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Let's Talk

The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech, but the practice of free speech requires more than just the right to be free from censorship. To realize the First Amendment’s ideal of a robust culture of free speech, we must boldly engage even with words and ideas we find offensive, listen respectfully, and — if necessary — explain why we disagree. ֭’s Let’s Talk groups provide the right conditions for these big conversations — empowering students to talk to anyone and everyone on their campus about any and every idea.

Two women smiling and talking with the phrase "Let's Talk" between them.

Let’s Talk Start-Up Guide

It is essential to create spaces on our college and university campuses for healthy and productive conversations. ֭’s Let’s Talk program provides you with tools to work toward a more intellectually open campus environment.

Get Started with Lets Talk

Free speech dialogue illustration

Let's Talk Toolkits

Higher education — and your campus — needs healthy, rigorous, and productive conversations. Check out our resources below to learn about how to measure emotional temperature, how to intervene during a heated discussion, and how to keep your group’s conversations constructive.

Leader Moderation Guide

Guidance for Let’s Talk Leaders

As a Let’s Talk leader, you are in charge of protecting and preserving the group’s mission. To do that successfully, it’s important to think about what you hope to achieve and how you want to impact your campus community.

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workplace discussion

Conversations on Campus

Civil discourse games are a great way to launch casual discussions about difficult topics. Learn more about how you can have fun while having tough conversations.

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Spice Levels for Discussion

Hot Tips for Hot Takes

When emotional temperatures spike, the group could be heading into a “bad faith” argument situation that will only make the experience unpleasant for everyone.

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Bobby Ramkissoon
We realized that there is a need on campus for a space outside the context of a classroom for ideas to be contested and for people to freely express those ideas without fear of social ostracization or outright censorship or repercussions from the administration.

Freely Express Yourself

Student Story

Bobby Ramkissoon is the co-founder of The John Stuart Mill Forum at The College of Wooster. His group’s first meeting focused on the central topic of whether or not there "should there be limits to free speech,” which launched participants into a thoughtful and nuanced conversation about some of the hottest topics on university campuses today. FIREdiscussed whether there should be limits to free speech that protect the safety of students on campus and whether students should be allowed to debate gender pronouns and transgender identity. The conversation had such an impact that it was even featured in in The Atlantic, which explored the efforts of students across the country to promote civil dialogue on university campuses.

Resources for Your Group

Campus Let’s Talk groups have no formal connection to FIREand will vary in size and structure. But they are united in their mission to promote free, fruitful, and civil discussions. The art of civil conversation is an important tradition of a free people: the fulcrum on which a democracy can stand — or topple to the loudest and most illiberal extremes. ֭’s Let’s Talk program gives students the resources they need to start, maintain, and grow the openhearted and open-minded culture our democracy needs now.

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