San José State Hosts the Georgetown Free Speech Project for Discussion on the First Amendment and Technology
San José State is proud to host Georgetown University’s Free Speech Project on September 19 and 20. Photo by David Schmitz.
San José State is proud to host Georgetown University’s Free Speech Project on September 19 and 20 for “Free Speech at the Crossroads: A Silicon Valley Dialogue,” a convening of expert opinion panels and discussions on modern and pressing challenges at the intersection of the First Amendment and technology. The two-day event is made possible by Georgetown University, San José State, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and The John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships at Stanford University.
Sanford J. Ungar, director of Georgetown University’s Free Speech Project. Photo courtesy of Sanford J. Ungar.
Founded in 2017, the Free Speech Project at Georgetown has served as an independent, nonpartisan initiative working to assess the condition of free speech in the United States today — in education, civil society and government.
“The Free Speech Project offers a national forum as a place for discourse, engaging with diverse perspectives and opportunities to learn from thought leaders,” said SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson. “Activism and advocacy are in our DNA and we are invested in creating a campus climate where everyone is safe and free from harassment. I look forward to robust conversations about how we can continue to support free expression and free speech while fostering a climate that ensures respect for the rights of others and that is conducive to our educational mission.”
The events, which occur on the heels of Constitution Day (September 17) and the Voter Registration Festival hosted by SJSU Votes, continue ongoing conversations about democracy, civil rights and American politics, and include panels featuring SJSU faculty members alongside fellow academics, experts and elected officials. Panels will cover free speech and AI, parental rights, book banning and education, privacy in a digital age and navigating the differences between free expression and hate speech. Georgetown Free Speech Project Director Sanford J. Ungar expressed his excitement in bringing important conversations about free expression, artificial intelligence and democracy to Silicon Valley, and more specifically, to San José State.
“San José State University is the perfect place in every way for us to partner on this,” said Ungar. “Between the diversity of the politically engaged, enlightened student body, the strength of the humanities and the interest of lots of faculty members and administrative staff members and people in tech, it’s an ideal place to have these conversations, especially with another presidential election coming.”
Additional participants include San José State Professor of Teacher Education Roxana Marachi; SJSU Philosophy Professor Etienne Brown; attorney Lisa Femia of the Electronic Frontier Foundation; and California Assemblymember Gail Pellerin.
The Free Speech events will take place in the SJSU Student Union Theatre on Thursday, September 19, and Friday, September 20. Events are free and open to the public.
Register for Free Speech: A Silicon Valley Dialogue.
