The Ford Hall Forum's mission is "to promote freedom of speech and foster an informed and engaged citizenry through the free public presentation of lectures, debates, and discussions."
[1] When he died, his will bequeathed the building to the Baptist Social Union, so that it could hold free public meetings, concerts, and open discussions on current events.
Among the Ford Hall Forum speakers heard on WBZ in 1924 was Rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise, who denounced the Ku Klux Klan.
[5] A 1925 talk by Father Michael J. Ahern, who was both a theologian and a scientist (with an advanced degree in geology), discussed the Catholic view on evolution; he also took questions from the audience.
"[7] Not all of the talks were about current events or controversial issues; the listeners also heard presentations from famous humorists, authors, historians, poets, and medical professionals.
In 1929, Margaret Sanger appeared at the Forum, visibly gagged,[13] after Mayor James Michael Curley issued an injunction barring her from speaking about family planning.
Du Bois participated in a debate about whether Black people should be encouraged to seek social equality,[15] a contentious topic in an era when American was still segregated.
In the early 1990s, when former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke was a candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate, the Forum brought him to Boston to answer questions about his views and about his past.
This can be done in part by maintaining a common meeting ground for all the people where there will be full, free, and open public discussion of all vital questions affecting human welfare."