The Fight To Free Speech
We are seeking funds for legal fees for Professor Lisa Durden's case against Essex County College for firing her and violating her right to free speech and to document 'The Fight To Free Speech' tour.
Read about Prof. Durden's case in the NYTimes;
Read about Prof. Durden's case and others in the NYTimes
ABOUT THE CASE:
Lisa Durden, former Essex County College Adjunct Professor, Producer, Filmmaker, TV Personality and subject matter expert in the areas of Pop Culture, Politics and Social Issues, was summarily suspended after her June 6, 2017 appearance on Fox News' Tucker Carlson Tonight, in support of Black Lives Matter's right to assemble in an intentional Safe Space at a private Memorial Day Celebration.
During her appearance, Tucker Carlson rudly interrupted, insulted and repeatedly berated Professor Durden, calling her, “Nazi, Racist, Demented, Separatist, and Crazy,” for contextualizing the historical significance of former slaves who founded Memorial Day and bodly defending the Black Lives Matter's right to have a private party in a black only safe space on Memorial Day. Professor Durden succinctly and cogently defended her principled position and exposed Tucker’s white male fragility for what it was -- a childish tantrum!!
Instead of Essex County College defending Professor Durden’s right to free speech and congratulating her on standing up to racism and sexism, the administration at the Predominantly Black Institution chose to fire this accomplished media professional and educator.
Professor Lisa Durden is a lifelong Newark, NJ resident who has given her time and expertise generously to the youth of the city. She has provided highly competitive internships in New York media for Essex County College students for a decade. She was recently honored by the City of Newark for her outstanding work in media with women and young people.
Professor Durden has braved racist death threats from the alt right movement to speak truth to power on national television. Why is Essex County College firing a beloved professor for exercising her First Amendment right? In Trump’s America are Black Women professors not allowed the right to free speech?
We demand that Professor Lisa Durden be reinstated!!
We demand that Academic Freedom and Free Speech be respected!!
We demand full equality in pay and treatment among adjunct, contract and full-time, tenured faculty!
