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Promoting Freedom of Speech

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What is

Freedom of Expression?

Free expression is the ability to speak one’s thoughts and opinions freely, without penalty or censure by others. 

What We're Thinking About:

Truth has ever originated from the conflict of mind with mind; it is the bright spark that emanates from the collision of opposing ideas; like a spiritual Venus, the impersonation of moral beauty, it is born from the foam of the clashing waves of public opinion. Discussion and agitation are the necessary agents of its discovery.

-Herbert Spencer

Think Again is an exciting initiative at UVA that seeks to help students thrive by promoting critical thinking, freedom of expression, intellectual humility, and viewpoint diversity. You can learn more about our mission HERE. If you’d like to learn more about our four pillars, check out our Free Speech Resources for the best essays, videos, webinars, and podcasts. We’ll continue to add great content to these pages, so please check back. We are focused on student-facing events that promote open inquiry and viewpoint diversity on Grounds — through partnerships with national organizations that promote student interaction, town-hall style debates, and low-stakes discussions that involve free food and fun prizes. The more UVA students can engage in civil, thoughtful conversations about the issues of the day, the better equipped our next generation of Americans will be to lead our democracy. You can learn more about our upcoming and past events HERE. You can also follow us on social media — we’re most often on X at @ThinkAgainUVA — by clicking the “follow” buttons below. Along with Prof. Cary’s blog, you can stay up to date with the latest debates in higher education on such issues as free speech rankings, institutional neutrality, viewpoint diversity, and other current events both here at UVA and at colleges across the nation. Please join us at our Think Again events on Grounds this year at UVA — and if you have ideas for speakers, webinars, and events, please email us. We’d love to hear from you.

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Think Again receives financial support from the Fund for Free Expression and Viewpoint Diversity at UVA, a fund within the UVA Alumni Association and managed by the UVA Fund. 

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