On March 31st, 2022, the ACLU of New York (NYCLU) and the Civil Rights Clinic from the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law filed a civil suit in the Southern District of New York against a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) book ban on “Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising and Its Legacy,” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Heather Ann Thompson. DOCCS banned the book immediately after it was published in 2016.
By Tyler Ventura, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made national headlines last spring as he championed the passing of House Bill 7 (also known as HB 7 or the “Stop WOKE” act) through Florida’s state legislature. This law focused largely on the teaching of critical race theory, otherwise known as “CRT,” in …
By Shane Stout, Vol. 21 Staff Writer For decades, the Supreme Court has protected academic freedom, a concept intertwined with the First Amendment that protects the rights of students, teachers, and educational institutions to pursue knowledge without government interference. While academic freedom has traditionally applied to college professors, its tenets also extend to public school …
America has recently seen a renewed focus on civil rights and racial justice—as well as dramatic divisions over how to discuss race, rights, justice, and history. The current moral panic over critical race theory (“CRT”) has spurred some conservative officials to regulate the treatment of race in schools, libraries, and workplaces. While public schools and libraries are subject to significant governmental control, a high-profile court case is testing whether the First Amendment limits anti-CRT efforts in another key forum: the private workplaces that employ most American adults.
Image credit: Element 5 Digital By Ryan Moore, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Introduction The 2020 presidential election provided anything but the comfortable rhythm long-time viewers of election night coverage have come to expect. Americans went to bed on election night without a declared victor, mostly due to the prevalence of mail-in ballots in the …
Image credit: Pixabay By: William McDonald, Vol. 21 Staff Writer Introduction “Churches exist primarily for the spiritual edification of the adherents of a faith tradition. They are established and operated in accordance with religious precepts. Churches may build sites to house worship, fellowship, community, and teaching. They simultaneously have a secular existence.” These words from …
Picture credit: Gaelen Morse / Getty Images By Chase Nevitt, Vol. 21 Staff Writer In the summer of 2022, Ohio State University won a somewhat humorous legal battle over its desire to trademark the famous definite article used throughout the English language. The USPTO officially approved the university’s application to trademark “THE” following a two-year …
The freedom to assemble and express your views through protest is a right protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, the line between proper assembly and improper harassment is easily muddled, especially when the protest concerns individual people, not institutions.
Inside of a 56-count indictment against several individuals in Atlanta, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis recently charged rapper “Young Thug” with gang activity and conspiracy charges under Georgia’s R.I.C.O Act. The indictment for Young Thug cites some of his song lyrics and accompanying music videos, arguing that it is proof of his involvement with the street gang “Young Slime Life.” These indictments have been the source of much controversy, raising concerns of government overreach of the First Amendment rights of musicians.
Today, Kanye West is most known for his outlandish behavior and frequent appearances amongst the tabloids. But early on in Mr. West’s career, he made a name for himself for taking samples of past music, using them in his present work, and creating some of the biggest hits to chart the Billboards. The future of such artistic creativity utilized by musicians such as Kanye West, comes under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court in Warhol v. Goldsmith.
