Free speech exhibit at Philadelphia museum explores Americans' constitutional rights
The National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia unveiled a new exhibition series that explores freedom of speech as a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of our society.
"We wouldn't have freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly if the cornerstone of our democracy wasn't free speech," said Alaine Arnott, president and CEO of the museum located in Old City.
Visitors to each of the three exhibitions in the series are able to explore the past, present and enduring promise of this fundamental right through a neutral lens, beginning with Free Speech: Our Right, Our Responsibility, an interactive and multimedia exploration of free speech that invites visitors to consider its significance and why it can be a contentious and polarizing topic in an era of loud voices, online cancel culture and protests.
"We talk about the Constitution and First Amendment, which are great, but unless you can put those into practical and applicable situations, people lose what it means to have these rights as Americans," Arnott said.
At the exhibit, visitors can trace the history of free speech from its roots to the present. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a 20-foot glass sculpture called the "Flame of Liberty" created by Dale Chihuly.
The exhibition comprises four sections:
- "What Is Free Speech?" establishes the concept and how it is written in the Constitution's First Amendment and Bill of Rights.
- "Know Your Rights" examines what is protected and excluded from free speech. Here, two sets of six flip panels offer different scenarios to ask visitors to decide whether it is protected or excluded under our First Amendment rights. The section also interrogates the challenges of free speech and the risks of censorship limiting tolerance or our ability to empathize with opposing views.
- "Tensions" features four reader panels surrounding the "Flame of Liberty," reflecting on the good, the bad and the responsibilities to better understand how to exercise our rights and how the law supports them. Chihuly's flame represents liberty and our collective efforts to care for that fire. Exercising free speech is how our society experiences and practices liberty. However, if left unchecked, that flame can burn uncontrollably and cause harm.
- "Then & Now" visitors read case studies examining famous historical and contemporary examples of free speech across four areas: education, politics and civil rights, arts and entertainment, and communication. These panels reveal how freedom of expression was championed by movement leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King, how artists and entertainers like comedian George Carlin pushed back on what is commonly accepted, and the opportunities and challenges of evolving technology.
