From an imprisoned Ukranian journalist to a high school activist in Florida, PEN America paid tribute Monday night to democracy and free expression and warned about the dangers faced in the U.S. and abroad.
"Instead of being able focus on menial responsibilities such as school work, my generation has been forced to rapidly mobilize and fight for our future,” Florida teenager Jack Petocz, a prominent opponent of the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, said Monday. “If our collective voice couldn't make a difference, then they wouldn't be trying so hard to silence it."
