Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture with Ta-Nehisi Coates

63 5th Avenue,New York NY 10003

11 May, 2023

Description

Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture with Ta-Nehisi CoatesAll PEN World Voices Festival tickets are non-refundable. Please confirm the time and location of your event before finalizing your purchase. PEN America’s annual Arthur Miller Freedom to Write Lecture will be delivered by MacArthur Fellow Ta-Nehisi Coates. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the United States seemed caught in a reckoning with the legacies of slavery and racial inequity. Yet, the backlash to critical discussions of America’s history and the history of African Americans was swift, with President Trump introducing an Executive Order in September 2020 barring discussion of so-called ‘divisive-concepts’ in government trainings and other settings. Beginning in January 2021, state legislatures took up the charge, continuing the campaign against curricula and ideas labeled “critical race theory,” and The New York Times’ 1619 Project. In the years since, we have seen a dramatic rise in efforts to ban books, and particularly the very books that have long fought for a place on the shelf – books by African Americans and authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors and women. PEN America’s Banned in the USA report found that 40% of banned books in the 2021-2022 school year featured a protagonist or secondary character of color. In the Festival's keynote lecture, Coates will discuss this moment of attempts to erase African American history and black intellectual thought in the context of the broader attacks on free speech and free expression. He will explore the historically cyclical nature of these backlashes, the power structures fortified by the assault on the free exchange of ideas and thoughts, and identify the stakes of the curtailment of free expression. The 2023 PEN World Voices Festival is a celebration of world literature and free expression. Over four days, over 100 writers from nearly 30 countries will be featured in engaging talks, panels, readings, and performances in New York City and greater Los Angeles. Visit https://worldvoices.pen.org/ for more information about the entire festival, as well as PEN America. COVID-19 2023 Festival Policy:While not required, per public health official guidelines, the World Voices Festival recommends being fully vaccinated, and wearing masks in all public indoor settings as a precaution against the spread of Covid-19, as well as around crowds. If you are feeling unwell, please do not come to the event. Reach out to [email protected] for assistance if you have already purchased a ticket. We thank you for ensuring our speakers, guests and venue workers feel safe and comfortable at all World Voices Festival events. If you have questions or concerns please contact [email protected] ACCESSIBILITY:ASL Interpretation will be available for this event. The New School is a fully ADA compliant space. Please ask a Box Office Attendant or festival representative upon arrival for directions to accessible seating if preferred. For further information on accessibility in this space, or to make a request, please contact [email protected]