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The Right To Learn: Resisting the Right-Wing Attack on Academic Freedom
From leaders on the frontlines of the battle for academic freedom, a first-of-its-kind response to the far right’s insidious attacks on the right to learn
Spanning over 40 years of essential history through to today, The Right to Learn is a fearless collection that speaks out against the far right’s decades-long war against intellectual freedom. This instructive anthology outlines and contextualizes concepts central to today’s conversations around race, gender, and other so-called ‘divisive’ subjects.
The Right to Learn is structured in five parts that aren’t just history lessons. Together, they equip educators with the necessary tools to understand the battle—and to push back.
– Part 1 introduces and identifies the current crisis, placing it within the broader context of the ongoing attacks on American democracy
– Part 2 examines specific aspects of the right-wing campaign against higher education
– Part 3 offers perspectives from those at the heart of the the academic community
– Part 4 explores the broader implications and consequences of imposing gag orders on education
– Part 5 is an appendix of relevant texts, key statements supporting and opposing related measures, and a representative sample of faculty senate resolutions
Each section features renowned leaders in colleges, universities, and educational freedom organizations. These experts put faces and names to the rampant campaigns designed to obstruct students’ right to learn. Such contributors
– Professor Irene Mulvey, President of the American Association of University Professors
– Dr. Jonathan Friedman, Director of the free expression and education programs at PEN America
– Dennis D. Parker, Director of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice
– Marvin Lynn, nationally recognized scholar of race in schools and advancing teacher diversity in the United States
The Right to Learn ’s contributors are unafraid to speak the that in the face of well-funded conservative groups set on destroying academic freedom, what’s at stake is students’ pursuit of real world and contemporary knowledge. This anthology, replete with evidence- and experience-based arguments, is a resource for those fighting on the ground for the right to learn.
Spanning over 40 years of essential history through to today, The Right to Learn is a fearless collection that speaks out against the far right’s decades-long war against intellectual freedom. This instructive anthology outlines and contextualizes concepts central to today’s conversations around race, gender, and other so-called ‘divisive’ subjects.
The Right to Learn is structured in five parts that aren’t just history lessons. Together, they equip educators with the necessary tools to understand the battle—and to push back.
– Part 1 introduces and identifies the current crisis, placing it within the broader context of the ongoing attacks on American democracy
– Part 2 examines specific aspects of the right-wing campaign against higher education
– Part 3 offers perspectives from those at the heart of the the academic community
– Part 4 explores the broader implications and consequences of imposing gag orders on education
– Part 5 is an appendix of relevant texts, key statements supporting and opposing related measures, and a representative sample of faculty senate resolutions
Each section features renowned leaders in colleges, universities, and educational freedom organizations. These experts put faces and names to the rampant campaigns designed to obstruct students’ right to learn. Such contributors
– Professor Irene Mulvey, President of the American Association of University Professors
– Dr. Jonathan Friedman, Director of the free expression and education programs at PEN America
– Dennis D. Parker, Director of the National Center for Law and Economic Justice
– Marvin Lynn, nationally recognized scholar of race in schools and advancing teacher diversity in the United States
The Right to Learn ’s contributors are unafraid to speak the that in the face of well-funded conservative groups set on destroying academic freedom, what’s at stake is students’ pursuit of real world and contemporary knowledge. This anthology, replete with evidence- and experience-based arguments, is a resource for those fighting on the ground for the right to learn.
232 pages, Paperback
Published April 9, 2024
7 people are currently reading
2432 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 8, 2024
This is a wonderful collection of essays on a variety of topics, while staying true to the underlying theme stated in the title. I really enjoyed reading this book. Even though I follow the news all the time, there is tons of history that I am unaware of included in the book. Many things that I knew but forgot.
I loved this so much!
From page 71 essay by Valerie C. Johnson
"As Thomas Jefferson asserted in a letter to Virginia legislator Charles Yancey in 1816, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." To be sure, freedom within the confides of ignorance is an impossibility."
I loved this so much!
From page 71 essay by Valerie C. Johnson
"As Thomas Jefferson asserted in a letter to Virginia legislator Charles Yancey in 1816, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." To be sure, freedom within the confides of ignorance is an impossibility."
June 17, 2024
Essential reading for anyone wondering about the current cultural, political, or educational landscape (including the CRT panic and library censorship) and how we got here, but not as helpful in offering counter-strategies as I would have liked. Also very depressing.
February 6, 2025
"The nation has survived serious setbacks in the past and gotten through difficult periods"
An interesting and important read about what has already happened to limit what the authors refer to as "freedom of thought" and why the far right works so hard to limit access to education. The book discusses real life action to protect this freedom around the country - some successful some not - and suggests what may be beneficial to the cause going forward. A frustrating read at times due to the threat of the loss of basic human rights but also empowering in its call to action.
An interesting and important read about what has already happened to limit what the authors refer to as "freedom of thought" and why the far right works so hard to limit access to education. The book discusses real life action to protect this freedom around the country - some successful some not - and suggests what may be beneficial to the cause going forward. A frustrating read at times due to the threat of the loss of basic human rights but also empowering in its call to action.
January 29, 2025
Insightful perspective on the organizations funding popular political dogma.
September 26, 2025
Upon the announcement of this book’s publication, a few 1-star ratings started popping up here on Goodreads. It's never cute when right-wing trolls and Trump fanatics begin leaving reviews of books that they've never read, to try to keep important information out of the hands of readers, but this is exactly the sort of trend in our country that this book addresses.
For decades now, the right wing movement against intellectualism and social-emotional learning has been growing. In my recent memory, since at least the 1990's, conservatives such as David Horowitz started attacking scholars he didn't like with his "Top 100 Most Dangerous Professors" list. It was both laughable, and in some ways a badge of honor, to land on the list. Then, in the 2010's, they began attacking ethnic studies and, in particular, Mexican-American studies, in places like Tucson, Arizona. When that didn't work--since study after study showed how many young people benefited from knowing more than simply EuroAmerican history--they switched gears. A right-wing activist decided to come up with a boogeyman and call it "CRT," since "anti-racist education" wasn't an easy enough target. Now, however, the movement is trying to gain mainstream attention, seeping into legislation in states like Florida and others, where conservative government takeovers of Universities and their Boards have begun, under the leadership of governors such as Ron DeSantis.
This book, a collection of essays by a broad array of authors and experts on the topics of civic engagement, public education, policy, law, and other applicable topics, analyzes and responds to these attacks on education, ideas, and our ability to teach a variety of ideas, especially those that bring the margins to center. I am happy to have co-written and contributed Chapter 7, "“Don’t Say Gay” and Can’t Be Trans: Behind the Anti-LGBTQ+ Schooling Agenda" to the anthology.
For decades now, the right wing movement against intellectualism and social-emotional learning has been growing. In my recent memory, since at least the 1990's, conservatives such as David Horowitz started attacking scholars he didn't like with his "Top 100 Most Dangerous Professors" list. It was both laughable, and in some ways a badge of honor, to land on the list. Then, in the 2010's, they began attacking ethnic studies and, in particular, Mexican-American studies, in places like Tucson, Arizona. When that didn't work--since study after study showed how many young people benefited from knowing more than simply EuroAmerican history--they switched gears. A right-wing activist decided to come up with a boogeyman and call it "CRT," since "anti-racist education" wasn't an easy enough target. Now, however, the movement is trying to gain mainstream attention, seeping into legislation in states like Florida and others, where conservative government takeovers of Universities and their Boards have begun, under the leadership of governors such as Ron DeSantis.
This book, a collection of essays by a broad array of authors and experts on the topics of civic engagement, public education, policy, law, and other applicable topics, analyzes and responds to these attacks on education, ideas, and our ability to teach a variety of ideas, especially those that bring the margins to center. I am happy to have co-written and contributed Chapter 7, "“Don’t Say Gay” and Can’t Be Trans: Behind the Anti-LGBTQ+ Schooling Agenda" to the anthology.
April 29, 2024
I can’t take this book serious it’s so biased it hurts
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews