{"id":94,"date":"2022-11-29T12:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T12:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/?p=94"},"modified":"2022-10-17T17:26:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T17:26:11","slug":"why-support-free-speech-if-youre-just-going-to-blackball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2022\/11\/29\/why-support-free-speech-if-youre-just-going-to-blackball\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Support Free Speech if You’re Just Going to Blackball?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

I read recently that Molly Smith<\/a> will be retiring from her position as the 25-year artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. Molly is as liberal as they get in many ways, as am I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many years ago, at a meeting about producing new plays, I listened to her process of development and asked a simple question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you were presented an excellent, unproduced work\u200a\u2014\u200aall the boxes checked about style, substance, character development, stimulation, depth, entertainment, dramatic arc, and all the rest\u200a\u2014\u200aand the message of the play ran counter to your politics, would you produce it anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never seen one,\u201d she replied. Those in the room laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was disappointed by her snark, pat response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If theaters and other arts organizations continue to self-acclaim as champions of free speech\u200a\u2014\u200aand they do\u200a\u2014\u200athen does it behoove them to produce works that reveal the ugliness (if that\u2019s how you perceive it) of America as well as the good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or does that cross some barrier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No pun intended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what would happen, o open-minded arts leader, if someone painted a portrait that celebrated the insurrectionists as \u201cfreedom fighters?\u201d After all, that\u2019s what they were told they were doing, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pretty extreme (to be sure), but don\u2019t immediately shut down the conversation. That\u2019s what an ayatollah would do, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An ayatollah told some guy to stab Salman Rushdie in the neck<\/a> while he was speaking at a nonprofit institution<\/a> whose website honors cross-religious thought (albeit through a Christian lens):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt Chautauqua, religious faith is perceived, interpreted, and experienced as central to the understanding and expression of our social and cultural values. Chautauqua is a community that is open to all with a wide variety of services of worship and programs that express the Institution\u2019s Christian heritage and its interfaith commitment.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The First Amendment.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.\u201d\u200a<\/p>\u2014\u200aEvelyn Beatrice Hall<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Do you know the 5 freedoms specifically described in the First Amendment of the Constitution? Most Americans don\u2019t. It\u2019s such a short amendment and pretty darn clear. It\u2019s sad\u200a\u2014\u200aand at the same time, interesting\u200a\u2014\u200ato have seen it throttled into a disfigured, mutilated, chaotic mess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the whole 45-word thing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The US can\u2019t have a national religion. They can\u2019t deny someone\u2019s right to speak. The press can\u2019t be encumbered from reporting. They can\u2019t stop people from peaceably assembling (\u201cpeaceably\u201d being the only adverb in the text, which might mean that it was added at the end of the word-crafting process to prevent, I don\u2019t know, insurrections). And if they\u2019re screwed over by the government, they can petition for compensation. Some people call that \u201creparations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pretty simple, even now. Although it must be said that the Supreme Court has ruled that money is an extension of speech and corporations are people (Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t know. The way I see it, money doesn\u2019t speak and it isn\u2019t free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illogical somersaults seem to define the actions of the Supreme Court, especially lately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your nonprofit arts organization\u2019s responsibilities.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your company, because it is the community who allowed you to have\u200a\u2014\u200aand offer\u200a\u2014\u200aall those tax benefits, has but one responsibility: to eliminate or mitigate a problem in your community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s it. You can choose to complicate the matter by bringing in your company\u2019s rights (it is a person, after all\u2026see above). Or you can complicate the matter by choosing to do what you want to do, rather than doing what you have to do. You can even lie about it and say that the community has a societal need for your personal brand of art. Lying is perfectly legal unless you\u2019re under oath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you go the First Amendment route, just know that people have a right to say whatever they want. They might be wrong. You might be wrong. That\u2019s immaterial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if you receive a well-crafted play or work of art that checks all the boxes but offers an idea with which you don\u2019t abide, will you present it? What if you thought you\u2019d be mitigating that societal need by doing so? I suppose you don\u2019t have to, but would your standing as a nonprofit take a hit if you didn\u2019t? Even if no one knew it crossed your desk?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d<\/em> know, of course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that\u2019s the beauty of the First Amendment. It\u2019s neither left nor right; right nor wrong. Be careful, however, when you advocate \u201cfreedom of speech,\u201d if you concurrently censor someone else\u2019s opinion by banning them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Based in Kirkland, Washington, Alan Harrison is a writer and speaker specializing in nonprofit organizations, strategy, the arts, and life politics. His columns appear regularly in major publications. Contact him directly at <\/em>alan@501c3.guru.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re feeling generous or inspired, just <\/em>click on the coffee cup<\/em><\/a> above. You don\u2019t have to, of course, but if you can afford it and find some value here, please provide the desperate need for caffeine.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alan is always looking for good opportunities to write and consult for nonprofits that need a hand. And, of course, that elusive <\/em>Perfect Opportunity\u2122.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

BIG NEWS: Alan\u2019s new book, \u201cScene Change: Why Nonprofit Arts Organization Must Stop Producing Art and Start Producing Impact\u201d will be published within the next eleven months by Changemakers Books. Stay tuned for information on how you can buy a copy.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,20,22,28,24,19,18,17],"tags":[30],"class_list":{"0":"post-94","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-culture","8":"category-board-of-directors","9":"category-board-of-trustees","10":"category-diversity-equity-inclusion","11":"category-freedom-of-speech","12":"category-leadership","13":"category-nonprofit","14":"category-nonprofit-arts-organizations","15":"tag-first-amendment","16":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Open-Mouth.jpg?fit=1000%2C696&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1683,"url":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/scenechange\/2025\/12\/30\/scene-change-3-just-named-to-kirkus-reviews-25-best-indies-of-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":94,"position":0},"title":"“SCENE 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