American Freedoms

The United States has long been portrayed as a place that, at the best of times, rewards people who are hard-working, who cherish opportunity and safety, and who demand the right to enjoy basic freedoms. How do people who live in the U.S. see themselves fitting into this popular story about freedom and the "American" experience?

To sample from and document answers to this question, I am asking hundreds of people nationwide to share their thoughts about the meanings of freedom in the United States and their experiences of it. What privileges and opportunities do they feel that life here has enabled them to enjoy, and what has been denied? How have they seen the country help or hinder others' efforts to secure political, cultural, economic, and personal freedoms? Are there privileges and rights that should be accessible to anyone in the U.S., and do Americans sometimes take freedoms for granted? Why is there so much disagreement about freedom's boundaries, about defining the rights that deserve protection, and about what it takes to secure them? And given the history of conflict over these questions, why do people often describe their demands and aspirations as chapters in an "American" story, part of a tradition driven by a shared and unified vision? 

The narrative of American Freedoms will be told by the individuals who choose to participate. They will do the talking, without "experts" offering commentary or passing judgement on freedom's many meanings and histories. And because so many people are involved, no one will get extensive screen time, be "profiled," or have their views or life stories highlighted. Instead the film will present a patchwork of conversations about people's experiences, understandings, and convictions, many that will be familiar to viewers and others that will no doubt surprise or confuse. It invites participants and then viewers to put competing ideas about freedoms in the United States—freedoms imagined, aspired to, and realized—in conversation with their own.

To learn more or inquire about participating, click the links above.