Register HERE for a virtual author visit with Chris Finan on September 21st from 7:00- 8:00 p.m. He’ll be talking about his new book, How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice. Finan will be interviewed by White Plains resident Oren Teicher, former CEO of the American Booksellers Association. This is the first of many upcoming events in our yearlong celebration of #WPFreedomtoRead.

Here’s what author Judy Blume said about the book: “I can't believe we're in the midst of another struggle over what students can or can't learn or, as Yogi Berra might say, It's deja vu all over again. It's good we have Chris Finan's new book as a reminder that freedom of speech continues to play a critical role in a changing world.”

Written by a historian who became a full-time defender of civil liberties and has spent four decades advocating for the rights of victims of censorship, this book grew out of Finan’s desire to address the declining support for free speech that is occurring as our country becomes increasingly polarized. Through his evocative storytelling, Finan demonstrates how the most effective antidote for the growth of hate speech and violence is support for and cultivation of the robust alternative of free speech.

This program is presented by the White Plains Library Foundation and the Scarsdale Public Library.