The word "freedom" has been essential to how Americans understand themselves and their country since its founding, but the term has born many meanings and many contexts.
Whether it is idealized, politicized, or questioned, "freedom" resonates strongly in American culture, despite the wide variety of understandings it evokes.
As part of Marquette's year-long Freedom Project, a commemoration of the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War that explores the many meanings and histories of emancipation and freedom in the United States and beyond, the Raynor Memorial Libraries hosted a competition inviting students, in 30 seconds or less, to reflect on the question, "What does 'freedom' mean to me?"
These video reflections were recorded in 2013 on March 21st in the Raynor Memorial Libraries and March 25th in the Alumni Memorial Union.