On Thursday, May 23rd, the Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed that former Michigan Governor John Engler and I wrote announcing a new Kirk Center initiative aimed at offering a constructive response to the free speech and academic freedom debates.

As we noted, Justice Samuel Alito recently warned that freedom of speech on campuses and in many corridors of American society is imperiled. “Troubled waters are slamming against some of our most fundamental principles,” he said in a commencement address at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio. “Support for freedom of speech is declining dangerously, especially where it should find deepest acceptance.”

Per their policy, our WSJ op-ed is behind a paywall for 30 days. We’ll share it online when we can. In it we argue that, “Free speech is the healthy byproduct of America’s tradition of self-government. When such freedom is threatened, flashpoints of a larger social crisis emerge everywhere. This problem may seem irreversible, but it isn’t. Decorum and civility can coexist with robust free speech. We need fresh examples across academia, business, media, entertainment, and politics that are working to revitalize our culture and polity. We need educational leaders of integrity.”

That is why the Russell Kirk Center launched the Richard D. McLellan Prizes for Advancing Free Speech and Expression. Through these awards, we will recognize those who have given us insights in books, journalism, public advocacy, new media or creative arts each year.

I encourage you to nominate worthy candidates for either the main prize of $50,000 or journalists and scholars for summer research grants that will go a long way to contributing to our understanding of and appreciation for freedom of speech and our First Amendment freedoms. More information and the nomination form may be found on our website here.