Can You Say That? Cancel Culture, Free Speech, and the Future of Public Debate
In an era where saying the wrong thing can spark a firestorm—or ignite a movement—what does it really mean to speak freely? Join a bold and timely conversation with Dov Davidoff (comedian and actor), Ernest Owens (author of The Case for Cancel Culture), and Rikki Schlott (co-author of The Canceling of the American Mind with Greg Lukianoff), moderated by Nick Gillespie (editor at large at Reason magazine and host of The Reason Interview with Nick Gillespie) as they unpack the politics, power, and pitfalls of cancel culture in today’s society. From the classroom to the comedy club, this panel dives deep into the tensions between accountability and censorship, and asks: Is cancel culture silencing voices, or amplifying those who have gone unheard?
TICKETS
$25 General Admission
$10 National Liberty Museum or World Affairs Council Members
$5 Students, Teachers, or School Faculty (w. Valid ID)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
5:00 pm Doors open, with access to all NLM galleries
6:00 pm Panel begins, followed by Q&A with the panelists and moderator
7:30 pm Panel and Q&A concludes
8:00 pm Doors close
Lead support for NLM’s community initiatives, including the Free Speech Speaker Series, by
Amplified: Art, Music, Power
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Meet the Speakers
Dov Davidoff
Ernest Owens
Rikki Schlott
Nick Gillespie (moderator)
Dov Davidoff
Dov Davidoff has written and performed two one-hour standup specials for television and has appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Chappelle’s Show, Showtime, Comedy Central, and many others. Dov performs at comedy venues across the country, and is a regular in NYC at The Comedy Cellar. As an actor, Dov played opposite Mark Wahlberg in the film Invincible, as well as ongoing roles on NBC’s Shades of Blue, and HBO’s Crashing. He’s also been seen on The League on FX, Raines on NBC, Law & Order, Boston Legal, and Maron.
Ernest Owens
Ernest Owens is an award-winning journalist and CEO of Ernest Media Empire, LLC. He is the Editor of Eater Philly, Political Writer at Large for Philadelphia Magazine, President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and Regional Vice President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Mid-Atlantic Chapter). He is a proud life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He is the executive producer and host of the hit podcast Ernestly Speaking! and host of Philadelphia City Council Live on WURD Radio. He’s the author of the book The Case for Cancel Culture that’s published by St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of Macmillan Publishers.
Rikki Schlott
Rikki Schlott is a free speech activist, a columnist for the New York Post, co-author of a bestselling book—The Canceling of the American Mind—and a political commentator. Her commentary focuses on free speech, campus culture, civil liberties, and youth issues from a Generation Z perspective. She is a New York Post columnist and completed a research fellowship at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). In addition to the Post, Rikki is a contributing writer for Reason magazine, Newsweek, the National Review, The Telegraph, the Daily Mail, The Spectator, Quillette, The Free Press and the Daily Wire. She has been featured on Fox News, Fox Business, the BBC, NewsNation, OAN, Newsmax and HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.
Nick Gillespie (moderator)
Nick Gillespie is an editor at large at Reason and host of The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie. A two-time finalist for digital National Magazine Awards for his work on “UPS vs. FEDEX: Ultimate Whiteboard Mix” and the documentary series Reason Saves Cleveland with Drew Carey, Gillespie is co-author, with Matt Welch, of The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What’s Wrong With America (2011/2012). Gillespie’s work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, Slate, Salon, Time.com, Marketplace, and numerous other publications. He is a frequent commentator on radio and television networks such as National Public Radio, CNBC, CNN, C-SPAN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, and PBS. In 1996, Gillespie received his Ph.D. in English literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also holds an M.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing from Temple University and a B.A. in English and Psychology from Rutgers University.
