Choosing Freedom draws from powerful testimonies, personal belongings, and striking archival materials to tell the stories of individuals who fled authoritarian regimes in search of liberty. Through intimate artifacts and firsthand accounts, the exhibition illuminates the enduring human desire for freedom and the extraordinary courage required to pursue it.
To mark the opening, Hoover hosted a special evening chaired by renowned historian and Hoover Senior Fellow Stephen Kotkin. The program featured María Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s democratic movement and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who delivered featured remarks and joined Kotkin for a conversation on democratic resistance, political courage, and the enduring pursuit of liberty in the face of authoritarian rule.
The evening also featured human rights activist and Hoover Research Fellow Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Hoover Fellow Abbas Milani, and journalist Joo Sung Ha. Drawing on experiences shaped by Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, and other societies where freedom has been denied, participants explored the meaning of liberty, the costs of tyranny, and the extraordinary courage required to choose freedom.
This special evening examined one of the defining questions of the American experiment: Why does freedom remain worth choosing and defending?
