Difficult Dialogues: Our First Amendment Rights

About This Event

The Center for Humanities & the Arts at CU Boulder and Colorado Chautauqua present “Difficult Dialogues: Our First Amendment Rights – A Conversation About What Makes Free Speech Hate Speech” on February 11, 2026, from 6:00-7:30 PM at Colorado Chautauqua’s Community House. This timely community conversation explores our rights and responsibilities when it comes to free speech in an era when avenues for expressing ourselves have exploded—from social media proliferation to mobile communication, email, blogs, TikTok, and beyond. In this environment of challenging speech and unprecedented connectivity, we frequently encounter dialogue that tests our values, and when we engage in social and political discourse or merely express opinions, we may face repercussions we never anticipated. Join this free public dialogue as we work together to understand both our constitutional rights and our civic responsibilities regarding free speech, examining the complex boundary between protected expression and harmful hate speech. Part of the ongoing Difficult Dialogues: Community Conversations series partnered with Colorado Chautauqua’s Voices at Chautauqua series, this event creates space for respectful exchange among constituents with potentially conflicting views, fostering productive dialogue in hopes that minds and hearts might expand.

Event Details:

• Date: February 11, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM MST
• Location: Colorado Chautauqua Community House, Baseline Road & 9th Street, Boulder, CO 80302
• Admission: FREE and open to the public
• Format: Moderated community conversation
• Series: Difficult Dialogues: Community Conversations
• Partners: CU Boulder Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA) and Colorado Chautauqua
• Part of: Voices at Chautauqua series

Discussion Topics:

• First Amendment rights and protections
• The distinction between free speech and hate speech
• Social media’s impact on public discourse
• Rights vs. responsibilities in expression
• Navigating challenging speech
• Consequences of public opinions
• Political and social dialogue in digital age
• Constitutional protections in modern context
• Community standards and free expression
• Balancing competing values

About Difficult Dialogues Series: The Difficult Dialogues: Community Conversations series is designed to hold dialogues on topics considered difficult, provocative, or controversial among constituents who may have strong, conflicting views. The objective is NOT to necessarily agree, fix anything, prove anyone right or wrong, or alter anyone’s position. The series is committed to fostering productive dialogues in hopes that minds and hearts might expand.

Series Guiding Principles:

• Respectful exchange of differing viewpoints
• No pressure to agree or change positions
• Focus on understanding rather than winning
• Community building through dialogue
• Expanding perspectives through listening
• Creating space for all voices
• Productive engagement with controversy

Key Questions:

• What constitutes free speech vs. hate speech?
• Where do we draw the line between protected and harmful expression?
• How has social media changed free speech dynamics?
• What are the consequences of unfettered expression?
• How do we balance individual rights with community safety?
• What responsibilities come with free speech rights?
• How do we foster productive dialogue across differences?
• What role does context play in evaluating speech?

About the Center for Humanities & the Arts (CHA): The CHA’s mission is to promote arts and humanities by serving as a dynamic hub on the CU Boulder campus and creating connections within the Boulder community. The Center fosters dialogue on difficult, provocative, and controversial topics, committed to expanding minds and hearts through respectful exchange.

About Colorado Chautauqua: A National Historic Landmark established in 1898, Colorado Chautauqua is the only Chautauqua west of the Mississippi still operating continuously since the movement’s heyday in the 1920s. The Chautauqua tradition emphasizes intellectual and moral improvement through education, dialogue, and community engagement.

About Voices at Chautauqua: Colorado Chautauqua’s Voices at Chautauqua series continues the historic Chautauqua tradition of bringing diverse speakers and perspectives to the Boulder community for education, enlightenment, and dialogue on important contemporary issues.

Conversation Format: This facilitated community conversation creates space for respectful exchange among people with potentially conflicting views on free speech, hate speech, and the boundaries between them. Professional moderators guide discussion to ensure all voices are heard while maintaining productive, respectful dialogue.

Historic Venue: The Community House at Colorado Chautauqua, built in 1918, offers an intimate setting perfect for community dialogue. The historic building embodies the Chautauqua tradition of bringing people together for education and enlightenment.

Parking & Access:

• Free parking available at Chautauqua
• Location: Baseline Road & 9th Street, Boulder
• Accessible venue (contact organizers for specific needs)

Contact Information:

• CHA Email: Contact through colorado.edu/cha
• Chautauqua Info: chautauqua.com or 303-442-3282

Additional Events: This is part of an ongoing series. Check the CHA website (colorado.edu/cha) and Chautauqua website (chautauqua.com) for additional Difficult Dialogues events throughout 2026.