Free-speech advocate Salman Rushdie and others explore the increasing threats to freedom of expression   What’s New This Week National First Amendment Summit The National Constitution Center, in partnership with a coalition of leading free speech organizations, convened a National First Amendment Summit this week to discuss the increasing threats to freedom of expression and to celebrate the opening of the Center’s new First Amendment gallery. To lead off the event, author and free speech advocate Salman Rushdie engaged in a virtual keynote conversation with Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, about the importance of free speech in a democratic society and the forces of censorship that imperil its existence. The summit featured a series of panels on the origins of the First Amendment, its role in democracy, the courts, and on campus and online. Summit participants included First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, Bruce Brown of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Will Creeley of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, Stephen Solomon of NYU’s First Amendment Watch, and leading scholars Akhil Reed Amar, Jeannie Suk Gersen, Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky, Jacob Mchangama, and Nadine Strossen. Watch the full event here or listen to Panel 3: The First Amendment on Campus and Online on this week’s episode of We the People. We the People and Live at the National Constitution Center are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more   The Latest at Constitution Daily Blog The Story of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day by Scott Bomboy | Read time: 4 minutes “Each September, Americans commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Constitution with two federally recognized celebrations: Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. ...” Read more September 12, 1958: Supreme Court Orders Little Rock Desegregation by Scott Bomboy | Read time: 3 minutes “On September 12, 1958, a unanimous Supreme Court declined a Little Rock School District request to delay by more than two years the desegregation mandated by the Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board ruling. ...” Read more   More From the National Constitution Center The History of Religious Liberty in America Monday, September 18 | 6:30 p.m. ET How did America’s founders view religious liberty? And what does it mean today? Join constitutional law experts Marci Hamilton, author of God vs. the Gavel: The Perils of Extreme Religious Liberty, and Michael McConnell, co-author of Agreeing to Disagree: How the Establishment Clause Protects Religious Diversity and Freedom of Conscience, for a special Constitution Day discussion to celebrate the opening of the Center’s new First Amendment gallery. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. REGISTER TO ATTEND ONLINE   Constitutional Text of the Week The First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Read interpretations in the Interactive Constitution     Support the Center Your generous support enables the National Constitution Center to thrive as America’s leading platform for nonpartisan constitutional education and civil dialogue. SUPPORT Connect with us Update your email preferences by clicking the Update Profile link below to subscribe to other National Constitution Center newsletters and manage how often you hear from us.   National Constitution Center | Independence Mall, 525 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19106 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected] powered by Try email marketing for free today!