Dalton Symposium Explores Free Speech with Legal Scholars
Through a series of interactive events on February 20, Dalton High School students collectively addressed the theme of "Free Speech in the United States and at Dalton."
A student-led panel on the First Amendment with four renowned legal scholars led off the program, while the afternoon featured a lively debate about the role of free expression in contemporary society. The event was organized by High School History teachers David A. Davidson, Donald Okpalugo, and Brendan Matz, together with Assistant High School Director and Dean of Students Nicholas Lechich.
Dalton's choral singers and creative writing students punctuated the day’s events with a moving musical and literary tribute to Black History Month, and to the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote. In a captivating performance, musician and activist Daryl Davis -- who would later join the afternoon panel -- underscored the essential role of African-American cultural expression in Western musical history. In addition to these keynote events, each student discussed a subtopic of First Amendment law in a breakout session with one of the four legal scholars. Two House sessions, one during the Symposium and one the following day, provided opportunities to map out salient points for ongoing conversation.
Story submitted by High School History Teacher David Davidson
High School Symposium 2020 - Panel 1: The State of Free Speech Law
This session is closed captioned.
Landis Best, Partner - Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP; Allen Dickerson, Legal Director - Institute for Free Speech; Jamal Greene, Dwight Professor of Law - Columbia Law School; Frederick Lawrence, Secretary and CEO - Phi Beta Kappa Society, and Distinguished Lecturer - Georgetown University Law Center
High School Symposium 2020 - Video, Readings, and Performance: Free Expression and Civil Rights
The Dalton Singers, Dalton Poetry Readings by Jamaal Spence '20 and Alex Shesh '20; Daryl Davis, Musician and Activist performs and explains the history of black music and the genres it influenced.
High School Symposium 2020 - Panel 2: The Free Speech Debate in American Culture
Roger Berkowitz (moderator), Professor of Political Studies and Human Rights, Academic Director, Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities - Bard College; Jennifer Choi, Managing Director of the News Integrity Initiative - CUNY Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism; Daryl Davis, Musician and Activist; Thomas de Zengotita - Draper Graduate Program, NYU and The Dalton School; Samantha Hill, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Studies and Assistant Director - Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities - Bard College; Richard Wolffe, Author and Columnist - The Guardian