Eight Values of Free Expression

Of all the free expression theories we’ve discussed in class, the two that resonate with me the most are #4: “Individual Self-Fulfillment” and #8: “Protecting Dissent” because they have both significantly affected my life.

Growing up as a Black woman in America has allowed me to understand the importance of having spaces where I can express my true self. C. Edwin Baker’s theory of Self-Fulfillment speaks to me on a personal level because I have experienced firsthand trying to find my voice in a world that sometimes tries to stifle it. 

In high school, I switched from being in the public school system (both in VA and NC) my whole life to a private Catholic school because the high school I was placed in was not a great fit. 

Going to my small Catholic school, where my graduating class was 29, there were moments when I felt pressure to “code-switch,” or where I was called an “Oreo” for being “black on the outside, but white on the inside.” I sometimes had to downplay aspects of my identity to fit in, but eventually, I am to a point now where I don’t care what others say, and I am becoming the woman I want to be.

One specific instance that I think of happened during my junior year of high school. I was captain of the varsity soccer team, and we were playing an away game in New Bern, NC. I played left midfield, and during the game, a right mid-fielder on the other team beside me called me slurs. Of my team, I was the only Black person who was on the field (our goalkeeper was biracial, but she was in the goal away from everyone). 

After halftime, when we switched sides, not only was the mid-fielder calling me slurs, but the parents started to call me slurs and saying, “Go back to Africa,” and other ignorant phrases. 

In the middle of the game, I left my position and ran across the field to tell my coach. She did not want to listen to what I said because we were in the middle of a playoff game, and there weren’t any timeouts in soccer. After the game, I went straight to the bus, all the way to the back, and cried. 

My teammates saw me, and I told them what was wrong. They told my coach, and she told me I should’ve told her, and when I explained how I tried, she then felt “apologetic.” Unfortunately, being berated was common when playing against other small private schools in North Carolina.

Given my history of childhood trauma, my journey of self-discovery has had an even greater significance in my life. I struggled to voice what was being done to me, and then after I reported, I struggled to voice my trauma. The silence I felt was unbearable. 

Through journaling and eventually sharing my story with my closest friends, I was able to express myself. I’m still on my healing journey, but by being able to share and express myself freely, the more I heal. This is why I hold Baker’s idea that free expression is deeply connected to human dignity and autonomy so close to my heart. 

Reclaiming your voice is a powerful act of self-creation when your voice is taken away, as mine was when I was so young.

However, self-expression goes beyond being solely a personal issue; it’s also political. This is where Steve Shiffrin’s concept of Protecting Dissent becomes vital. In predominantly white spaces, including most of my classes my entire life, seeking my truth as a Black woman can often be an act of dissent. 

By sharing my lived experiences that challenge the comfortable narratives that some of my peers maintain about race in America, I exercise this essential right to disagree.

The value of protecting dissent can be seen in movements like Black Lives Matter. Individual stories serve as catalysts for confronting systemic injustices. 

When countless individuals share their experiences related to police brutality and discrimination, they aren’t just expressing their frustration, they are dissenting by creating a large, collective voice that demands attention and a solution to their problems. 

When I reflect on which free expression theory resonates most with me, I recognize that they all, in some way, intertwine seamlessly with lived experience. They are woven into my narrative as a Black woman, a survivor, a student, and a citizen striving to understand this messy but beautiful democracy we're all a part of.