Franklin D. Roosevelt made clear that the Four Freedoms were “no vision of a distant millennium.” Their odyssey did not end with FDR, nor with Rockwell. Eleanor Roosevelt, who championed the late president’s legacy, ceaselessly touted the Four Freedoms as an appropriate summation of democracy and human rights. Enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Four Freedoms are a testament that arose from the ashes of war to affirm the precious nature of freedom everywhere in the world; these aspirational ideals have continued to play a prominent role in national and international thought.

Discuss the legacy of the Four Freedoms with illustrators, authors, and scholars who will share perspectives on historical and contemporary notions of freedom, and on the role of imagery to shape public perception, decision-making, and cultural narratives.

Conscience is the individual’s most sacred right. How do multiple belief systems benefit a pluralistic society and why should freedom of religion be a fundamental human right? Join religious leaders in a conversation about Freedom of Worship and its role in sustaining our democracy. Panelists to be announced.

Norman Rockwell Museum Stockbridge, MA October 17, 2020 – May 31, 2021 Read more...