Hello John,

In just two weeks, the Kirk Center will award the Inaugural McLellan Prizes for Free Speech during an evening ceremony at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

Last week, I announced Samuel Goldman as a McLellan Free Speech Writing Fellowship winner. This week, I’m pleased to announce that the second McLellan Prize Free Speech Writing Fellow is Josiah Joner.

Josiah studied economics at Stanford University, where he served as the 68th Editor-in-Chief of The Stanford Review. At Stanford, Josiah covered various issues of free speech on campus and documented many of the university’s censorship efforts during the Covid pandemic. At a young age, he has testified before Congress on protecting free speech in higher education and has appeared on major television and radio networks. Josiah lives in the Bay Area and is working on a project about free speech and censorship at Stanford and beyond with noted Stanford Professor of Medicine, Economics, and Health Research Policy, Jay Bhattacharya.

We look forward to welcoming Josiah to Grand Rapids on December 5th. 

Are you curious about what the December 5 evening program will look like? Here is a short description. As you can see, it will be a lively program about the challenges and prospects of America's tradition of free speech. 

Preliminaries

Reception with Drinks and Hors d'œuvres

Welcome
Invocation by Senator Thomas Albert
Pledge of Allegiance by Federal Appeals Court Judge James Ho
Remarks by Chairman of Prizes Jury and Introduction of Richard D. McLellan by Governor John Engler 

Richard D. McLellan Free Speech Research and Writing Fellowships

Samuel Goldman Remarks
Josiah Joner Remarks
 

Richard D. McLellan Prize Ceremony

Introduction of Greg Lukianoff and Presentation of the McLellan Prize by Nadine Strossen
Acceptance and Remarks by Greg Lukianoff
“Challenges and Prospects for Free Speech:” A Roundtable Discussion
with Greg Lukianoff, Nadine Strossen, Luke Sheahan, and Samuel Goldman

Afterglow

(including Lions v. Packers viewing!)

We invite you to attend by registering at this link.

As a lead up to this focus on the First Amendment, the “Book Gallery” will discuss the history and basis of freedom of speech with Professor Jonathan Turley, the J.B. and Maurice C. Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University Law School and author of The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage. 

What role has the right to free speech played in American history? What is the nature of free speech and how does it relate to the political struggles of our own age? Why is it so important that we retain a culture of free speech?

On Tuesday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m., University Bookman editor Luke Sheahan will discuss these questions with Professor Turley. You may register for this webinar at this link.

Best wishes and prayers for a blessed Thanksgiving to all our friends and supporters of the Russell Kirk Center.
 

Yours in Ordered Liberty,

Jeff Nelson
Executive Director & CEO
The Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal