Jane Fonda Revives Her Father’s McCarthy-Era Free Speech Group

Jane Fonda, the renowned actress, has revived her father Henry Fonda's Committee for the First Amendment, a group that championed free speech during the McCarthy era in the 1940s. Fonda has joined forces with other prominent figures, including Spike Lee, Billie Eilish, and Pedro Pascal, to relaunch the organization. The Committee for the First Amendment was originally formed in 1947 to defend Hollywood figures who were being investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee for alleged communist sympathies. Henry Fonda, along with other celebrities, spoke out against the suppression of free speech and the blacklisting of individuals in the entertainment industry. Now, in the modern era, the revived committee aims to continue the fight for free expression and protect the rights of artists, journalists, and other individuals. The group's revival comes at a time when concerns about censorship and the erosion of democratic freedoms have resurfaced in various contexts.