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UPDATE:
New College rescheduled the event with Russell Brand “to a later date”, saying that “the current media climate is a distraction from the deeper purpose of the event”. They claimed in a press release that “This decision follows changes in event logistics, including the unavailability of the previously planned venue, the Sarasota Opera House. As a result, the event had been moved to a smaller on-campus theater with no tickets available for general access.”
ORIGINAL:
New College of Florida is standing by its decision to host actor and right-wing influencer Russell Brand for an event on free speech.
Just last week, Brand was charged with rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom.
The event is titled “Thinking without Permission: A Conversation with Russell Brand on Free Speech, Censorship, and Cultural Power.”
Brand will be interviewed by New College President Richard Corcoran after Sarasota Film Festival Chair Mark Famiglio dropped out, according to a press release.
New College didn’t respond to WMNF’s request for an interview, but in a statement said quote even challenging conversations deserve room in the public square.
Bill Rosenberg is the president of Novo Collegian Alliance, a board of activists formed in response to the school’s recent restructuring.
“The idea that he would be a suitable, you know, selection for a talk – it just boggles the mind in a lot of ways. And yet, it doesn’t because it’s very much the playbook under the Corcoran administration – it has been since the takeover,” Rosenberg told WMNF.
He had this message for President Corcoran:
“Choose your speakers carefully, and don’t make them fit a political ideology, and a vision that your trying to create of New College, which is 180 degrees off what the original founders goals and missions of the college were,” Rosenberg said.
In 2023, New College underwent a conservative takeover, with Governor Ron DeSantis packing school leadership with Republican allies.
Read the full statement from New College Director of Public Policy Events, Alexandra Nicole Islas:
“In a time when public pressure often seeks to silence rather than engage, New College of Florida is reaffirming its role in creating space for open inquiry—not eliminating it. After thoughtful consideration, we have decided to move forward with Russell Brand’s scheduled appearance as part of a broader conversation on society, culture, and free speech. This is a reflection of our commitment to civil discourse and the belief that even challenging conversations deserve room in the public square. While the justice system independently addresses other matters, our responsibility is to ensure a space where ideas—especially those that invite dialogue such as the topic of cancel culture and free speech, can be explored with respect, critical thought, and intellectual integrity.”
One Response to “Update: New College backtracks on plans to host Russell Brand, blames ‘current media coverage’”
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Mr. Rosenberg’s remarks on New College’s choice to give Mr. Brand an opportunity to speak at the college have a certain… je ne sais quoi — particularly given the allusion to Mr. Hiss (visionary genius without whom the college wouldn’t exist) and what eventually transpired between Sarasota and the billionaire developer (he was run out of town).
With the peculiar timing* of the recent SA and rape allegations, I couldn’t be more pleased that New College is postponing the event (maybe even giving time to acquire the same—or better—general admission, open to the public venue). It’s time for everyone to step out of their echo chambers and taste the rainbow!! 🌈
*curiously, they do seem to follow a set formula at this point… often claimed decades after the alleged incident and almost always against individuals who have recently “come out” as Christian and/or right-wing.