Free Speech

Voices Unbound

In 1902, history professor John Bassett published an article describing Booker T. Washington, the President of Tuskegee Institute, as “all in all the greatest man, save General Lee, born in the South in 100 years.” The public’s fierce backlash against Bassett praising a Black man who educated formerly enslaved people spurred Bassett’s resignation. In 1903, the Board of Trustees declined the resignation, rejecting “any tendency to destroy or limit academic liberty.” Over the next 120 years, students continued to challenge censorship and organized protests.

Booker T. Washington

Members of the Duke League of Women Voters Chapter

1920 League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters (LWV) chapter at Duke University, founded in 1920, is a non-partisan organization empowering voters and strengthening democracy through voter education and advocacy. The LWV fostered free speech and civic engagement by promoting informed political participation and creating dialogue platforms. Its efforts to amplify marginalized voices, especially those of women in the early 20th century, directly supported the principles of open discourse and democratic expression.

1936 American Student Union

The American Student Union at Duke was founded to champion freedom of speech by fostering open discussions on progressive issues such as labor rights, academic freedom, and social justice. By organizing debates, hosting guest speakers, and participating in regional conferences, the union provided a platform for critical engagement and the exchange of diverse ideas.

ASU Convention Proceedings

Duke students participating in the bus boycott

1949 Shoe Leather Day Bus Boycott

In 1949, Duke students made national news with a boycott of campus buses. They declared October 17 "Shoe Leather Day" to protest a hike in the campus bus fare from a nickel to three tokens for a quarter. Today, the university runs free bus service between East, West, and Central campuses.

1952 McCarthyism

In 1952, Senator Joseph McCarthy threatened legal action against the university if it did not suppress Dr. Hornell Hart’s critical study of his Senate hearings about communists in the U.S. State Department. Duke maintained its traditional support for academic freedom. In his reply to the threat, President Edens said “a professor has the right to pursue research investigations of his choice."

Cartoon from the Duke Chronicle

Duke Chronicle article that highlights the dispute between McCarthy and Dr. Hart

Police preparing to fire tear gas into the crowd

1969 Allen Building Takeover

After calling attention to Duke’s inadequate support for Black students, civil rights activists peacefully left the Allen Building. Police fired tear gas into the crowd, spurring additional protests and greater student involvement. This was one of the initial incidents sparking the enforcement of Duke's Pickets, Protests, and Demonstrations Policy.

1974 March to the Circle

Black students and their allies marched to the campus's iconic Circle to confront systemic racism and demand structural change at Duke. The demonstration was part of a larger wave of civil rights and student activism during that era, as Black students fought for greater representation and equity in predominantly white institutions.

Protesters walking down Chapel Drive to the West Campus traffic circle

Protesters on Abele Quad

1981 Nixon Library Protest

In the early 1980s, Duke students protested school president Terry Sanford’s decision to establish the Nixon presidential library at Duke. Students and faculty organized protests on campus, voicing their dissent for Nixon’s role in the Watergate Scandal. Student activism at Duke forced the former president to move his library to Chapman College.

1991 Holocaust Ad Controversy

The Chronicle sparked controversy by publishing an ad from Holocaust denier Bradley R. Smith, calling for an “open debate” on the Holocaust. The ad was accompanied by an editorial defending the decision as a commitment to “supporting the advertiser’s rights.” Outraged students responded with a rally to honor the millions who perished in the Holocaust and to condemn The Chronicle’s decision.

Duke Chronicle article that highlights the doll and sign

Protest poster against the Chronicle Holocaust Ad

1997 "DUKE HASN'T CHANGED"

This Duke Chronicle highlights a provocative act of dissent as students pushed the boundaries of freedom of speech. A brown doll hanging from a noose with a sign reading “DUKE HASN’T CHANGED” was discovered at the Cambridge Inn, dripping black tar onto a nearby bench. The act, straddling the line between protest and provocation, defied clear classification as either a hate crime or a political statement, igniting intense debate over its meaning and intent.

Book cover by William Rosenau

2003 Bomb Capitol Speakers

Duke students engaged in a protest against a controversial speaker, Laura Whitehorn, who was part of a 1983 scheme of the US Capitol bombing. Although Whitehorn was invited to discuss HIV/AIDS issues in prisons, her far-left position triggered widespread discontent on campus. It was an event in which students voiced ethical concerns about their faculty’s judgment.

2015 Noose Hanging Protest

A noose was discovered hanging from a tree on Duke's campus, sparking outrage and prompting a rally of over 1,000 people where university leaders condemned the act. President Richard Brodhead declared, “This is no Duke we will accept. This is no Duke we want,” while Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta labeled it a “cowardly act.” The student responsible, who later admitted to the act, claimed ignorance of its historical significance in the U.S., but the student body was nonetheless outraged by the incident.

Several racial slurs were found spray-painted under the East Campus Bridge (2016)

Student protest in response to the noose hanging on Duke campus

2010 & 2016 Free Expression

Bridge Slurs

Two incidents of homophobic graffiti on Duke's East Campus bridge highlighted the tensions surrounding free expression and hate speech. In 2010, slurs directed at a former student leader were met with outrage and debates over the university's policies on free expression. in 2016, hateful messages targeting marginalized groups were painted over by students during an NACCP event, turning a moment of harm into one of solidarity and resilience.

2020 Student-Athletes BLM Protest

Duke University student-athletes and staff, led by the men's basketball team, organized a peaceful protest in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement. The event included speeches from athletes, coaches, and faculty, focusing on shared experiences and the need for actionable change. The protest not only amplified voices demanding racial justice but also encouraged collective efforts, such as voter registration, as a form of sustained advocacy.

Graduates walk out during the 2024 Commencement Ceremony

Duke Men's Basketball director of operations Nolan Smith organized a protest in K-Ville in response to the killing of Jacob Blake

(Images from Duke Athletics)

2024 Pro-Palestine Graduation Walk-Out

Seniors staged a walkout during their commencement ceremony in solidarity with pro-Palestine movements. As the commencement speaker, openly pro-Israel Jerry Seinfeld, began addressing the crowd at Wallace Wade Stadium, about 100 students quietly exited en masse. In September, Duke tightened rules for student protests to “discourage conduct which is disruptive and disorderly.”

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Kelly Araujo, Kyle Lovejoy, Edison Chen, and Hanny Echeverria researched freedom of speech at Duke and created this portion of the online and in-person gallery exhibit.

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