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Lead story

Jane Fonda, other stars, revive the Committee for the First Amendment – a group that emerged when the anti-communist panic came for Hollywood

Editor's note:

Jane Fonda, the prominent actor and activist, has joined forces with hundreds of other Hollywood celebrities, directors, producers and writers to defend free speech. Their Committee for the First Amendment is technically the reboot of an organization that her father, actor Henry Fonda, belonged to.

That first committee, launched in 1947, was short-lived. Since it largely failed to meet its objectives, such as stopping the firing and blacklisting of stars, directors, musicians and screenwriters deemed to be communists, its revival may seem odd. Kathy M. Newman, a Carnegie Mellon University English professor who is writing a book about progressive movies made during the late 1940s and 1950s, explains in a Conversation U.S. article what became of that organization, and why she believes this new "fight is arguably worth waging."

News and trends 

MacKenzie Scott isn’t backing away from DEI

The billionaire philanthropist has recently made large gifts to nonprofits that provide college scholarships to students of color.
By Stephanie Beasley/Chronicle of Philanthropy

Foundations want to curb AI developers’ influence with $500M aimed at centering human needs

Ford, MacArthur, Mellon, Mozilla and other foundations band together to create the new Humanity AI alliance.
By James Pollard/The Associated Press

Commentary and analysis

The church Americans often mock could teach us to heal

After the Kirk assassination in Utah and the attack on a Mormon church, the Mormon commitment to serving others emerges as a powerful answer to hate, division, and violence.
By Eboo Patel, Interfaith America, for the Chronicle of Philanthropy

Slender-billed curlews are officially extinct – here’s why the loss of these migratory birds really matters

Why the loss of this species shines light on the global extinction crisis. 
By Esther Kettel/Nottingham Trent University for The Conversation U.K.

Other nonprofit news of note

• The heart of Charlotte’s philanthropy beats on – but under new pressures (Charlotte Observer)
• Report on Soros cited by Justice Dept. does not show funding for terrorism (New York Times)
• MIT rejects Trump administration deal for priority federal funding (Washington Post)
• As the shutdown continues, more families are expected to turn to nonprofits for support (WTOP)

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