Free Speech in Hateful Times: Navigating the First Amendment After Charlottesville

Sponsor: American Constitution Society

The Stanford Chapter of the American Constitution Society (ACS) presents a diverse panel of scholars, activists, and advocates who will discuss the implications for First Amendment rights in the aftermath of the Charlottesville Unite the Right march and ensuing counter protests. The right to free speech has become an especially fraught in recent years as white supremacist groups use the protection to mask hateful speech and shield them from liability. We feel this problem in our communities, in our public spaces, and (just this week), on our own Stanford campus. This politicization of First Amendment rights begs challenging questions: How do we continue to deal with the painful tension between jurisprudence protecting free speech and hate groups propagating dangerous bigotry? How does open carry impact the right of free assembly? What does the law say? And how can we as advocates consider private and public spaces, protecting vulnerable populations against hate speech?