In honor of this day of FREEDOM, we want to share some thoughts about a SYMBOL OF FREEDOM of which America is known for: THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.
Conceived by French scholar and activist Édouard de Laboulaye and wrought by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the Statue of Liberty’s intention was not only to represent the admiration of the people of France for America, but to equally illustrate the changing nature of liberty, including its racial dimensions, in French history.
Some say the current white statue was substituted for the original when American politicians objected to the portrayal of Liberty as a black woman.
Towering majestically over the entrance to New York Harbor since 1886, the great statue has become, more than any other physical site, the symbol of both human freedom and American national identity.
So, was the Statue of Liberty REALLY meant to welcome those who were coming to America on their own free will as immigrants, or was it to celebrate the freedom of those who were brought here in chains?
