We Are Free: Our First Amendment Rights

An introduction to the great freedom and power that comes with America’s constitutional First Amendment rights, just in time for the U.S.A.’s 250th anniversary!

Free is a word that comes with great power.
We are free, we are that power.

The First Amendment gives us many rights as Americans—from the freedom to practice any religion (or no religion) to the freedom to look the way we want to look. It gives us the right to disagree, to speak up, and to stand up for what we believe in. But not everyone in the world has these rights—or these freedoms.

From attorney and educator Allison Matulli comes a memorable commentary on the privilege and opportunity of being an American, with freedoms granted by the First Amendment.

Allison Matulli, JD, EdM, is a former attorney and certified Montessori lead educator who believes that knowing one’s rights and respecting those of others is the path to creating conscious citizens and community—starting with our kids. A DEI specialist and education reform activist, Allison consults with schools worldwide on how to provide families, educators, and students with tools and understanding to address issues of race, systematic racism, prejudice, legal literacy, diversity, and inclusion. She founded and runs The Little Lawyers, an organization that provides curricula and workshops to empower children to understand their rights and responsibilities. Additionally, Allison is a criminal justice professor at Florida International University. Allison is the author of Your Freedom, Your Power: A Kid’s Guide to the First Amendment, and I Am Because We Are. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Allison now lives in Miami with her husband and two children.

Edel Rodriguez is a Cuban American artist whose work has been exhibited internationally with shows across North America and Europe. Inspired by personal history, religious rituals, politics, memory, and nostalgia, his bold, figurative works are an examination of identity, cultural displacement, and mortality. His work speaks truth to power in the American tradition of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. Throughout his career, Edel has created artwork for numerous clients, including mega brands like Nike, MTV, and Pepsi, and various publications such as the New York Times, TIME magazine, and the New Yorker. He illustrated Rise’s own I Am: Affirmations for Resilience, among other children’s books. Some of Edel's work can be seen at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, as well as in private collections across the country, but you're most likely to see his work circulating online via reposts from his fans worldwide. Born in Cuba, Edel now lives with his family in New Jersey.