“Today, books are being banned, plaques and monuments depicting historical events this administration wants to forget are being removed,” declared Jane Fonda, rallying a crowd at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on March 27, 2026. Fonda’s impassioned speech was the centerpiece of an event titled ‘Artists United for Our Freedoms,’ hosted by her Committee for the First Amendment.
Fonda, a long-time advocate for free speech, criticized the Trump administration’s actions that she believes have led to a dangerous erosion of artistic expression. She specifically pointed to the defunding of the National Endowment for the Arts and public broadcasting as significant blows to the cultural landscape.
“If we don’t fight back, the news we get will be increasingly fake,” she warned, urging attendees to recognize the broader implications of censorship. The rally drew around a hundred invited guests, including notable figures like Joan Baez, who performed and echoed Fonda’s sentiments about the necessity of fighting for free speech.
Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment, originally co-founded by her father, Henry Fonda, during the McCarthy era, has been relaunched to address contemporary threats to free expression. She recalled her experiences witnessing censorship in the Soviet Union during the 1970s, drawing parallels to current events in the U.S.
As the Kennedy Center undergoes renovations, it has faced criticism for being silenced, a theme that resonated throughout the rally. Sam Waterston, another prominent voice at the event, remarked, “What’s happening here at the Kennedy Center is not a culture war sideshow.”
Fonda’s call to action emphasized the importance of community engagement in the fight against censorship. She stated, “I’m going to hang on to that glorious rainbow ribbon award and keep fighting like hell alongside of all of you until we restore our right to speak freely.”
The rally also featured critiques of the media landscape, highlighting the pressures faced by journalists and artists alike under political scrutiny. Fonda’s message was clear: protecting democracy requires vigilance and a collective effort against the forces that seek to suppress free expression.
As the event concluded, the attendees left with a renewed sense of purpose, inspired by Fonda’s leadership and the performances that celebrated the resilience of artistic freedom. The Committee for the First Amendment plans to continue its efforts, with more events and initiatives aimed at fostering dialogue and action around these critical issues.
