Over 550 musicians, actors, directors, and writers have teamed up to revive the Committee For The First Amendment, a group formed in the late 1940s that opposed suppression of free speech.
Music stars such as Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, and Janelle Monae have joined alongside film luminaries such as Pedro Pascal, Spike Lee, and Jane Fonda, to oppose the recent government intervention in the media.
It comes following the recent controversy surrounding talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live, which was suspended on September 17 after threats made from government entity the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) over comments Kimmel made about the murder of Charlie Kirk. Many prominent entertainment figures, as well as the majority of entertainment guilds, called the suspension an attack of free speech.
Kimmel’s show was reinstated on September 23. The host addressed his comments regarding the shooting of Charlie Kirk, saying he never intended to “make light” of the murder, but stopping short of apologizing for them. He also directed criticism at President Donald Trump, whom he claimed “wants to see me and hundreds of people who work here fired.”
The controversy has inspired over 550 creatives to resurrect The Committee For The First Amendment, which was created in 1947 amid a period of moral panic in US politics where many in the entertainment industry were accused of being Communists. It led to the suppression of prominent left-wing views, under the guise of protecting national security.
Rolling Stone reports that Jane Fonda is leading the initiative, with her late father Henry serving as a founder member of the committee’s original incarnation.
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The committee’s official statement reads: “This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs. They targeted elected officials, government employees, academics, and artists. They were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even imprisoned.”
(NME)
