Freedom of Expression
American society was shaped by individuals who spoke the truth supported by the First Amendment. The First Amendment applies to every citizen and person living in America. You have the freedom to practice religion, speak opinion, gather with others, raise issues to the government, and consume news media. As American society evolves, the First Amendment is updated to support freedom of expression.
Public access to information empowers us to form opinions and exercise freedom of speech. Explore The New York Public Library's collection of books, databases, and credible online resources on the freedom of expression.
"Freedom of Expression" is episode one of “Express Your Power”, a four-part, nationally-recognized media and information literacy learning video series produced by Media Smart Citizens in partnership with the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) of The New York Public Library.
Books
Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media by ISBN: 9781541600492Publication Date: 2022-02-08Meticulously researched and deeply humane, Free Speech demonstrates how much we have gained from this principle--and how much we stand to lose without it.
The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech Is Everything by ISBN: 9780262046459Publication Date: 2022-04-12A bold, groundbreaking argument by a world-renowned expert that unless we treat free speech as a fundamental human right, there can be no others.
The Soul of the First Amendment by ISBN: 9780300190885Publication Date: 2017-04-25A lively and controversial overview by the nation's most celebrated First Amendment lawyer of the unique protections for freedom of speech in America.
Truth in Our Times: Inside the Fight for Press Freedom in the Age of Alternative Facts by ISBN: 9781250184429Publication Date: 2019-03-12In Truth in Our Times, McCraw recounts the hard legal decisions behind the most impactful stories of the last decade.
Databases
- ACLU American Civil Liberties Union Papers 1912-1995This archive includes more than 2 million pages of primary resource materials from the records of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The records focus on civil rights, race, gender, and issues relating to the U.S. Supreme Court. The collection includes: legal briefs, newspapers, internal memoranda, client correspondence, and committee reports.
- CQ Press LibraryResources on American government, current affairs, history, politics, public policy, and social science data analysis. Trace the history of public policy issues, analyze Congress' legislation and membership, review political profiles for over 200 countries, and more. Dates of Coverage: 1923-present (coverage varies depending on resource selected).
- Issues: Understanding Controversy and SocietyCovers a variety of contemporary debated subjects to explore different viewpoints and develop critical thinking skills. Material is divided into an alphabetical list of subjects (Topics) and concepts divided into categories (Perspectives), supported with articles, images, speeches, and other documentation.
- Opposing Viewpoints Resource CenterOpposing Viewpoints offers material to support differing views and help students develop critical thinking skills on thousands of current social topics in the forms of primary source documents, statistics, websites and multimedia.
Digital Collections
Mixed race group of children carrying a sign: "No Child is Free Until ALL are Free," circa the late 1950s
Daisy Bates takes a walk - Activist Daisy Bates picketing with a placard:
"Jailing our youth will not solve the problem in Little Rock. We are only asking for full citizenship rights"
Marsha P. Johnson pickets Bellevue Hospital to protest the treatment of street people and gays
New York University Weinstein Hall demonstration
Live From NYPL
Raised Voices: Classic Speeches from Feminist Pioneers
On the eve of a historic inauguration, contemporary activists, actors, and writers read speeches from past generations of BIPOC activists that demonstrate the enduring power of citizenship, the ongoing struggle for equality, and the value of a vote. To learn about the speakers in this video and their selections, please visit the event webpage.
LIVE from NYPL is made possible by the support of Library patrons and friends, as well as by the continuing generosity of Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund.
Video premiered January 19, 2021.
Restricted Access: an American History of Book Banning
A panel of authors, scholars, and critics speak with MSNBC’s Ali Velshi to reflect on the current climate around book bans, and to situate our moment within the history of censorship in the United States. Actor André De Shields, one of the stars of the revival of Death of a Salesman, opened the evening by reading a passage from Toni Morrison.
Presented in partnership with PEN America. To learn more, please visit the event webpage.
Video premiered September 21, 2022.
External Resources
- Freedom Forum Institute - First Amendment CenterOur mission: providing resources to help the public understand how their First Amendment freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly and petition work, and how they can be protected.
- National Constitution Center - First AmendmentThe National Constitution Center unites America’s leading scholars from diverse legal and philosophical perspectives to explore the text, history, and meaning of the U.S. Constitution.
- PEN AmericaPEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible.