*A coalition of over 550 prominent figures from entertainment, music, and comedy has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, a group originally formed in the 1940s to counter government overreach during the Red Scare.
According to NPR, the revived organization, spearheaded by actor and activist Jane Fonda, aims to protect constitutional rights amid what its members describe as a renewed federal campaign to suppress dissent. “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 group stated in their announcement.
The Committee’s roots trace back to the McCarthy Era, when the House Un-American Activities Committee targeted entertainers, accusing them of communist ties and derailing careers. “This Committee was initially created during the McCarthy Era, a dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs,” the group’s letter explains. “They were blacklisted, harassed, silenced, and even imprisoned.” Among the original members was Jane Fonda’s father, Henry Fonda.
High-profile signatories include filmmakers such as Spike Lee, J.J. Abrams, and Patty Jenkins, alongside musicians Barbra Streisand and Billie Eilish, and actors such as Mark Ruffalo, Viola Davis, Pedro Pascal and Fran Drescher. The group emphasizes that defending free speech transcends political divides, stating, “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”
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In a personal appeal to her peers, Jane Fonda reflected on her decades of activism and the urgency of the moment. “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. But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life,” she wrote. Fonda underscored the power of collective action, adding, “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.”
The Committee’s relaunch signals a unified stand against perceived threats to free expression, drawing on historical parallels to rally support.
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