Freedom is the great American commitment, but we have lost sight of what it means. Too many of us look at freedom as the absence of state power, argues Timothy Snyder: We think we’re free if we can do and say as we please, and protect ourselves from government overreach. But true freedom isn’t so much freedom from as freedom to—the freedom to thrive, to take risks for futures we choose by working together. Freedom is the value that makes all other values possible.
On Freedom takes us on an “insightful and powerful” (Heather Cox Richardson) intellectual journey. Drawing on the work of philosophers and political dissidents, conversations with contemporary thinkers, and his own experiences coming of age in a time of American exceptionalism, Snyder identifies the practices and attitudes—the habits of mind—that will allow us to design a government in which we and future generations can flourish. Intimate yet ambitious, this book helps forge a new consensus rooted in a politics of abundance, generosity, and grace.
Timothy Snyder is the Richard C. Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University, the Chair in Modern European History at the University of Toronto, and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. His books, which have been published in over forty languages, include Bloodlands, Black Earth, On Tyranny, Road to Unfreedom, Our Malady, and On Freedom. His work has inspired poster campaigns and exhibitions, sculptures, a punk rock song, a rap song, a play, and an opera, and he has appeared in over fifty films and documentaries
Jodi-Ann Burey (she/her) is a writer and critic who works at the intersections of race, culture, and health equity. She is the author of Authentic: The Myth of Bringing Your Full Self to Work.
Beyond the written word, Jodi-Ann stands out as a catalytic orator, having conducted over 100 keynotes, panels, and interviews – including TEDx. She is a regular contributor on KUOW-NPR. Inspired by her personal journey and professional experience in public health, Jodi-Ann is also the creator and host of Black Cancer, a podcast about the lives of people of color through their cancer journeys. Jodi-Ann is the co-creator and host of Lit Lounge, a curated book collection and author interview series, and the creator and host of Lit Lounge: The People’s Art, a monthly prose and poetry salon.
United Way of King County, our co-presenter on this event, brings the community together to work toward racial justice by supporting our neighbors and transforming inequitable systems. They are committed to more than just meeting our neighbors’ urgent food, housing, and educational needs—they work side by side with communities to dismantle the systems that created these inequities in the first place. Learn more and support their work here.
