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Right now, students at Florida universities are at risk of having their right to academic freedom, a First Amendment right at public institutions in the United States, stripped from them. Legislative measures like House Bill 999 and Senate Bill 266 attempt to unconstitutionally and undemocratically restrict what students can learn and participate in at Florida universities by defunding and censoring disciplines lawmakers personally do not like. They specifically and unfairly target valuable Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs and legitimate, rigorous academic disciplines, such as critical race studies and gender studies, that happen to fall outside of Western "tradition." The university should be a place of deep learning where students can experience new and unfamiliar cultures, knowledge and theories beyond one tradition alone; decide for themselves what they'd like to think and believe; and intelligently debate with those they disagree with, instead of attempt to silence.

These bills, however, affect more than just the possibility of what students can learn: they affect the degree quality of hardworking students, tenured professors' jobs, hiring freedom, and more. It is clear that these measures are being taken simply because the writers and supporters of such bills are uncomfortable with the existence of legitimate academic knowledge that at times includes intelligent critiques of institutions they are involved with. This behavior is a blatant attempt at censorship and explicitly does not align with the values of freedom the same supporters of the bill otherwise claim to have.

Freedom of speech and academic freedom are two of the inalienable rights this country was founded on, and any legislative attempt to infringe upon them in any manner should be met with deep scrutiny. Lawmakers may disagree with or dislike certain academic disciplines or perceived dissent, but painting those disciplines as unacademic and unnecessary, and codifying that disagreement or dislike into law, is unacceptable and sets a dangerous precedent. Even if you are unfamiliar with the disciplines currently being targeted, if bills like HB999 and SB266 were to become law, that sets the stage for other disciplines to be unfairly targeted in the future.

The time to act is now. We encourage you to join us in expressing our rejection of legislation that affects what students can learn in Florida universities, and protect students from losing access to the comprehensive education and freedom they deserve. Our formal petition letter is below. Please read it and sign this petition to show your support!

Our formal petition letter:

If democracy exists within the power of the people, and power comes from knowledge, knowledge is necessary for a fair and balanced democracy.

As a nation, it is time to put our differences aside and focus on the importance of the freedom of thought and the freedom to learn. Put simply, for freedom to flourish, academia should be a safe place to read, think, and discuss. Education under censorship is not education. Recently, certain areas of study—Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, Critical Race Theory, Feminist Theory, Critical Social Justice, and Intersectionality—have been heinously threatened. While censorship of these subjects targets people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, women, and anyone else who has been made to feel “othered” or had their “otherness” codified into law, the lasting effects of this censorship expands far beyond the four walls of the classroom and the lives of those in the targeted majors.

These areas of study permeate into everyone’s daily lives—through interactions, through institutions, through systems; these studies are at the very core of who we are as a nation. Without the freedom to read, learn, and discuss these subjects, our growth as a state and ultimately as a nation will be forever stunted—put simply, because of fear—a point of irony for a nation that proudly boasts of being the home of the brave. But we cannot let fear win. Knowledge must win. Free, uncensored education must win.

Further, this fight extends far beyond education. The threat of censorship sets a chilling precedent. These subjects may be the first under attack, but they will not be the last. These threats of censorship will not stop at education. We need freedom of education, but we also need freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of thought. We need freedom. And this freedom cannot thrive under censorship. We ask you—as students, educators, researchers, leaders, doctors, lawyers, parents, grandparents, community members, and human beings—to support this fight. Challenge censorship in all areas. Support the spread of knowledge everywhere. Protect your fellow Floridians and Americans. This nation can, and will, flourish—but only if we escape censorship. When our minds are free, so is our country.

When we learn about other people’s stories that are different from our own, we create diverse thought. Why is diverse thought important? It teaches empathy and understanding of identities and cultures that we may not be exposed to otherwise. Technology and language are constantly evolving and we accept it involuntarily the majority of the time. Free speech is just as important as free knowledge. Broadening the way that we think about others gives us the opportunity to understand each other deeply. Not having access to knowledge keeps certain groups in power when we should all have the same opportunities. Knowledge is power. Let’s give each other the opportunity to empower ourselves and each other. 

Help us keep free thought and uncensored education. Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, Critical Race Theory, Feminist Theory, Critical Social Justice, and Intersectionality are imperative to this nation as well as the lives of all those who call it home. Please show your support by signing this petition. Keep these studies—and uncensored education in general—in academia.