Academia, Free Speech

Turley to Debate Free Speech at Harvard Law School

On Thursday, I have the pleasure of debating Harvard Professor Randall Kennedy on the question “Does Harvard support free speech and intellectual diversity?” I will be taking the opposing position.

Professor Kennedy is the Michael R. Klein Professor of Law at Harvard and the author of seven books, including Race, Crime, and the Law; Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal; The Persistence of the Color Line; For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the Law; and Say It Loud!: On Race, Law, History, and Culture.

The debate will be open to the public. I hope to see some of our Bostonian blog community at the event. You may register in person or online here: cvent.me/B0ONaD #harvard #freespeech #intellectual #diversity #policy

It will be begin at 12:20 at Harvard Law School on Thursday, October 17th.

I welcome the opportunity for a civil and substantive discussion of free speech and intellectual diversity in academia.

I wish to thank Professor Kennedy, Harvard Law School, and the sponsors, including Harvard Alumni for Free Speech, the Harvard Federalist Society, The Steamboat Institute, and the Adolph Coors Foundation.

The event will be held at:

Ames Courtroom, Austin Hall, Floor 2

1515 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02138
You can register here.

Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”

26 thoughts on “Turley to Debate Free Speech at Harvard Law School”

  1. I hope you’ll defend truth and trustworthiness as responsibilities of public speakers, but with public opprobrium and civil torts as the safest means of accountability.

  2. There is no debate.

    There are free speech and merit.

    Harvard Gooffessor Randall Kennedy is at Harvard solely to fill an affirmative action slot.

    It is impossible for a pool of 12% of the population to produce a superior candidate than a pool of 80% of the population.

  3. I, too, would appreciate the debate being recorded and posted for the rest of us to observe.

  5. I know that you will do us proud, Professor. I hope that my comment will not be censored. 🇺🇸🗽🦅😁

  8. Dear Mr. Turley, here’s to hoping you will do well at the debate. Problem is the left will spin your argument into something that it’s not.
    Will this be on YouTube?

  13. Professor Turley… we’ll all root for you. and safe journey into the belly of the beast !

  16. Sadly, you are walking into the belly of the beast! I am afraid Professor Kennedy’s version of Free Speech vs. your own definition has moved so far apart that you might as well be debating the existence of aliens (outer space kind).

    However, assuming security will keep the (paid) mob outside, I am sure it will be highly entertaining.

    Any chance there will be video?

Comments are closed.