Jacob Mchangama was a young lawyer and blogger in 2005 when his country, Denmark, was thrust into the global spotlight after a Danish newspaper printed cartoons depicting the Islamic prophet Muhammad—a practice widely considered taboo among many Muslims. Mchangama’s fascination with free speech began as a worldwide conversation erupted about a complicated topic made even more complex by the collision of differing cultural and religious values.
Today, Mchangama is one of the world’s leading authorities on this fundamental freedom. In 2014 he started Copenhagen-based Justitia, a global think tank focused on free speech and the rule of law. In 2020 he launched The Future of Free Speech Project, which publishes cutting-edge research on the topic. Two years later, he released a book, Free Speech—A History from Socrates to Social Media. And in 2023, he brought all of this expertise to Vanderbilt, becoming a research professor of political science in the College of Arts and Science and opening The Future of Free Speech, an independent and nonpartisan think tank, on campus. In October 2024, Vanderbilt hosted the inaugural Global Free Speech Summit, which attracted hundreds of attendees from around the world. Vanderbilt Magazine recently sat down with Mchangama to learn more about his vital work and find out what he thinks the rest of us can do to help protect and promote freedom of expression.
What do most people get wrong about free speech?
Most people in the United States are committed to free speech and view it as an essential value. However, when it comes to specific topics, many create exceptions that align with their ideologies and worldview. In today’s polarized America, these exceptions often follow tribalist lines—conservative versus liberal is one example. But without a principled approach to free speech, those in power get to define the limits for you, leading to different standards of free speech depending on which identity group someone belongs to. This division can undermine the universal application of free speech, force public discourse into echo chambers and ultimately lead to a lack of shared understanding.
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Jacob Mchangama is the Founder and Executive Director of The Future of Free Speech. He is also a research professor at Vanderbilt University and a Senior Fellow at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).