Salman Rushdie to Speak at National Constitution Center’s National First Amendment Summit

Coalition of free speech organizations convene experts at the National Constitution Center and online to discuss threats to freedom of expression

Philadelphia, PA (August 14, 2023) — The National Constitution Center, in partnership with a coalition of leading free speech organizations, announced today that it will host a National First Amendment Summit to address the increasing threats to freedom of expression and the challenges ahead posed by new technologies. To lead off the event, author Salman Rushdie will engage in a virtual keynote conversation about the importance of free speech in a democratic society and the forces of censorship that imperil its existence.

The event will be held in-person and via livestream on Wednesday, September 13, at the National Constitution Center, in conjunction with the opening of the Center’s new First Amendment gallery. It will take place against the backdrop of the Center’s First Amendment Tablet and across from Independence Hall. After Salman Rushdie’s keynote conversation, the summit will feature a series of panels with America’s leading First Amendment thinkers. The panels will:

- probe the origins of the First Amendment and its critical role as a check on the government;

- explore current legal controversies filling the daily headlines—from defamation to book banning to threatening language; and

- examine the increasing conflicts involving free speech on campuses and online in an age of social media, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies.

“The National Constitution Center is thrilled to host a National First Amendment Summit to celebrate the opening of our new First Amendment gallery,” said National Constitution Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen. “It is an honor to join our partner organizations, which include America’s leading First Amendment defenders, in hosting this significant discussion of the state of free speech today.”

“The health of democratic institutions is tied to the right of all people to vigorously engage in an exchange of ideas free from censorship,” said Stephen Solomon, editor of First Amendment Watch, who teaches First Amendment law at NYU Journalism. “We hope that the First Amendment Summit will engage a wide audience of students, journalists, and many other Americans in a serious discussion of the challenges to free speech and press.”

Author and free-speech advocate Salman Rushdie will be in conversation with Suzanne Nossel, CEO of PEN America, via livestream. In-person summit participants include First Amendment lawyer Floyd Abrams, Bruce Brown of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Will Creeley of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, Stephen Solomon of NYU’s First Amendment Watch, and leading scholars Akhil Reed Amar, Jeannie Suk Gersen, Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky, Jacob Mchangama, and Nadine Strossen.

The panels and panelists follow:

- The Origins of the First Amendment and Its Central Role in Democracy, moderated by Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO, National Constitution Center

Jacob Mchangama, founder and CEO of Justitia; research professor at Vanderbilt University

Akhil Reed Amar, Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University

Stephen Solomon, Marjorie Deane Professor of Journalism at New York University; founder of NYU’s First Amendment Watch

- The First Amendment in the Courts, moderated by Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Floyd Abrams, senior counsel at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University

Lyrissa Lidsky, Raymond & Miriam Ehrlich Chair in U.S. Constitutional Law at Florida Law

- The First Amendment on Campus and Online, moderated by Jeffrey Rosen

Jeannie Suk Gersen, John H. Watson, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School

Nadine Strossen, John Marshall Harlan II Professor of Law, Emerita, at New York Law School

Will Creeley, legal director at FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression

The program will be streamed live throughout the U.S. and beyond, with special outreach to audiences at colleges and universities across America. National First Amendment Summit coalition members include the Freedom Forum, FIRE, the First Amendment Watch at NYU, the National Constitution Center, PEN America, and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

The event will include a reception with access to the Center’s First Amendment gallery, which opens to the public on September 6. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit will feature more than 20 artifacts highlighting all five freedoms and offer a fresh perspective on the history of the First Amendment and how it impacts us today. Those interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP here, as space is limited. Virtual attendees may register here, and the event will also be streamed live and available for playback on the Center’s YouTube channel.

Media interested in attending should contact Moira Bagley Smith, director of communications, at [email protected].

About the National Constitution Center

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, we serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling our congressional charter “to disseminate information about the United States Constitution on a nonpartisan basis in order to increase awareness and understanding of the Constitution among the American people.” As the Museum of We the People, we bring the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, we convene leading thought leaders from across the political and jurisprudential spectrum to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, we offer the best educational programs and online resources that inspire and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution.

About the First Amendment Gallery

On September 6, 2023, the National Constitution Center will open its newest gallery, The First Amendment. Protecting some of our most cherished freedoms—religious liberty, free speech, a free press, the freedom of assembly, and the right to petition—the First Amendment is a pillar of democracy and the American way. The gallery will offer a fresh perspective on the history of the First Amendment and how it impacts us today. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit will feature more than 20 artifacts highlighting all five freedoms, including handwritten case notes from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis; the anti-Vietnam War armband at the centerpiece of the student speech case, Tinker v. Des Moines; The New York Times’ publication of the classified “Pentagon Papers;” and a pennant from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. To highlight the importance of free speech and a free press, the exhibit will also include recorded video interviews with the plaintiffs from key First Amendment cases. The exhibit will feature a game for visitors to test their knowledge regarding what is and is not protected by the First Amendment, as well as an interactive touch table exploring religious liberty cases. This exhibit is made possible through the generosity of the George Family Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, and The McLean Contributionship.