Former legislator helped pass Speaker Ban

By Alleta Cooper

In the 1960’s, The Speaker Ban was part of a larger nationwide fear about the spread of Communism.

To put things in perspective, “Carolina Connection” spoke with Robert Morgan, a former North Carolina Attorney General, U.S. Senator, and state legislator.

He was a member of the state legislature in the 1960s when the law passed, and he was a vocal supporter of it.  At the time, he also argued in favor of the law in his role as an attorney for the American Legion.

He recalls the political mood of the era, when Communism was considered an imminent threat to America.

“Speaking of the First Amendment” is a collaborative project among Carolina Connection, UNC’s student TV newscast, Carolina Week, and its online news site Reese News.

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