Cornerstone University, a Christian institution in Michigan, is hosting an anti-communism event featuring survivors and scholars of communist and socialist regimes. The university president stated the event responds to perceived growing sympathy for communist and socialist ideas amongst Americans, particularly young people, aiming to educate the public about the "moral bankruptcy" of these ideologies.

The event speakers include North Korean defector Yeonmi Park and survivor of Mao's Cultural Revolution Xi Van Fleet, amongst others. Park, who escaped North Korea at age 13 following devastating 1990s famines and subsequently experienced human trafficking in China, argues that Americans significantly underestimate communism's oppressiveness when studied only in theory. The university is located in Grand Rapids, an area where a socialist-leaning Democratic candidate recently won over 61 per cent of the primary vote.