Issues and questions about free speech will be the topic of “Free Speech and Why It Matters,” scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8, at noon in the NDSU Memorial Union’s Anishinaabe Theater or via Zoom.
Amna Khalid, associate professor of history at Carleton College, and Jeff Snyder, associate professor of educational studies at Carleton College, will present a case for the importance of free speech, arguing that it is essential for self-expression, democratic government and the pursuit of knowledge.
The event is part of the “Exploring Academic Freedom/Freedom of Speech” project of the Northern Plains Ethics Institute at NDSU, Tri-College University, Humanities ND and the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
The presentation by Khalid and Snyder will begin the program, followed by a moderated conversation and then audience questions.
The event is provided free of charge to all NDSU stakeholders and the public.
Khalid’s work focuses on modern South Asian history and the history of medicine. Growing up under a series of military dictatorships, she has a strong interest in issues relating to censorship and free expression. Last year, she served as the inaugural John Stuart Mill Faculty Fellow at Heterodox Academy. This academic year, she is a senior fellow with the Study of Liberalism and a Free Society at the Institute of Humane Studies. Khalid hosts a podcast called “Banished,” which explores what happens when people, ideas and works of art come into conflict with modern sensibilities.
Snyder studies historical questions about race, national identity and the purpose of public education in the United States. He wrote the 2018 book, “Making Black History: The Color Line, Culture and Race in the Age of Jim Crow.” Snyder has an interest in issues of academic freedom and free expression, especially as they relate to liberal arts education.
Together, Khalid and Snyder have written numerous pieces about academic freedom and free expression and how these issues intersect with social justice concerns and campus diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Their co-written works have appeared in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Inside Higher Ed and the New Republic, among other publications.
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