LOS ANGELES, June 12 - As mixed martial arts fighters prepare to enter a cage on the South Lawn of the White House on Sunday to celebrate President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and to launch a series of events tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary, Jane Fonda will sponsor a separate cultural moment from New York City.
Fonda’s advocacy organization, the Committee for the First Amendment, is presenting a concert called "Rise Up, Sing Out" that aims to foreground free speech and democratic values she says have been imperiled during the Trump presidency. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT) and will be held at The Town Hall, a century-old venue founded by suffragists. The event will also be available via livestream.
"This is our documentary moment," Fonda said in an interview. "History is going to write about this, and I don’t want to be on the side of people who said, ‘Oh my God, things are so bad, what am I going to do?’ No. I want to be out in the front."
The lineup for the concert includes appearances or performances by actors and musicians such as Julia Roberts, Lily Gladstone, Bette Midler, Patti Smith and Rufus Wainwright. Organizers describe the event as a gathering of artists and public figures in support of the First Amendment and democratic norms.
Longstanding activism and recent work
Fonda, now 88, has a decades-long record of activism. Her public work ranges from support for Native American causes and involvement with the Black Panthers in the 1960s to high-profile protests against the Vietnam War in the 1970s. She acquired the nickname "Hanoi Jane" following a 1972 visit to North Vietnam, a trip that included a photograph of her on an anti-aircraft gun that she has since said she regrets.
In more recent years, Fonda has focused on climate activism. She has taken part in "Fire Drill Fridays" demonstrations in Washington, D.C., and has been arrested multiple times as part of those protests. A new documentary titled "Gaslit," which premieres on Friday, follows her on a road trip through Texas and Louisiana to document what she describes as the environmental and health impacts of oil and gas extraction.
"Whole communities have been razed because we insist on drilling for oil and fracked methane gas that we’re shipping around the world, that is killing people and nature and animals, and it’s got to stop," Fonda said, attributing part of the problem to actions by the Trump administration, which she says has weakened environmental regulations.
Concerns about media consolidation
Fonda has also urged federal and state regulators to block the proposed $110 billion merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros Discovery. While she said she personally likes Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, she expressed concern about concessions he made to the Federal Communications Commission to secure approval for Skydance’s purchase of Paramount.
"The lifeblood of creativity is going out the window in order to satisfy these autocrats in the White House," she said, framing the deal as part of broader threats to creative independence.
Supporters of the merger, including Ellison, have argued that the combined company would invest in content and release 30 movies a year, an outcome they say would benefit Hollywood's creative class. Fonda’s public call for regulators to intervene reflects her view that the transaction raises questions about industry concentration and editorial freedom.
Revival of the Committee for the First Amendment
Fonda revived the Committee for the First Amendment in October, citing what she described as a rise in authoritarian practices and assaults on free speech. The organization shares a name with a group her father, actor Henry Fonda, established in 1947 amid calls for Hollywood figures to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee.
"We are the storytellers, we are the artists," Fonda said. "Without the First Amendment, we can’t exist."
Investor outreach mention
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The concert and Fonda’s public statements come as part of a broader pattern of activism and public engagement that she says is aimed at defending democratic institutions and protecting communities from environmental harm. The simultaneous staging of a White House MMA event and a First Amendment-focused concert underscores divergent approaches to the same national milestone.