Code Switch Freedom of speech has never been for everyone
Nov 5, 2025
Anshuman Mondal, a Professor and author of 'Racism and Free Speech', dives deep into the complexities surrounding freedom of speech. He explores how social and economic dynamics amplify certain voices while marginalizing others. Mondal advocates for nuanced approaches to speech limitations to advance racial equality, discussing tools like counter-speech and social sanctioning to combat racism. The conversation emphasizes that current free speech debates often reflect underlying power struggles rather than clear rights.
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Speech Claims Often Mask Political Moves
- Executive actions framing "restoring freedom of speech" can be politically charged rather than purely legal reforms.
- Both parties claim free speech while simultaneously taking actions that restrict speech in practice.
First Amendment Protects Against Government, Not Private Actors
- The First Amendment protects against government punishment for speech, not private consequences from employers or platforms.
- U.S. law protects offensive and hateful speech more broadly than many other countries do.
Historian's Censorship Sparked Deeper Inquiry
- Farah de Boiwala recounts being censored for quoting a poem on BBC radio and getting in trouble for using the F word.
- That experience spurred his deeper research into how free speech actually functions historically.
