AI’s creator for defamation? 

In this episode two leading First Amendment scholars—Eugene Volokh of UCLA Law and Lyrissa Lidsky of the University of Florida Law School— join to explore the emerging legal issues surrounding artificial intelligence and the First Amendment. They discuss whether AI has constitutional rights; who if anyone can be sued when AI makes up or mistakes information; whether artificial intelligence might lead to new doctrines regarding regulation of online speech; and more.

Thank you for being part of our community of educators. If you have any questions we’d love to hear from you. Please email the education team at [email protected].

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