TBA & University of Memphis Announce First Civility Forum

The event, the first in a series of three forums across the state designed to encourage a public conversation about the tensions between civility and free speech, will focus on how these issues play out in public policy debates -- especially those with cross-cultural implications. The program will use the current school consolidation effort in Memphis as a case study of how to bring civility into a divisive debate. Three members of the Transition Planning Commission -- the body responsible for overseeing the consolidation -- will serve as program panelists. They are:

 

Executive Director, Stand for Children

Co-Chair, Engagement & Communications Committee, Transition Planning Commission

 

Associate Professor of Law, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law

Commissioner, Transition Planning Commission

 

Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary, FedEx Corporation

Chair, Human Resources & Personnel Committee, Transition Planning Commission

 

Memphis lawyer Bill Haltom with Thomason, Hendrix, Harvey, Johnson & Mitchell PLLC will moderate the discussion.

 

Specific issues to be discussed include (1) the challenges of working with communities that have a high degree of distrust along cultural lines, (2) the process of identifying similarities in interests among culturally diverse groups and (3) the way to use these similarities to mitigate challenges. The topic also is intended to examine how historical issues can impact a current day debate and how old barriers to dialogue can be overcome. In the case of the Memphis school consolidation, for example, tensions and distrust that grew out of the busing experience of the 1970s, continues to affect the tone and substance of the current discussion. 

 

 

Access biographical information and photos for each of the Memphis panelists here

 

Get additional information about the Balancing Civility and Free Expression Initiative and events in other cities here

 

The program is part of Civility and Free Expression in a Constitutional Democracy -- A National Dialogue, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and conducted in partnership with the American Bar Association Division for Public Education. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association or any of their program partners. 

 

Local program partners include the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, Lipscomb University, University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee. Learn more about these organizations