University of Iowa Young Americans for Freedom hosted a pre-screening of Matt Walsh’s documentary “Am I Racist?” at Coral Ridge Mall on Monday night, drawing an audience of just over 100.
The event proceeded without any counter-demonstrations, a marked departure from last year when Matt Walsh gave a lecture at the UI’s Iowa Memorial Union building in April 2023, drawing hundreds of protesters criticizing the university’s decision to host Walsh despite his anti-transgender ideology.
Young Americans for Freedom, or YAF, is a conservative student group with a presence at over 2,000 campuses nationwide. The group aims to foster communities for conservative college students but has drawn criticism for its promotion of controversial speakers and stances on social issues.
At the event, Jasmyn Jordan, the chairwoman for Iowa’s Young Americans for Freedom chapter, said she appreciates the university’s efforts to emphasize its free speech policy to students, which she credits for the lack of interruptions at Monday’s event.
“I’ve noticed that the university has been frequently posting about their free speech guidelines,” Jordan said. “So I’m hoping that reinforces the idea that everyone’s ideas are welcome, and they shouldn’t be censored or canceled.”
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According to its free speech statement, the UI is fully committed to the First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution and encourages open dialogue on campus.
“Since open discourse is an indispensable element of teaching and learning, those who come to the university must be prepared to have their beliefs and expectations challenged, sometimes in ways they find offensive,” the statement reads.
Jordan was enthusiastic for YAF’s upcoming fall speaking events and hopes they proceed without disruption.
“We respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, whether they agree with us or not, but we hope they respect us,” Jordan said.
“Am I Racist?” features Daily Wire commentator Walsh going undercover as a diversity, equity and inclusion expert to critically examine the world of anti-racism theory and activism.
“I think this film will open up discussions that aren’t being held in classrooms,” Jordan said. “I feel like oftentimes there’s one narrow view that’s shared in classrooms either perpetrated by the professor or students and staff members.”
She said she hopes pre-screening this film locally will empower independent and conservative UI students who feel they do not have a voice in classroom discussions.
Jordan also expressed criticism of mainstream discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which she believes often include “myths” and perpetuate segregation.
She praised Walsh as a funny and relatable voice and hopes the film starts a broader nationwide discussion.
Community member and attendee Daniel Atwood said Walsh’s comedic style drew him to the pre-screening event.
“Matt Walsh is pretty funny, and I saw this event so decided to check it out,” Atwood said.
Matthew Dulas, a second-year masters student majoring in music performance at the UI, was also interested in the screening because of Walsh’s past work.
“I follow the Daily Wire pretty regularly, so I knew about this movie and saw Matt Walsh’s previous film. So, I was very interested in this,” Dulas said.
The film, which has been pre-screened by various YAF chapters nationwide, is set to be released in theaters on Sept. 13.