Jacob Mchangama
JACOB MCHANGAMA IS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF THE FUTURE OF FREE SPEECH,
RESEARCH PROFESSOR AT VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY,
AND THE HOST OF THE PODCAST CLEAR AND PRESENT
DANGER: A HISTORY OF FREE SPEECH. HIS WRITING
ON FREE SPEECH HAS APPEARED IN THE ECONOMIST,
THE WASHINGTON POST, FOREIGN POLICY, AND
OTHER OUTLETS. BORN AND RAISED IN COPENHAGEN,
DENMARK, HE LIVES IN FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE.
Free speech is under threat worldwide, with authoritarian leaders like Narendra Modi and Viktor Orbán silencing dissent, while political battles in democracies further erode open discourse. Even in the U.S., Donald Trump’s selective attacks on critics highlight a troubling trend.
In Free Speech: A History from Socrates to Social Media (Basic Books, new in paperback March 18, 2025), Jacob Mchangama explores the evolution of this fundamental right, from ancient Athens to the digital age. Featuring figures like John Stuart Mill, Baruch Spinoza, Ida B. Wells, and Mahatma Gandhi, he demonstrates how free expression drives progress and equality.
With insights on AI-driven censorship, Europe’s hate speech laws, and Trump’s second term, Mchangama warns that without vigilance, we risk losing one of humanity’s most powerful ideas.