Talcott Financial Group’s Post

🎇 Happy Independence Day! As we gather to celebrate our nation’s founding, let’s reflect on a core question: What makes America truly great? 🤔💡 #July4th #IndependenceDay On this day in 1776, our founders embarked on a bold experiment in democracy by declaring all people are created equal. This principle has guided us as a nation through more than two centuries of change. It’s a reminder that our strength comes from our commitment to freedom—for everyone. 🗽📜 Consider the early patriots, who dared to imagine a free America where every voice could be heard. From the abolitionists to the suffragettes to civil rights heroes, every generation has champions who have pushed us closer to fulfilling that original promise of liberty and justice for all. Isn’t that the heart of patriotism? ❤️ This July 4th, let’s honor our nation not just by looking back, but by looking forward. Let’s commit to ensuring that freedom and justice are not just ideals, but realities for all. As we enjoy today’s celebrations, let’s also ask ourselves: How can we contribute to making America live up to its highest ideals? 🌟🚀 #4thOfJuly #AmericanPride #FreedomAndJustice

Honoring Dr. King is important, but continuing his activism against white supremacy and working to advance anti-racist policies and practices is much more critical (and time-sensitive!). It's not enough to mouth the words of his iconic speeches and pay lip service to the legacy of leaders from the last civil rights era. This country's history of slavery, voter suppression, redlining, and other forms of systemic discrimination continue to get in the way of Black children and their families. WE CAN CHANGE THAT. This report by Iheoma Iruka, Cemere James and others includes a list of 10 policies that the US can/should/must implement a step towards fulfilling America's promise to "honor, uphold, and protect the full human rights of all Black children, families, and communities". #mlk #martinlutherkingjr

In a polarized world, where the public square has become increasingly hostile, how do we continue to make progress on the things we are called to build? Join us as Baroness Philippa Stroud identifies the steps needed to renew culture, starting with healthy institutions. Drawing on her work with the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, Stroud will discuss how policymakers can foster changes in society that ensure that citizens can take hold of the opportunities in front of them and develop the personal resilience to serve over decades. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/dUUBjE6D

To warn against tyranny, Alexis de Tocqueville, in "Democracy in America," emphasized the subtlety of despotism. He described a "soft tyranny," camouflaged within the forms of freedom, where minute and uniform rules gradually numb the populace to government control and blind them to the danger they are in. Tocqueville foresaw the danger of crises being used as pretexts for increased regulations, echoing the contemporary landscape of mandates and interventions. The parallel between his insights and today's reality, marked by intricate regulations on various fronts, is staggering and calls for vigilance. Tocqueville's message underscores the importance of staying alert to prevent the gradual erosion of rights and the emergence of oppressive governance. Remember, before tyranny can cripple a nation, it must first lure the citizenry to sleep. Now, while it is still within our power to win, we must wake up. #stayfree #patriotpreneur #legionofpatriots for #thecause

D&I Tip of the Day: The executives who were afraid to speak up about DEIA are now imperiled. Whether corporate executives, government leaders, or university administrators, we're witnessing the attacks on Diversity evolve where real people are being targeted now. The critics have moved away from calling everything "Woke" to calling for your terminations. Likewise, many of the organizations and DEI leaders who benefited from the surge in activity after George Floyd's murder are now very quiet while misinformation and division abounds in the DEIA industry (for example, those critics who post on social media that DEIA is anti-Semitic when DEIA leaders, some Jewish, have been working with and for the Jewish community for decades to stop hate groups). A few DEI advocates/allies have even quit the industry. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice, and Access is not something that you do because it's politically expedient or popular. Silence is not always the best solution, and should never be confused with being loud or argumentative; certainly, ignoring the lies will not make the lies go away. Additionally, great results won't come about overnight, nor will any excuse make up for the actions that we fail to take today in order to prepare for the future.

In search of ideas for an independence day post, we typed “what is freedom” on Google.  These were the most searched questions and perhaps a reminder of where we as a nation stand today, what freedom has come to mean to each of us, and who, afterall, is really free. On this Independence Day, let's reflect upon these questions. Only then can we uphold the vision of our great freedom fighters – an independent nation with equal rights for all. Happy Independence Day 🇮🇳 #independenceday2023 #independenceday #independencedayindia #independence #independencematters #liden #pausewithliden #lidendiaries #contentmarketing #contentmarketingtips #contentmarketingstrategy #contentmarketingagency 

“This week marks three years since President Biden signed into proclamation Juneteenth Day of Observance and 159 years since Union troops, under the leadership of U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to ensure all enslaved people were free. This was more than two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. These significant moments in our recent and not-so-distant past demonstrate our country’s potential for healing but also highlight that justice and equality for all is a hard-won fight that is not linear. Just a little over a year after the murder of George Floyd and months of global racial justice protests, the President called 'upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity.' Fast forward to today, where if I look across the Purpose Built footprint (we are in 14 states), every state but two have introduced anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) legislation in the last couple of years that will make it incredibly difficult if not impossible to acknowledge and discuss the origins of Juneteenth." Read more on our website from Purpose Built CEO Carol Naughton on Juneteenth as we collectively honor our progress and the distance we have yet to travel. https://lnkd.in/e8STFrzx #purposebuilt #communitydevelopment #localimpact #localleaders #dayoffreedom #Juneteenth #Juneteenth2024

I hope everyone has a mindful and happy Juneteenth! Dr. Opal Lee's story is a beautiful reminder of how our voices are our super power. Today we celebrate freedom and, most importantly, the reminder that none of us are free unless all of us are free. Celebrate and recharge for the work that must be done to further equity and justice. https://lnkd.in/eeR9PZiq

This 4th of July, we proudly reflect on the freedoms and opportunities that define our great nation. As we honor these liberties, we also reflect on the opportunity for growth and improvement. Join us in this week's #DrivingDiversity with Elaine Spector to explore this important topic further. #WomenInLaw #WomenInIP #DiversityInLaw

🎉 Topping Off an Amazing Week of Celebration 🎉 Happy Friday, Everyone! 👀 The first few months of 1st Book release can feel like watching a field of just-planted dirt. 👀 But if ever 1st sprouts held promise for my treatment plan for #democracy (#12swa) this one is letting me know I'm not crazy to imagine an incredible harvest. ❓ What exactly is planted ❓ 🎯 Imagine what AA did for the treatment of alcoholism in the 20th century and 🎯 Apply that to what this 12 Step Tx plan for democracy can do in the 21st century for a USA where race no longer predicts outcomes 🌟 NOTE: Something so incredibly poetic 🌟 This treatment plan for democracy  ➡ for “A” USA was showcased in Times Square (midtown) on the same day that jurors (downtown) found a former president  ➡ of “THE” USA guilty on 34 counts of criminal conduct. 📣 Democracy has not so much failed as we have yet to try it. 📣 “THE” USA has never been free from advantage rigged for elites, the very purpose of creating a category called ‘White” in colonial law. This system of rigged advantage persists into the present, relying on legacies of plantation slavery. "A" USA where race no longer predicts outcomes is possible if we do the work. What is the work? Twelve Steps For White America presents a pathway for individual repentance, atonement and redemption that, en masse, can lead to national truth, reconciliation and renewal. #highereducation #publishing #diversity #inclusion Weaving Influence Becky Robinson Wendy Haan Stephen George Cecily Kellogg Nicole Anderson (she/her/hers) Desireé Duffy 🦋 Natasha (Tash) Durkins Danne Smith Mathis, FRSA, MPW, CF APMP SIDNEY MCNAIRY III Karen Fleshman, Esq. Kevin Robinson