Commencement speakers withdraw or are disinvited amid political controversies

7 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 9

At Georgetown, Rutgers, South Carolina State, North Carolina State, Utah Valley and NYU, disputes over Israel, DEI and threats have upended graduation plans; one speaker weighed a bulletproof vest.
Former Northwestern president Morton Schapiro withdrew from Georgetown Law, while South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette's rescinded invitation has escalated into a fight over state funding.
Schools are tightening speech formats and security as campus tensions over race, geopolitics and political violence spill into commencements once seen as largely celebratory events.

When universities cancel speakers over security concerns, are they protecting students or silencing dissent?

As commencement becomes a political stage, what is the future of free expression on campus?