Expression in Contested Public Spaces: Free Speech and Civic Engagement PDF
Preview Expression in Contested Public Spaces: Free Speech and Civic Engagement
Expression in Contested Public Spaces Expression in Contested Public Spaces Free Speech and Civic Engagement Edited by Spoma Jovanovic LEXINGTON BOOKS Lanham • Boulder • New York • London Published by Lexington Books An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www .rowman .com 6 Tinworth Street, London SE11 5AL, United Kingdom Copyright © 2021 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Jovanovic, Spoma, 1958- editor. Title: Expression in contested public spaces : free speech and civic engagement / Edited by Spoma Jovanovic. Description: Lanham, Maryland : Lexington Books, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2021026624 (print) | LCCN 2021026625 (ebook) | ISBN 9781793630933 (cloth) | ISBN 9781793630940 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Freedom of speech. | Public spaces—Political aspects. | Political participation. | Social justice. Classification: LCC JC591 .E97 2021 (print) | LCC JC591 (ebook) | DDC 323.44/3—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021026624 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021026625 ∞ ™ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Contents Foreword vii Acknowledgments ix Introduction 1 Spoma Jovanovic 1 Free Speech as a Tool of Self-Government: A Short History 9 Lewis Pitts PART 1: COMMUNITY VOICES FOR JUSTICE 19 2 Crossroads of Justice: Conversations and Public Spaces 21 Spoma Jovanovic 3 The Struggle for Space: Racialized Mass Homelessness, the Privatization of Public Space, and Fundamental Rights 45 Marcus Hyde and Gary Kenton 4 Greensboro, 1963: Free Speech and the Boundaries of Nonviolence 65 Thomas F. Jackson 5 Black Women Speaking for Justice 89 Sarah E. Hollingsworth 6 Money, Speech, and Power: Participatory Budgeting as Free Expression 109 Vincent Russell and Therese Gardner v vi Contents PART 2: URBAN SPACES AND CONTESTED SPEECH 125 7 Legislating Memory: The Legal Landscape of Contested Monuments in the United States 127 Laura Ricciardi 8 Art, Censorship, and the Battles over Public Spaces 149 John K. Wilson 9 Balancing the Goods of Free Speech 167 David Errera 10 Video Games and Free Speech: Reproducing Inequalities and Pushing Justice to the Margins 185 Yacine Kout and Marina Lambrinou PART 3: FREE SPEECH IN HIGHER EDUCATION 209 11 The Tension Between Free Speech and Diversity on Campus 211 Michael C. Behrent 12 Free Speech, Hate Speech, Snowflakes, and Student Activism: Institutional Accountability 231 Cerri A. Banks and Lorri M. Riggs 13 A Safe Space for the White Race: An Interrogation of White Nationalist Propaganda on College Campuses 243 Gabriel A. Cruz and Patrick Sawyer Index 263 About the Contributors 277 Foreword I was invited to write the foreword for this book almost a year ago. I remember thinking to myself that the timing of this volume’s creation and publication was impeccable—that these evergreen issues of expression and civic engage- ment had taken on increased significance as we approached the November 2020 election while battling a pandemic that impacted every facet of Ameri- can life. It never occurred to me that we might need this book even more in 2021: still fighting COVID-19; after witnessing the most significant civil rights protests in over fifty years; after the run up to a contentious—and contested— election; and following a literal assault on democracy during which rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying the results of the presidential election. These insurrectionists did not succeed. However, they came perilously close to undermining what sets our nation apart: free and fair elections and the peaceful transfer of power. What happened on January 6 highlights the brokenness of our system and the gulfs that divide us. So, yes, we need this book more than ever. And who better to put it together than Spoma Jovanovic—a dedicated activist and scholar who infuses democratic engagement into every aspect of her life inside and outside the classroom. I had the privilege of getting to know Spoma while she was a fellow at the UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement in 2019–2020. She inspired me with her com- mitment both to using her voice to address social justice imperatives and to giving others the tools so they feel empowered to do the same. In these pages are a diverse group of academics, practitioners, and com- munity organizers who identify and highlight the myriad ways people express themselves in public spaces in order to uphold the core tenets of democracy. vii viii Foreword Using higher education, historical, and community lenses, this book shares research activity, engaged scholarship, and pedagogical practices in order to frame contemporary free speech challenges—what are the barriers to speak- ing, whose voices are loudest, and how do we ensure that marginalized voices are amplified? As a First Amendment attorney and advocate, I fervently believe that using our voices—individually and collectively—leads to change. This volume helps guide the way. No matter where you are in your journey of democratic engagement, civic participation, and expression, this book will speak to you. I hope you learn as much from it as I have. Michelle N. Deutchman Executive Director, UC National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement February 2021 Acknowledgments I am grateful to the many people who have explored with me the scholarly ques- tions that led to the development of this book. Foremost among them have been my academic colleagues and students in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro (UNCG). Together, we have organized lectures and symposia featuring the activities of community partners and scholars who put principles of free speech and civic engagement into action every day. In doing so, we have aimed to bring into focus how communi- cation has tremendous power to connect people, advance meaningful change, and promote a more just world. One of our largest events was a 2019 Free Speech Conference that brought attention to civic learning surrounding current day con- cerns about, debates on, and promises for free expression. Several of the present- ers at the conference are featured in the pages of this book. My appreciation is extended as well to a number of organizations. The National Communication Association and the American Association of Colleges and Universities provided generous grants to support my projects on civic education and social responsibility. UNCG’s Lloyd International Honor College likewise recognized the value of and supported research surrounding local and international movements for social change during my year serving as a Distinguished Fellow. Finally, the work leading to this book coincided with a prestigious year-long fellowship with the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement that helped to focus my thinking, understanding, and writing surrounding the connections that freedom of expression and civic involvement engender. This book moved from idea to fruition with the encouragement and sup- port from the professionals at Lexington Books. I especially want to thank Nicolette Amstutz and Sierra Apaliski for their guidance and patience. ix
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