John Fryer was born in Kentucky in 1937. Being very bright, he graduated from high school when he was 15 and college when he was 19. He then went to medical school where his interests were in psychiatry. John happened to be gay. After receiving his medical degree...

Lynn Conway excelled in math and science courses and began her studies at MIT in 1955. Assigned male at birth, Lynn suffered from gender dysphoria. Due to a failed gender-affirming treatment while at MIT, she dropped out of college. She worked as an electronic...

What does freedom from fear mean? And why is it important for democracy? In this four-part exploratory conversation series, Four Freedoms: The Spirit of Democracy Today and Tomorrow, we helped each other explore different aspects of freedom. To do this, we looked...

Billye Talmadge was raised in Oklahoma by her mother. She never knew her father. She was the niece of Herman Talmadge, a former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor known for his conservative views.   When Billye was in college she became aware that she was a lesbian....

What does the freedom from want mean? And how does it relate to the spirit of democracy? In this four-part exploratory conversation series, Four Freedoms: The Spirit of Democracy Today and Tomorrow, we are helping each other explore different aspects of freedom. To...

As a young woman in 1888, Alice Lakey seemed destined to become an opera singer until an illness forced her to give up her singing career. She was sick for most of her thirties. Alice’s mother had passed away when Alice was six. Then, just as Alice was regaining...

Jovito "Jovy" Salonga was the youngest of five brothers born into poverty in the Philippine Islands. His father was a Presbyterian minister, and his mother was a street vendor. In spite of living in poverty, Jovy and his brothers were encouraged to get an...

What does the freedom of religion mean? And how does it relate to the spirit of democracy? In this four-part exploratory conversation series, Four Freedoms: The Spirit of Democracy Today and Tomorrow, we are helping each other to explore different aspects of...

Birthright Citizenship Wong Kim Ark was born in San Francisco around 1870. His parents were Chinese immigrants but were not allowed to apply for US citizenship. In 1889, Wong traveled with his parents back to China. While there, he got married and then returned...

A Forty Year Struggle for Vindication Fred Korematsu was born in California in 1919 to parents who came to America from Japan in 1905. His family had a flower nursery. As a young man, he experienced considerable racism. He was drafted to military service in 1940...