Decades after teaching mathematics at Long Beach City College, Jeffrey Kendall Johnson returned to campus this fall with a different lesson: the importance of participating in democracy.
The former professor, now traveling with Elders for Sound Democracy to encourage voter participation, spent his visit engaging students in conversations about elections, political advocacy and the importance of exercising their rights.
When LBCC students approach the busy Clark intersection where people like Johnson often gather and engage in civic discussion, they may first encounter a sandwich-board sign reading,
“FREE SPEECH BEING EXERCISED AHEAD.
“Your Options:
- “Alter your route now
- “Decline respectfully and keep walking
- “Engage in a civil manner”
The signs, which were introduced at the beginning of the semester, are intended to inform students that they can engage with people exercising their First Amendment rights, continue walking or take another route.
A student walks past a sandwich board outside the Viking Express at LAC on Oct. 5 that warned students of potential free speech activity and offers options for avoiding or disengaging from encounters. A QR Code for policy information are on the sandwich board signs installed on both sides of the Carson Street crosswalk in response to student feedback regarding prior interactions, according to an LBCC official. (Jacyn King)
However, a closer look reveals wording that presents a broader question about how a public college communicates the role of free expression on campus, the value of civic engagement and creating a culture for students to consider alternative paths around it.
According to the Dean of Student Affairs, Deborah Miller-Calvert, the signs were introduced following student feedback about interactions with community members, including petitioners, who approach students on campus.
“We sometimes hear a lot from students about community members on campus. And so it is a reminder that we often have community members on campus and they might be using their free speech rights,” Miller-Calvert said. “So if students want to engage in that, they should do that respectfully. But we also are just providing other choices. You can walk around, you can ignore them.”
Miller-Calvert said students may be unfamiliar with how to respond when approached by individuals exercising their rights, particularly those coming from high schools where public access is more restrictive.
The signs are intended to educate students about their options rather than discourage them from participating in conversation, she said.
When asked why Student Life chose language suggesting alternative routes around free speech activities, Miller-Calvert rejected the suggestion that the signs were intended to deter civic participation.
“I’m giving them three choices to engage respectfully if they’d like to. Or if you don’t want to, you can change your route,” Miller-Calvert said. “ So we’re not doing that at all.”
She added that the language was not limited to petitioners because free expression on campus can include other activities, such as student protest.
“I’m definitely open to hear if there’s another language,” Miller-Calvert said, welcoming feedback on the signs.
While the college maintains that the signs are intended to inform students of their choices, the activities they described extended beyond signature gathering.
Johnson, who now lives in Northern California, is traveling on a Southern Coast tour encouraging political participation and distributing postcards intended to motivate voters.
“We’re doing everything we can to support democracy, if that’s reforming laws on campaign finance, overturning Citizen United, but for now, the biggest part of my work is just getting people to vote,” Johnson said. “That’s what really matters.”
Johnson described his experience engaging with students at LBCC positively, noting that conversations have allowed both him and students to exchange ideas.
“ I would say that I am very favorably impressed by the collective conscience of this campus,” Johnson said. “People here are very enthusiastic. They’ve come over to ask questions, learn a thing or two and they are also educating me. They say ‘hey did you know…’ yeah so there is an exchange”
Johnson acknowledged that interactions involving public advocacy can sometimes create discomfort, particularly when people are approached by signature gatherers. Still, he emphasized the importance of allowing individuals with opposing views to participate in public discussions.
“If someone else wants to come and hold up a sign that says ‘ABORTION IS MURDER,’ well, you know, I believe in freedom of speech,” Johnson said.
For student Jessel Pahi, reactions to individuals expressing themselves on campus can depend on whether she agrees with their message.
“If I see someone like Johnson, I want to stop and talk. But if it was something that I don’t agree with, I’m like, ‘Let’s get them out’,” Pahi said.
Her response reflects a distinction between supporting the presence of particular speakers and accepting the right of people with opposing views to express themselves.
Johnson, however, maintained that disagreement is part of public discourse and that people with conflicting political positions should be able to share public spaces.
“People come to me and say they disagree. If you think war is great, there is a spot right here next to me. Wave your flag that says “war is wonderful.” Johnson said.
The signs do not prohibit students from engaging with speakers or prevent community members from exercising their rights on campus.
Miller-Calvert said the college’s intention is to make students aware that they have choices when encountering public expression.
“We’re just educating, providing options,” Miller-Calvert said.
A sandwich board installed at the LAC Carson Street crosswalk provides students options on how to respond when encountering community members they may not want to engage with on Oct. 5. A careful look at the wording presents a broader question about how a public college communicates the role of free expression on campus. (Jacyn King)
Students unquestionably have the choice not to talk to a petitioner but the difference is whether a public college should institutionally encourage students to avoid an area specifically because protected expressive activity is occurring there.
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