Know Your First Amendment
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
(adopted December15, 1791)
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution includes five core, protected Freedoms:
Establishment Clause & Free Exercise of Religion - Government cannot establish an official religion, nor can it prohibit citizens from practicing their chosen faith freely, ensuring both secular governance and individual conscience.
Freedom of Speech - Every person can express their ideas, beliefs, and dissent—whether popular or controversial—without government censorship, creating the marketplace of ideas essential to democracy.
Freedom of the Press - Journalists and publishers can investigate, report, and criticize without prior restraint, serving as democracy’s watchdog and ensuring the free flow of information to citizens.
Freedom of Assembly - People can gather peacefully to share ideas, demonstrate, organize, and build movements, transforming individual voices into collective power for social change.
Freedom to Petition Government - Citizens can formally demand action, seek redress of grievances, and challenge government decisions through legal and political channels, ensuring responsive governance.
The time for action is NOW.
I’m joining The First Amendment Culture Team (F.A.C.T.), a New York City-based coalition of creatives, cultural workers, and organizers mobilizing to raise awareness about the First Amendment and the fundamental freedoms that make both art and democracy possible.
Founded in 2025, amid a surge of book bans, political intimidation, defunding of the arts and humanities, and growing self-censorship, FACT seeks to mobilize our sector in defense of First Amendment rights. Our mission is to educate and activate the arts and culture ecosystem so that together we can empower everyone to understand, exercise, and defend our shared rights.
Thank you for this reminder and for engaging in such important work. Personally, I might not agree with what someone else believes, how they worship, or what they have to say, but the First Amendment offers them the freedom to believe, worship, and speak as they wish. And I can, too. I learn a lot from listening to every position, aligned or opposing, and when I do listen, I feel better equipped at making informed decisions.
Thanks for this. I remember when Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin were arrested in Chicago (before the 1968 Democratic Convention riot) for distributing seditions material. It was mimeographed copies of the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment in bold.