Breaking the Silence: Student Turned Free Speech Shepard in Kentucky
The day Michael Frazier stepped beyond his campus’s allotted 10×10 “free speech zone,” he was abruptly confronted by University of Kentucky administrators and verbally chastised. It was a stark wake-up call: censorship was not just a concept that existed in distant authoritarian countries —it was thriving on American college campuses. The contrast between American values and the reality on campus was undeniable, and Michael knew something had to change.
Americans for Prosperity was all too familiar with the threats plaguing higher education and had been involved in tackling free speech crackdowns on campuses across the nation. Upon hearing Michael’s story and his desire to get involved, a partnership was formed that would result in the passage of one of the most expansive free speech protections in educational history.
Michael’s Kindness Sparks Controversy
Michael was 22 years old when he stepped foot on the UK’s campus as the first in his family to attend college. Before that, he’d been merely surviving in Eastern Kentucky. He’d faced extreme poverty and saw his home ripped apart by opioid addiction. His tumultuous upbringing brought Michael face-to-face with ordinary people whose voices were muffled by their circumstances. He witnessed the pain and suffering of a community who had been seemingly forgotten and looked down upon. When he arrived at college, he was disappointed to encounter a different type of silence, one born out of complacency and fear. It gnawed at him.
In 2016, Michael, alongside several student groups, gathered on National Hug Day to give out free hugs on campus. They were confined to a small free speech zone, which seemed odd. But it wasn’t until he dared to step outside it that his worst fears were confirmed: his university saw speech as something to be regulated and controlled.
This is the institution he had fought so hard to attend? Shock evolved into a burning desire to be part of meaningful change. Michael went on to form the Kentucky Student Rights Coalition made up of a diverse group of student organizations. Together, they forced the University of Kentucky to ban free speech zones and expand open dialogue to every inch of the campus.
While the victory provided a temporary solution, Michael knew he needed something more permanent, so he put pen to paper and drafted the Campus Free Speech Protection Act.
Beyond State Lines: AFP Joins the Fight
AFP reached out to Michael in 2017 looking to strengthen the free speech crusade and further protect students’ rights in Kentucky. Michael’s Campus Free Speech Protection Act would ensure universities distributed funding and resources to student organizations equally and prohibited “free speech zones” that concentrated discourse to a small section of their campus. It also established the right to free thought and speech related to any issue in higher education for both students and professors.
AFP was in support of the Act and knew they had the firepower, resources, expertise, and data to get it past the finish line.
The partnership proved powerful: AFP wasted no time asserting their credibility in the statehouse and meeting with legislators. They connected Michael with key stakeholders who would prove vital in the fight. For the first time in his life, Michael had a platform to share his story and his voice was heard. Soon AFP and Michael’s efforts were front page news, catching the attention of reporters across Kentucky.
After nearly two years, the Campus Free Speech Protection Act was passed with bipartisan support. It now acts as the gold-standard for student rights on college campuses and stands as model legislation for free speech safeguards across the nation. Michael credits his victory to AFP, saying “AFP was instrumental in cultivating my grassroots knowledge and training. I could not have developed a network without them”.
Michael and his Student Rights Coalition continue to protect student voices by backing legislation that prohibits academic institutions from limiting free expression and due process. Meanwhile, AFP has taken the fight to several states across the nation — most recently in Montana, Georgia, and Indiana — where they’ve continued to hold higher education institutions’ feet to the fire and fight for freedom.
