Henry Fonda originally formed the Committee for the First Amendment was in 1947.
Oscar-winning actor and progressive activist Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, a free speech initiative originally spearheaded by her father, Hollywood icon Henry Fonda, in response to the rise of “McCarthyism” during the 1940s.
“The federal government is once again engaged in a coordinated campaign to silence critics in the government, the media, the judiciary, academia, and the entertainment industry,” the committee said in a statement. “We refuse to stand by and let that happen.”
The statement was co-signed by nearly 600 figures in the entertainment industry, including Whoopi Goldberg, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Aaron Sorkin, Barbra Streisand, Ben Stiller and Kerry Washington.
Henry Fonda formed the original incarnation of the Committee for the First Amendment in 1947, during the “Second Red Scare,” a period of growing fear about communist infiltration and Soviet Union influence in Washington, Hollywood and beyond.
The period is closely associated with Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., an anti-communist crusader who achieved national recognition for his fiery rhetoric and aggressive tactics. McCarthy’s critics characterized him as a demagogue.
Henry Fonda’s initiative was supported by some of the most famous stars of the era, including Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland.
Hollywood was roiled last month after ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show amid criticism from the chairman of the Federal Communications Committee, who took issue with the host’s comments about the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
More than 400 celebrities, in an open letter released by the American Civil Liberties Union, decried Kimmel’s suspension as a “dark moment for freedom of speech in our nation.” Kimmel has since returned to ABC’s airwaves.
“I’m 87 years old. I’ve seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I’ve been celebrated, and I’ve been branded an enemy of the state,” Jane Fonda said in a statement on Wednesday. “But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life.”
Jane Fonda has long advocated for progressive causes, including environmentalism, the Civil Rights Movement, the women’s liberation movement and the LGBTQ rights movement. She publicly protested against the Vietnam War and the Iraq War.
“They’re betting on our fear and our silence,” she said in her statement, without identifying any political figures by name. “But our industry — and artists around the world — have a long history of refusing to be silenced, even in the darkest times.”
In response to a request for comment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson referred to Fonda as “Hanoi Jane,” a nickname given to her by conservative critics after she visited North Vietnam in 1972.
“Hanoi Jane is free to share whatever bad opinions she wants. As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech and Democrat allegations to the contrary are so false, they’re laughable,” Jackson said.
Jackson added: “Where were these clowns when Joe Biden was demanding private companies censor average Americans for sharing facts about COVID? Or when Joe Biden’s FBI investigated parents for expressing concerns at school board meetings?”
Biden criticized social media companies for allowing the spread of what his administration characterized as misinformation about the Covid pandemic, and his White House made recommendations to leading platforms. The Supreme Court last year tossed out claims that the Biden administration unlawfully coerced social media companies to remove content.
Republican lawmakers have accused Biden’s Justice Department of targeting parents who raised concerns at school board meetings nationwide. In early October 2021, former Attorney General Merrick Garland directed federal law enforcement officials to address violent threats against school officials and teachers. The news release announcing the directive did not mention parents.
Jane Fonda relaunches free speech group started by her father during the McCarthy era
In wake of the Trump administration’s censorship threats, the actor re-established the Committee for the First Amendment with A-list support
Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, the McCarthy-era initiative started by her father, Henry Fonda, with a groundswell of celebrity support.
The new committee, established to protect free speech from government censorship, has the support of over 550 entertainment figures, including: Quinta Brunson, Viola Davis, Kerry Washington, Natalie Portman, Aaron Sorkin, Spike Lee, Pedro Pascal, Ben Stiller, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn, John Legend, Damon Lindelof, Julianne Moore, Janelle Monáe, Barbra Streisand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ethan Hawke, Billie Eilish, Anjelica Huston and Judd Apatow.
“The McCarthy Era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” Fonda said in a statement. “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.
“We refuse to stand by and let that happen,” she continued. “Free speech and free expression are the inalienable rights of every American of all backgrounds and political beliefs – no matter how liberal or conservative you may be. The ability to criticize, question, protest, and even mock those in power is foundational to what America has always aspired to be.”
The original committee was co-founded by Henry Fonda in the 1940s, in response to the House un-American activities committee. The House committee, led by senator Joseph McCarthy, accused entertainment figures of being communist sympathizers, derailing many careers and casting a chilling effect on Hollywood.
Fonda’s new committee arrives as free speech has once again become a rallying cry in Hollywood, following Disney’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! under pressure from the Trump administration. ABC’s parent company pre-empted Kimmel’s show after Brendan Carr, the Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Communications Commission, threatened to revoke its affiliate licenses over comments Kimmel made about the politicization of the shooting of rightwing commentator Charlie Kirk.
After backlash from viewers and the entertainment community, Disney allowed Kimmel to return to air last week. Nexstar and Sinclair, the two companies with affiliate stations that still refused to air the show, ended their boycott after discussions with Disney, allowing Kimmel to return to broadcast on all ABC stations.
In a letter encouraging her peers to join the initiative, Fonda pointed to her long history as a civil rights activist. “I’m 87 years old,” she wrote. “I’ve seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I’ve been celebrated, and I’ve been branded an enemy of the state.
“But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life,” she added. “When I feel scared, I look to history. I wish there were a secret playbook with all the answers – but there never has been. The only thing that has ever worked – time and time again – is solidarity: binding together, finding bravery in numbers too big to ignore, and standing up for one another.”
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