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Mike Lowry
The Generals Redoubt, an organization of Washington and Lee University graduates, has been at the forefront of creating a national Alumni’s Free Speech Alliance to help unite a growing number of alumni associations across t he c ountry. T he Generals Redoubt along with the Jefferson Council at the University of Virginia, Princetonians at Princeton University, Free Speech Alliance at Cornell University, and a Davidson College alumni organization started the national organization.
News of major donors ending their donations to various campuses across the country have been making the news as support for so called Critical Race Theory (CTR) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is failing and calls for greater support for free speech and inquiry on campuses is increasing.
As a result, other alumni and free speech groups at Boston College, Bucknell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Furman, Harvard, Lafayette, Macalester, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, University of California- Berkley, Wofford College, Virginia Military Institute, Yale and others have recently joined the organization. The national alliance hopes to have 90 or more such groups involved this year.
Edward Yingling, cofounder of the organization, said only alumni have the numbers and clout to fight for free speech on university and college campuses; to stop faculty and student “canceling”; end fear of presenting opposing views; stop limiting inquiry of alternative views; and limiting debate.
At the University of Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Bert Ellis, head of the Jefferson Council, one of the Free Speech Alliance members, to the school’s board of visitors.
Two national studies of students and faculty found a majority feel there is growing efforts to stifle free speech and concern about growing self-censorship being promoted on campuses across the country.
The Chicago Principals, guidelines written by officials at the University of Chicago to emphasis that school’s commitment to free speech and open debate, is supported by the Free Speech Alliance and has been adopted by many colleges and universities.
Attacks and protests against speakers on campus have caused many of the groups to be formed. Dorian Abbott from the University of Chicago was “disinvited” by MIT after the speaker published an article against diversity, equity and inclusion ( DEI). T his a nd other examples of denying free speech on that campus caused the MIT group to be formed.
The presentation by conservative Matt Walch at Washington and Lee University last year was protested by some of the faculty and students.
This protest was the subject of a column by Jonathon Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, legal scholar and free speech a dvocate. H e n oted how many members of the faculty, including law professors, signed the protest to the Walsh speech. He noted that the protestors did not even mention free speech but instead denounced the university f or a llowing a one-sided presentation by a political speaker. Turley noted the protestors did not have the same objection to the many one-sided liberal political speakers that have appeared on the campus.
At the protested event, it proved not to be one-sided. Following his presentation was a question-and-answer session with the speaker. Walsh and opposing views were discussed in a truly open and respectful manner that ended up being well-received by all attending.
Two newer members of the national alliance are the award winning VMI Cadet newspaper and Cadet Foundation. The Cadet publication started in 1871 as a magazine but changed to a newspaper in 1907 and the student-led publication continued until 2016 when the administration shut it down over conflicts with the articles being published.
In 2021, the students and alumni of VMI reestablished a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit studentrun newspaper using the old name but run separate and not associated with the VMI administration. The student paper went on to win the Virginia Press Association Journalistic Integrity and Community Service Award, the first student newspaper to win the honor in the 75year history of the award.
The Cadet has not exactly been popular with the VMI administration but has strong support of alumni and cadets. The administration was particularly upset with coverage of the DEI programs at the school as being one-sided in opposition to DEI programs, but the publication has also featured opinions calling for respect for the DEI viewpoints.
The Generals Redoubt and other groups in the alliance have different goals and issues but all are similar in seeking more diversity of thought, faculty and student freedom of speech and expression, freedom of inquiry and opinion.
The basic right of free speech, granted by the Constitution, has been under attack by colleges, groups and individuals. Here is one growing national group attempting to do something about it for your consideration.
