Events › 100 Years After Scopes Monkey Trial: Book Banning in 2025

In collaboration with the Clarence Darrow Commemorative Committee, the library is pleased to present an event 100 years in the making. 

The explosion of book- and idea-banning in schools and libraries across the country might seem like a recent phenomenon, but 2025 marks the hundredth anniversary of a famous trial that proves it's not. In the "Scopes Monkey Trial" of 1925, "Attorney for the Damned" Clarence Darrow faced off against three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan in an epic battle over whether Darwin and his theory of evolution should be taught in the classroom. 

As similar battles play out all over America today, this panel will feature acclaimed historian and author Brenda Wineapple (in a virtual appearance) telling the story of how the Scopes trial unfolded, followed by a live discussion between Rebecca Glenberg, Senior Supervising Attorney at the ACLU of Illinois, and Joyce McIntosh, Assistant Program Director for the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) at the American Library Association, addressing the questions of what the Scopes trial really taught us—and why book banning is seeing such a strong resurgence now.

Panel discussion featuring an introduction from Brenda Wineapple. Wineapple is the author, most recently, of Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy and the Trial that Riveted a Nation-- "history at its most delicious,” said The New York Times Book Review on its cover. Her other books include The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation (a "landmark study") as well as Ecstatic Nation: Confidence, Crisis, and Compromise, 1848-1877, both named best books of the year by The New York Times, among other publications.

On the panel will be the following speakers:

Rebecca Glenberg is the chief litigation counsel for the First Amendment at the ACLU of Illinois and was previously the legal director of the ACLU of Virginia. For over 25 years, she has worked to promote and defend the right to free speech, religious liberty, voting rights, privacy rights, immigrants’ rights, LGBTQ+ rights and other civil rights and civil liberties. Rebecca received her J.D. in 1997 from the University of Chicago Law School, where she represented clients in the school’s Homeless Assistance Project.

Joyce McIntosh is the Assistant Program Director for the Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF), an organization dedicated to First Amendment education, litigation, and advocacy. She has worked at the intersection of intellectual freedom, communication, and the First Amendment for three decades. With FTRF and the American Library Association her work has focused on education about the First Amendment and censorship, and helping librarians navigate challenges in their school and public libraries.

How to Attend - In Person:
Doors to the Auditorium open at 5:30 p.m., and seating is first come, first served (350 capacity). Books are available for purchase, and the author will autograph books at the conclusion of the program.

How to Attend - Virtual:
This event will also take place live on CPL's YouTube channel and CPL's Facebook page. You'll be able to ask questions during the event as well! Can't make it to the live stream? We'll archive the video on YouTube to watch later.