CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS: SSCA 2025 Freedom of Speech Division

John Banister, john.banister@uga.edu

The Freedom of Speech Division of SSCA invites paper and panel proposals for competitive selection at the 95th annual convention held in Norfolk, Virginia, April 2-6, 2025.

The division welcomes papers and panel proposals that address our understanding of freedom of speech and the First Amendment in contemporary society. The division encourages scholarship that is interdisciplinary and that may utilize rhetorical, historical, empirical, or legal approaches.

The division welcomes four types of submissions: 

1. Completed papers of up to 25 pages (excluding references). 
2. Extended abstracts of between 500 and 2000 words that outline the paper’s research questions, methodology (archive, case, text, etc.), theoretical framing, and initial findings.
3. Thematic panels of 3–5 papers focused on a central topic. Panels comprised of individuals representing different institutions are preferred.
4. Round table discussion panels of between 4–7 discussants focused on a central topic. 

All completed papers submitted will be considered for the Division’s Top Paper Award. All submissions must be electronically submitted to the SSCA convention site at https://www.xcdsystem.com/ssca/member. Submissions close at 11:59pm PDT on September 15, 2024.

The theme for the 2025 convention is “Anchors and Anchoring Communication” in honor of Norfolk’s naval history. The right to freedom of speech has long anchored for communication a central role in the maintenance of democracy. The earliest democracies in Greece relied on the twin ideals of Isēgoría (equality of individuals when speaking before the assembly) and Parrhēsia (uninhibited speech, including the ability to ‘speak truth to power’). Later iterations of these principles were codified in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The division is especially interested in submissions that consider the complicated history and contemporary applications of free speech protections, from Greek cultural norms to the contemporary First Amendment controversies. 

The convention’s location this year provides an opportunity to (re)consider the legacy of at least two important Virginians, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, with respect to the freedom of speech. The U.S. Declaration of Independence (1776) posits rights that are inalienable; the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom (1779) stressed that freedom of conscience is first among those inalienable rights. What became the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution takes its inspiration from these texts and these Virginians.

Throughout its history, many Virginians have also been excluded or had their rights to speech and assembly infringed on account of identity characteristics, like race. The landmark case of Virginia v. Black (2003) and the infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville (2017) revealed how free speech principles may be coopted to intimidate and uphold white supremacy. Submissions that interrogate this tension between freedom of speech as an anchor in the quest for a more perfect union and an anchor that prevents social change are especially encouraged.

Proposals that explore connections and co-sponsorship with other SSCA divisions or interest groups are strongly encouraged. Please notify the convention planner if you think your proposal would be suitable for co-sponsorship.