The Dissidents

"I'm that person you hate." That's what attorney and activist Kofi Montzka says when coworkers start ranting about conservatives—and it stops them in their tracks. After being told she couldn't speak anymore at a mandatory anti-racism training (despite being one of only two Black people in the room), Kofi fought back by organizing a political civility presentation that drew over 350 state employees. Now she's on a mission to prove you can "hold your strong convictions and still come here and be loved and accepted."  Kofi shares her strategy of tackling the strongest arguments from the other side, why personal stories matter more than she ever wanted to admit, and how simply being present with people who disagree with you—whether in a running group or at school board meetings—creates change that grand speeches never could. Her advice on counting the cost before speaking up, being "faultless in disputes," and the power of getting to know people before revealing your views offers a roadmap for anyone tired of choosing between their principles and their relationships. If we can't figure out civil discourse, Kofi warns, "we're going to be at civil war"—making free speech and diversity of thought not just ideals worth fighting for, but essential survival skills. Find out more at: https://freeblackthought.com/voices/kofi-montzka

This week Elizabeth is joined by Mark Horowitz. We discuss two very different articles about viewpoint diversity. In one (unpublished) paper the authors examined thousands of college course syllabi for evidence that diverse perspectives were being introduced. In all 3 areas of focus (racism in the criminal justice system, the Israel-Palestine conflict, and the ethics of abortion), faculty overwhelmingly assigned works representing a single perspective. There was very little evidence that students were formally introduced to books or articles identified as well known with respected alternative views. Based on our personal experiences in academia, we were more surprised about the magnitude of the effects than the general findings. While we could find little to criticize about the first article, we were less enamored with the second, which argues against viewpoint diversity. The author's focus is more political than scientific, and her examples are primarily extreme, unrelated to traditional academic goals, and may reveal more about her bias against Heterodox Academy than the futility of viewpoint diversity. She rightly argues that hiring individuals solely because they have unusual views would likely do little to advance science, but we find little else to admire about her narrow arguments and examples.  Mark shares his own research findings regarding groupthink in academia, the benefits of viewpoint diversity, and briefly describes the rewards and challenges of incorporating controversial topics and perspectives in the classroom.  Podcast notesThe (unpublished) Shields, et al. syllabus working paper can be found here: https://roseinstitute.cmc.edu/academic/faculty/profile/jon-shields The authors were interviewed by the Chronicle of Higher Education here: https://www.chronicle.com/article/these-scholarly-topics-are-hotly-debated-so-why-dont-syllabi-reflect-that and the paper was referenced in this New York Times editorial here:  https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/opinion/conservative-professors-viewpoint-diversity.htmlThe Siraganian op-ed for the American Association of University Professors Academe Magazine, which argues against viewpoint diversity, can be found here: Seven Theses Against Viewpoint Diversity | AAUPOther episodes with contributor Mark Horowitz: Top of the Class: Teachers with Lenient Grading get Higher Ratings: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s5-e6-top-of-the-class-attractive-teachers/id1537516628?i=1000699222059Contrarians at the Gate: Publishing Controversial Topics in an Era of Academic Progressivism: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s4-e26-contrarians-at-the-gate-publishing/id1537516628?i=1000668944697Making Up the Grade: A Call for Educators to Openly Address Eroding Standards: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s4-e19-making-up-the-grade-a-call-for-educators/id1537516628?i=1000661206148

In this urgent and unplanned episode of Free Speech Forward, hosts Joia and Chris respond to the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025—the most horrific attack on free speech on US soil in their lifetimes. Recording in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, they grapple with what Kirk's murder means for America's future as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. As the founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk was killed while doing exactly that to which he dedicated his life: engaging in civil discourse and debate on a college campus. Joia and Chris examine the dangerous ideology that equates "words with violence," tracing how this academic concept has escaped universities to radicalize ordinary Americans into justifying—or even celebrating—political murder. They explore the troubling reactions from some Americans who are rationalizing Kirk's death, and issue an urgent call for all who value civilization to defend the bright line between speech and violence. This episode serves as both a tribute to a fallen advocate for free expression and a rallying cry for defending the foundational freedoms that make peaceful disagreement possible in a diverse society. Learn more about Charlie’s legacy with Turning Point USA at: https://tpusa.com/

In this next special episode of Free Speech Forward in celebration of the Declaration of Independence, Chris and Joia speak with Episcopal chaplain Dan Isadore. He reveals why the loneliness epidemic plaguing America's youth isn't solved by offering more "belonging"—but instead by restoring individual agency and the sacred value of each person. Drawing from his transformative friendship with mathematician James Miller Peck, Isadore exposes how stolen attention through technology and group identity politics prevents young people from developing authentic selfhood. As a university chaplain fighting for the next generation, he shares his radical grassroots approach of creating "visibility" moments where youth feel truly seen and heard—sparking them awake to their own creative power. Discover why he believes misinformation fears stem from top-down authority assumptions, how free speech directly flows from respecting individual sacredness, and his simple-yet-effective grassroots mentoring method that prioritizes going to people rather than expecting them to come to your institution. This episode connects the Declaration of Independence's timeless principles to today's mental health crisis, offering hope for anyone who cares to help young people rediscover their voice and freedom in an increasingly conformist world. This episode is also co-sponsored by the Free Society Coalition: https://www.freesocietycoalition.org/

This week Jennifer Richmond and Brandy Shufutinsky speak with Sarah Mchlaughlin on her recently released book – Authoritarians in the Academy. As universities are run more and more like corporations with increasing numbers of administrators, priorities have shifted. As part of this shift, we often see universities making financial decisions that can be at odds with their values, namely freedom of speech. This includes not only US university campuses that operate overseas in places like China and Qatar, but also on our home turf. In order to appease financial partnerships Sarah has found that American universities have become increasingly censorious. In some cases, this censorship is to protect overseas students who face harsh recrimination for speaking out on American campuses in their home country, but in many more cases the calculation is monetary. So, what can we do to roll back these trends? Sarah shares several suggestions, including whistleblower protections, transparent speech codes, and programs that educate vulnerable students on how to exercise their freedom anonymously, when necessary.Podcast Notes:Authoritarians in the Academy: https://www.thefire.org/research-learn/authoritarians-academy

In this discussion, Lyell Asher, a professor at Lewis & Clark and expert on education policy, explores the current state and future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. He reveals how DEI training has faded but warns that bureaucratic influences linger under new titles. Asher critiques education schools for prioritizing ideology over content knowledge, advocating for practical teacher preparation. He defends the importance of factual knowledge in promoting equity and discusses the resurgence of classical education as a response to current challenges.

n this powerful episode of Free Speech Forward, Chris and Joia speak with Muslim feminist reformer Soraya M. Deen, who reveals the shocking reality of advocating for women's rights within religious orthodoxy—where speaking truth can mean exile from your own community. From her awakening moment watching Ayaan Hirsi Ali on C-SPAN as a young mother to co-founding the Clarity Coalition, Deen exposes how cancel culture operates within faith communities and why so many of those who need to speak up remain dangerously silent. As an interfaith advocate fighting extremism and fundamentalism, she shares her radical approach of "truth circles"—creating brave spaces where conflicting ideas can clash without violence. Discover why she believes the greatest weapon against bad ideas is better ideas, how she builds collective consciousness using the "100th monkey" principle, and her urgent call for open debates about anti-Semitism and radical Islamic ideology on college campuses. This episode offers hope and practical strategies for anyone facing opposition within their own community while fighting for fundamental human freedoms. Learn more about Soraya M. Deen’s work at: https://www.claritycoalition.org/soraya-deen/

We have a lot of questions about AI. Maybe you do too. If you follow our work you’ll note that we’ve done several presentations on AI (Reimaging the Academy Panel Discussion, and This is Your Brain on AI Dissidents Podcast). To get a better grasp on both the problems and opportunities, we invited Robert “RSnake” Hansen, a tech security guru and author of the book, AI’s Best Friend, to our podcast. Our conversation centers on the moral alignment of AI. The divergence between censorship and alignment is discussed, which touches on the issue of bad actors in the design on AI. While we work to “raise” AI from infancy into what we hope can model a “best friend”, one of the tools we have to monitor the progression is transparency. We know that China’s DeepSeek leans heavily on censorship; Gemini leans politically left; Grok leans right. These evaluations and critiques are important as we find the best way forward in this new landscape. But will it be enough? If AI can do wonderful things beyond human capacity, like cure cancer, are we ok losing some of our autonomy “to the machine”? Let us know in the comments what you think.Podcast Resources:AI's Best Friend: https://www.amazon.com/AIs-Best-Friend-Robert-Hansen-ebook/dp/B0CWDJCVHT

Dr. Nafees Alam and Matt Watson interview Andrew Hartz, founder of the Open Therapy Institute. They discuss the impact of political issues on mental health training, the importance of addressing bias in therapy, and the need for cultural competence that includes diverse sociopolitical values. Hartz shares insights on diverse approaches in therapy, the significance of self-censorship, and the challenges of navigating emotional responses in therapy sessions. The conversation emphasizes the importance of patient-centered care and building awareness of diverse perspectives in mental health.

Today we’re delighted to begin a new series of episodes under the Free Speech Forward banner, an exploration of free speech and its connection to the Declaration of Independence. This series is a celebration of the Declaration in honor of its upcoming anniversary, a project conducted in partnership by 1776 Forward, the Institute for Liberal Values, and the Free Society Coalition. Today's guest is Marsha Familaro Enright, an educational entrepreneur and thought leader in independent thinking and self-reliance. As the founder of Reliance College and the creator of The Great Connections Seminars, she’s spent decades revolutionizing education to help young minds become leaders of their own lives, learning how to live in and advocate for a free society. Her programs aim to provide what Alexis de Tocqueville called "an apprenticeship of freedom."As we come up on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding, understanding its history, ideas, and impact is more crucial than ever and education plays a deep role. Aiming to open in the fall of 2026, Reliance College is a uniquely designed college program combining a rigorous liberal arts and sciences course of study with practical work in the student's area of professional interest. It is an expansion of the 16-year-old week-long The Great Connections Summer Seminar. Year after year since 2009, 75% of participants have testified that their lives have been transformed by this program. It is designed for young adults (ages 16-24) who want to develop independent thinking, leadership skills, and intellectual confidence. Hosted in Chicago, this immersive experience helps participants engage deeply with great ideas, sharpen critical thinking skills, and connect with like-minded peers—all in an exciting, discussion-driven learning environment.