A Battle for the Future of Higher Education at New College of Florida
From Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips by Democracy in Color
March 12, 2026 · 39 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the fight against censorship and ideological warfare at the New College of Florida through the perspectives of key voices involved in a documentary.
Three key voices behind the new documentary First They Came for My College join Steve to share how community, art, and activism became tools to fight back against censorship and ideological warfare at the New College of Florida. Harry Hanbury, a seasoned filmmaker and alumnus of New College, shares behind-the-scenes insights to documenting the fight to save a campus under siege. Amy Reid, a former professor and board member, recounts the courage it took to stand up and resist the systematic erasure of LGBTQ+ and Black studies programs. And Gaby Batista, a former student journalist on campus, offers a frontline view of how students survived the fascist takeover while using arts and culture to preserve their community’s spirit. REFERENCES: First They Came for My College - Website Harry Hanbury, New College Alum, Producer, Camera Operator - /harryhanbury Amy Reid, Program Director, Freedom to Learn at PEN America - About Gaby Batista, Protagonist, Cameraperson - About
People in this episode
Host: Steve Phillips
Guests: Harry Hanbury, Amy Reid, Gaby Batista
Topics covered
- higher education
- censorship
- activism
- LGBTQ+ studies
- Black studies
- community
- documentary
Keywords
- New College of Florida
- censorship
- activism
- LGBTQ+ studies
- Black studies
- documentary
- community spirit
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: New College of Florida, PEN America
Books & works: First They Came for My College
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