Judge Stephen Sfekas: Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms

On January 6, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt gave the annual State of the Union address and outlined four fundamental freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want and freedom from fear. This speech shaped the best parts of the world we have lived in. The Four Freedoms became the basis of the Atlantic Charter and U.S.-British war aims in World War II. They were incorporated into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Charter of the United Nations. They inspired people all over the world seeking to end colonial rule. Judge Sfekas will discuss the origins, history and legacy of the Four Freedoms, and whether they remain relevant today.