Independence is celebrated as the prize. But what comes after freedom? In this episode of Chapters in Character, we dive into the deeper, harder work of self-governance—what it means to live in alignment with your values, to amend your internal constitution, and to resist the collapse of borrowed convictions. Drawing from Jefferson, Aristotle, Du Bois, Baldwin, and lived experience, this reflection explores how vs self-governance is not just private discipline but a civic necessity. Because freedom without governance collapses. Governance rooted in real character sustains.