We were moved this week by our colleague Kory Bailey’s personal reflection on the meaning of Independence Day. He reminds us that the American story of independence – of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness – was grounded in majestic ideals, but remains today an incomplete, imperfect, and ongoing experiment.
As Kory reflects:
It’s the beginning of the Declaration of Independence that we all know well, but it’s the end that should demand our attention.
And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
To me that reads… As citizens of God and this nation, we choose to live and die for each other, to be mutually responsible for our collective well-being, and respect each other as we respect ourselves and our country. The closing line of the Declaration is much more about our Interdependence than our Independence. It is only by the weaving together of our communities that the fabric of America is made colorful, beautiful and strong.
We owe it to each other to recognize our shared history, the ugly and the beautiful, the practice and the promise, so we can forge a new path together. One where everyone is valued, cared for and can be who they are as they discover and pursue who they will become. That’s the country I want to live in.
Which is why I’m proud of the work we’re doing at UpSurge Baltimore to support a movement to build the world’s first Equitech city. We have work to do to get there, but our goal is clear.