Independence Day: Reflections on Freedom at 250

As many of you prepare to spend this holiday with family and friends enjoying cookouts and fireworks, I find myself reflecting on the profound significance of this Independence Day. This year, as our nation marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, we celebrate not simply an event in history, but an enduring truth: freedom—true freedom—is never free.

History reminds us that America’s journey toward becoming a more perfect union has been neither complete nor uncomplicated. Every generation inherits the responsibility to protect and expand the blessings of liberty, ensuring that freedom is not reserved for the privileged few, but experienced fully by all.

In years past, I have shared Frederick Douglass's timeless oration, “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?,” challenging us to reflect on the gap between our founding ideals and our lived realities. I share it once again because its message continues to speak powerfully to both our progress and our unfinished work.

As we commemorate this historic anniversary of American Independence, may we recommit ourselves to building a nation worthy of its ideals. I remain hopeful that together we will continue bending the arc of history toward justice and, ultimately, toward a more perfect union.

Have a safe and meaningful Independence Day.

Respectfully,
President David K. Wilson