Freedom Sings is the entertaining, engaging and inspiring story of free speech in America told through rock, pop, hip-hop and country music.   A cast of musicians revisits turning points in contemporary history with performances of songs made famous by the Beatles, Black Eyed Peas, Loretta Lynn and many more.

This critically acclaimed multimedia performance and riveting narration make this a singular entertainment experience that will raise our awareness of the vital importance of protecting our Constitutional rights against censorship and suppression. It also will provide context for deeper understanding of the ongoing debates and discussions about speech and civility on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus.

Join First Amendment expert Ken Paulson and an all-star band whose members have played with Prince, the Steve Miller Band, Cheap Trick and many more.

Ken Paulson (UIUC Law, 1978) is President and CEO of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University and Dean of the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University. A former editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini, Paulson went on to become the editor-in-chief of USA Today.

This presentation is the inaugural event of an Illinois Department of Journalism Series examining Free Speech: Rights and Responsibilities in a Digital Age. Sponsored by the College of Media, this new series is committed to the protection of freedom of speech and of the press to contribute to enlightened decision-making by citizens in a democratic society.

Sponsored by: Center for Advanced Study, Department of Journalism, Knight Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting

With support from: College of Fine and Applied Arts, College of Law, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Media, Department of African American Studies, Department of Asian American Studies, Department of Communication, Department of English, Department of Gender and Women's Studies, Department of History, Department of Latina/Latino Studies, Department of Political Science, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Illini Union Board, Institute of Communications Research, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Program in Jewish Culture and Society, Unit for Criticism and Interpretive Theory