Freedom Rang in 1776 when the United States declared its independence (#IndependenceDay)
Freedom Rang in 1863 when Lincoln addressed the public after the battle at Gettysburg speaking out against slavery and promoting unity
Freedom Rang in 1865 when the 13th Amendment was passed, finally abolishing slavery (#Juneteenth #FreedomDay)
Freedom Rang in 1920 when women gained the right to vote with the 19th amendment
Freedom Rang in 1944 when the Allies landed in Normandy on D-Day
Freedom Rang in 1967 when interracial marriage was no longer criminalized
Freedom Rang in 2001 when neighbors rose up to help one another after the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers
Freedom Rang when the first black president, Obama, was elected in 2009
Freedom Rings today in 2020 as our nation reflects on our past. It is not perfect, it is far from it, but it reveals a growing trend toward equality, toward growth, toward maturity. In society’s current “hatred” of the past, let us not forget the progress our nation has made. Let us learn from the errors of those who have come before us without forgetting the good they accomplished.
Let freedom continue to ring out in celebration of a better future; a future that is not built on hate but on growth, understanding, and learning. Let freedom ring in a nation under God.
