Programs

  • Program 1 [2020]

    AS PART OF NCACS CORE PROGRAM, THE ORGANIZATION IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED AS A COALITION AND IS COMPRISED OF MORE THAN 50 NATIONAL NON-PROFITS INCLUDING LITERARY, ARTISTIC, RELIGIOUS, EDUCATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL, LABOR AND CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS. FOR OVER 45 YEARS, THE ORGANIZATION HAS ENGAGED IN DIRECT ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION TO SUPPORT FIRST AMENDMENT PRINCIPLES. NCAC IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT IS NATIONAL IN SCOPE, BUT OFTEN LOCAL IN ITS APPROACH. NCAC WORKS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND MEMBERS TO RESOLVE CENSORSHIP CONTROVERSIES WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LITIGATION. ALSO PART OF THE NCACS CORE PROGRAM IS THE FREE EXPRESSION NETWORK, AN ALLIANCE OF THE 45 LEADING ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND PRESERVING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, PROMOTES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION SHARING UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF NCAC. FEN MEMBERS MEET REGULARLY TO REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF MUTUAL CONCERN AND TO DEVELOP COORDINATED STRATEGIES. THE FEN LISTSERV FACILITATES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING JOINT CAMPAIGNS AND LETTERS, AMICUS BRIEFS, AND LEGISLATIVE COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $404.5K

  • Program 2 [2020]

    THE YOUTH FREE EXPRESSION PROGRAM (YFEP) EMPOWERS YOUTH WITH KNOWLEDGE, TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSERT AND DEFEND THEIR RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION. YFEP BELIEVES THAT DENYING YOUNG PEOPLE THE FREEDOM TO CREATE, EXPLORE AND INQUIRE IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE PROGRAM WORKS DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON ISSUES AFFECTING A YOUNG PERSONS INTELLECTUAL AND CREATIVE FREEDOM, INCLUDING THE REMOVAL OF BOOKS FROM SCHOOL CLASSROOMS AND LIBRARIES, THE REMOVAL OF STUDENT-PRODUCED VISUAL ART, INTERFERENCE WITH STUDENT-PRODUCED NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALISM, THE CANCELLATION OF STUDENT-PERFORMED PLAYS AND MUSICALS, THE RESTRICTION OF STUDENT SPEECH ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS THAT SEEK TO LABEL CONTROVERSIAL CONTENT IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND INTERFERENCE IN HEALTH, HISTORY, AND SCIENCE CURRICULA. IN 2020, YFEP RESPONDED TO THE COVID-19 CRISIS BY CREATING A VIRTUAL FIRST AMENDMENT CLASSROOM FOR TEACHERS SUDDENLY TEACHING VIRTUALLY. THE INITIATIVE INCLUDED SEVERAL MODULES FOR EDUCATORS TO CHOOSE FROM, AIMED AT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. A KEY INITIATIVE OF YFEP IS THE KIDS RIGHT TO READ PROJECT (KRRP), WHICH PROMOTES THE FREEDOM TO READ AND ACCESS INFORMATION BY OFFERING SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND LIBRARIANS FACING CHALLENGES OR BANS TO EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES. IN 2020, KRRP INVESTIGATED CHALLENGES NATIONWIDE, DEFENDING MATERIAL COMING UNDER ATTACK FOR CONTENT ABOUT RELIGION, RACE, SEX, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, AND VIOLENCE. EXAMPLES OF THE DOZENS OF BOOKS REMOVED OR THREATENED FOR REMOVAL INCLUDED CLASSICS LIKE TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE, OF MICE AND MEN BY JOHN STEINBECK, AND ROLL OF THUNDER, HEAR MY CRY BY MILDRED D. TAYLOR. TWO MAJOR PUSHES TO BAN A SLATE OF CLASSIC TEXTS GAINED NATIONAL ATTENTION, ONE IN ALASKA AND ANOTHER IN BURBANK, CALIFORNIA. WE PARTNERED WITH GRAMMY-WINNING BAND PORTUGAL THE MAN TO PROVIDE FREE COPIES OF THE CHALLENGED CLASSICS TO ALASKA STUDENTS. BOOKS HIGHLIGHTING RACISM AND RACE, INCLUDING GHOST BOYS BY JEWELL PARKER RHODES, CAME UNDER HEAVY FIRE THIS YEAR. KRRP ALSO PUBLISHED A HANDBOOK FOR EDUCATORS, A NEW RESOURCE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH. KRRP IS CO-SPONSORED BY AMERICAN BOOKSELLERS FOR FREE EXPRESSION, COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND AND NATIONAL COUNCIL OF TEACHERS OF ENGLISH.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $314.8K

  • Program 3 [2020]

    NNCACS ARTS ADVOCACY PROJECT (AAP) IS THE ONLY NATIONAL INITIATIVE THAT WORKS WITH INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS AND CURATORS INVOLVED IN CENSORSHIP DISPUTES TO RESOLVE CONTROVERSY AND DEVELOP STRATEGIC EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT EQUIP ARTISTS AND INSTITUTIONS WITH THE TOOLS TO PROMOTE ARTISTIC FREEDOM. IN 2020, WE PARTNERED WITH SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL ARTS AND FREE EXPRESSION ORGANIZATIONS, AS WELL AS PROMINENT ARTISTS, TO CREATE A VIRTUAL GALLERY OF ART CENSORED ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE PROJECT, CALLED DONT DELETE ART, CONSISTS OF A DIGITAL ART GALLERY, AN ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN AIMED AT PUSHING FOR GREATER ALLOWANCE FOR CREATIVE EXPRESSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, AND A RESOURCE CENTER FOR ARTISTS STRUGGLING TO NAVIGATE HOW TO SHARE THEIR ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AAP ALSO WORKED SYSTEMICALLY TO PROMOTE ARTISTIC FREEDOM BY HELPING INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES, DEVELOP SOUND FREE EXPRESSION POLICIES FOLLOWING CENSORSHIP INCIDENTS. THE FREE EXPRESSION NETWORK, AN ALLIANCE OF THE 45 LEADING ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING AND PRESERVING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, PROMOTES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION SHARING UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF NCAC. FEN MEMBERS MEET REGULARLY TO REPORT ON ACTIVITIES OF MUTUAL CONCERN AND TO DEVELOP COORDINATED STRATEGIES. THE FEN LISTSERV FACILITATES COLLABORATIVE ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING JOINT CAMPAIGNS AND LETTERS, AMICUS BRIEFS, AND LEGISLATIVE COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY. PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY: EACH YEAR, NCAC RECEIVES HUNDREDS OF REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE ON CENSORSHIP AND INQUIRIES ABOUT FREE SPEECH RIGHTS FROM TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS, ARTISTS, THE MEDIA, RESEARCHERS, STUDENTS AND OTHERS. IN ADDITION TO MAINSTREAM PRESS, NCAC UTILIZES ITS SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBE AND ITS WEBSITE, NCAC.ORG, TO EDUCATE AND ENCOURAGE INVOLVEMENT. NCAC ALSO SENDS A BIWEEKLY E-NEWSLETTER TO 12,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS AND BIANNUAL PRINT EDITIONS OF CENSORSHIP NEWS TO 8,000 DIRECT MAIL SUBSCRIBERS. NCAC MANAGES CENSORPEDIA, AN ONLINE PARTICIPATORY WIKI OF CENSORSHIP INCIDENTS FROM THE IRON AGE TO THE 21ST CENTURY, AND ARTISTRIGHTS.INFO, AN ONLINE ARCHIVE OF ARTISTIC FREEDOM CASES COUPLED WITH RESOURCES ON ARTISTS FREE SPEECH RIGHTS. NCAC LEAD MULTIPLE PUBLIC STATEMENTS CAUTIONING AGAINST BOTH RESTRICTIONS TO CIVIL LIBERTIES IN TIME OF CRISIS AND THREATS TO THE RIGHTS OF PROTESTORS AND JOURNALISTS COVERING PROTESTS. NCAC ALSO PUBLISHED TWO TIMELINE RESOURCES TRACKING FREE SPEECH ISSUES RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND ONGOING RACIAL JUSTICE PROTESTS THAT GREW OUT OF PROTESTS AGAINST THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD. IN NOVEMBER, NCAC HELD ITS ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF FREE SPEECH & ITS DEFENDERS EVENT, CO-CHAIRED BY EXECUTIVES FROM HARPERCOLLINS CHILDRENS BOOKS AND HONORED AUTHOR BECKY ALBERTALLI, GRAMMY-WINNERS PORTUGAL THE MAN AND ARTIST KARYN OLIVIER. MORE THAN 200 ATTENDEES PARTICIPATED IN NCACS FIRST VIRTUAL BENEFIT.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jan 1, 2020 – Dec 31, 2020
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $171.3K