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Throughout history, we've seen how being able to use your voice, how people being able to use their voice helps people come together. We've seen this in the civil rights movement. Frederick Douglass once called free expression the great moral renovator of our society. He said, "Slavery cannot tolerate free speech." Civil rights leaders argued time and again that their protests were a protected form of expression. And one noted that nearly all of the cases involving the civil rights movement were decided on First Amendment grounds. We've seen this globally too, where the ability to speak freely has been central to the fight for democracy worldwide. The most repressive societies have always restricted speech the most, and when people are finally able to speak, they often use their voice to call for change. In this year alone, people have used their voices to end multiple long-running dictatorships in northern Africa, and we're already starting to hear from people whose voices had been excluded just because they were women or because they believed in democracy. Now, our idea of free expression has become much broader over even the last hundred years. Many Americans know about the Enlightenment history and how we enshrined the First Amendment into our Constitution, but fewer know just how dramatically our cultural norms and legal protections have expanded, even in recent history.

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Throughout history, / we've seen how being able to use your voice, / how people being able to use their voice / helps people come together. // We've seen this in the civil rights movement. // Frederick Douglass once called / free expression / the great moral renovator / of our society. // He said, / "Slavery cannot tolerate / free speech." // Civil rights leaders argued time and again / that their protests were / a protected form of expression. // And one noted that nearly all of the cases / involving the civil rights movement / were decided on First Amendment grounds. // We've seen this globally too, / where the ability to speak freely has been central / to the fight for democracy worldwide. // The most repressive societies / have always restricted speech the most, / and when people are finally able to speak, / they often use their voice / to call for change. // In this year alone, / people have used their voices / to end multiple long-running dictatorships / in northern Africa, / and we're already starting to hear / from people whose voices had been excluded / just because they were women / or because they believed in democracy. // Now our idea of free expression / has become much broader / over even the last hundred years. // Many Americans know about / the Enlightenment history / and how we enshrined / the First Amendment into our Constitution, / but fewer know / just how dramatically our cultural norms / and legal protections have expanded, / even in recent history. //

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The first Supreme Court case to seriously consider free speech in the First Amendment was in 1919, Schenck versus the United States. And back then, the First Amendment only applied to the federal government, so states could and often did restrict your right to speak. Our ability to call out things that we felt were wrong also used to be a lot more restricted. Libel laws used to impose damages if you said something negative about someone, even if it was true. The standard then shifted, so that way it was okay as long as you could prove that your critique was true. And we didn't get the broad free speech protections that we have now until the 1960s when the Supreme Court ruled in opinions like New York Times versus Sullivan that you can criticize public figures as long as you're not doing so with actual malice, even if what you're saying is false. So we now have significantly broader power to call out things that we feel are unjust and share our own personal experiences. We see movements like "Black Lives Matter" and "Me Too" spread and go viral on Facebook. The hashtag Black Lives Matter was actually mentioned for the first time on Facebook. And this just wouldn't have been possible in the same way before. Just a hundred years back, many of the stories that people are sharing now would have been against the law to even write down. And of course, without the Internet, they certainly wouldn't have reached so many people.

Let's follow Mark Zuckerberg...

The first Supreme Court case / to seriously consider free speech / in the First Amendment / was in 1919, / Schenck versus the United States. // And back then, / the First Amendment / only applied to the federal government, / so states could and often did / restrict your right to speak. // Our ability to call out things / that we felt were wrong / also used to be a lot more restricted. // Libel laws / used to impose damages / if you said something negative about someone, / even if it was true. // The standard then shifted, / so that way / it was okay /as long as you could prove that your critique / was true. // And we didn't get / the broad free speech protections that we have now / until the 1960s / when the Supreme Court ruled in opinions like / New York Times versus Sullivan / that you can criticize public figures / as long as you're not doing so / with actual malice, / even if / what you're saying is false. // So we now have / significantly broader power / to call out things / that we feel are unjust / and share our own personal experiences. // We see movements like / "Black Lives Matter" / and "Me Too" spread / and go viral on Facebook. // The hashtag Black Lives Matter / was actually mentioned for the first time / on Facebook. // And this just wouldn't have been possible / in the same way before. // Just a hundred years back, / many of the stories that people are sharing now / would have been against the law / to even write down. // And of course, / without the Internet, / they certainly wouldn't have reached / so many people. //