Speech Is Never Free in a World of Racist Surveillance and Repression

Words always matter, but they often matter more when the odds are already against you. The freedom to express oneself is supposed to be protectively enshrined in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, for some people this ideal has always been slippery. The freedom to speak our minds can easily transform into the freedom to be pursued by the authorities, surveilled and detained. Depending on who the speaker is, our society dictates what speech is and isn't acceptable. No matter where you look on the political spectrum, you'll find people claiming to cherish freedom of speech and also claiming to be...read more.