Amna Khalid, Associate Professor of History
Jeff Snyder, Associate Professor of Educational Studies
Professors Amna Khalid and Jeff Snyder developed a project on intellectual freedom, civil discourse and liberal arts education, with an emphasis on planning a public discussion series. The proposed roundtable series would allow the Carleton campus, and the Northfield community more broadly, to wrestle with politically fraught questions about intellectual freedom, censorship and civil society. Their objective is to showcase the kind of robust and respectful discussion and disagreement that is all too rare in today’s hyper-polarized political climate.
Professors Khalid and Snyder are particularly interested in putting academics, journalists and artists in conversation with one another. Members of these three different professions are all facing critical free expression challenges with respect to how their work is formulated, broadcast and received. Potential topics for discussion include “Voices at Risk,” “Free Expression in the Age of Populism;” and “Debating ‘Hate Speech’ at Home and Abroad.” Professors Khalid and Snyder have identified potential panelists and are planning the event. The event was originally planned for fall 2020, but was rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.