Freedom Speak is a non-political community celebration honoring two and a half centuries of American independence — presented in Richland, Washington by the Tri-Cities Toastmasters Collaborative.
We gather to honor the words that made us, the voices that kept us, and the shared freedoms that still belong to all of us — in a spirit of unity, gratitude, and welcome to every neighbor and every background.
The choices we've made about what this event is, and what it isn't.
No campaigning, no candidates, no partisan messages from the stage. Freedom Speak is about what Americans share, not what divides us. The speakers reflect on history, ideals, and lived experience — never on the current election cycle.
Free admission. Family-friendly. Alcohol-free. Speeches appropriate for all ages. Anyone from any background is welcome at the lawn, in front of the Fingernail, on the last Tuesday of June.
The center of the evening is a sequence of short speeches by community members — each five to seven minutes, each on a different facet of the American story. We're a Toastmasters event at heart: we believe in the human voice as a civic instrument.
Three patriotic songs are performed and sung along to by the audience — the same songs Americans have sung at gatherings like this for generations. Lyrics are available on a phone-friendly page reachable from a QR code at the event.
Freedom Speak is organized entirely by volunteers from local Toastmasters chapters, supported by community partners including the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, the City of Richland, local veterans groups, and area congregations.
Toastmasters International is a global nonprofit dedicated to communication and leadership development, with thousands of local clubs that meet regularly to practice public speaking in a supportive setting.
In the Tri-Cities, several Richland-area chapters have organized themselves into a Collaborative — pooling members, energy, and event-organizing experience to put on community programs that benefit the wider region. Freedom Speak is the Collaborative's signature annual event.
Members volunteer their time to plan, promote, staff, and present at the gathering. If you'd like to learn more about Toastmasters in the Tri-Cities, or to join one of the local clubs, reach out and we'll connect you to the chapter closest to you.
Freedom Speak began in 2024 and has gathered Richland neighbors at the Fingernail each summer since.
The third Freedom Speak coincides with the 250th anniversary of American independence — a fitting moment to broaden the scope of the evening. Nine named speakers, four patriotic songs, the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution joining for the presentation of the colors, and a community partnership wider than any year before.
Two and a half centuries on, the American experiment is still an experiment — still in our keeping, still being shaped by the words we speak to each other and the company we keep on summer evenings beside the river.