Foundations of Freedom Under Siege | Jacksonville News

America’s founding ideals are under siege as freedoms once declared are being systematically eroded, a crisis Dr. Johnnetta Cole warns is unlike any other in U.S. history. She traces this tension back to the very birth of the nation — where a draft of the Declaration of Independence condemned slavery, only to be stripped away by Southern colonies reliant on forced labor. Even Thomas Jefferson, who signed the document, owned enslaved people, exposing a long-standing contradiction between America’s stated values and its lived reality. For Black Americans and other marginalized communities, this pattern of hypocrisy is nothing new — yet today’s erosion of democratic principles demands urgent action to protect the hard-won freedoms that must belong to everyone. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/c93a29d45de24fd3