Minnesota Community Media Centers Celebrate Free Speech

Community Media Centers across Minnesota celebrated free speech by participating in a spoken word recording. The recording was edited into a promotional spot that centers released on their access channels in celebration of Community Media Day.

Community Media Day is celebrated on October 20, in conjunction with Free Speech week. The purpose of the day is to bring awareness to the importance of free speech and accessible media.

CCX Media staff member Tamisha Touray wrote the spoken word poem in 2018.

“I Believe in Free Speech”

I am free to speak.

To express opinions not held by the majority,

present ideas that diverge from the norm,

engage my community in thought-provoking dialogue.

I have a voice.

I have the right to

choose a side,

state my mind,

share my

beliefs,

values,

and viewpoints

with the world.

We are

linked,

joined,

connected

by something greater than ourselves.

Something

valuable,

costly,

dear.

It can be inconvenient.

It can be messy.

It can be lost.

So, open a conversation,

promote the exchange of ideas,

and move the dialogue forward.

I won’t

intimidate,

alienate,

violate

your right to freely speak.

I will listen

to

values

that don’t conform to my worldview,

views

that don’t agree with my own,

voices

that don’t sound like mine . . .

The world is made richer by what we share, and poorer by what we don’t.

We are Community Media

and we believe

in the power of free speech.