“We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men’s labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name — liberty. And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names — liberty and tyranny.”
— The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII, “Address at Sanitary Fair, Baltimore, MD” (April 18, 1864), pp. 301-302.

Written by Abraham Lincoln in 1864, these thoughts are alive and well in the hearts and minds of the high schoolers who participated in the 2017 Students Opposing Slavery Summit at President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, DC.

Launched in 2013 as a way for young abolitionists to network with their peers, the International Summit takes place in late June. This year 26 students participated from five countries: the United States, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

“The Summit is a formative and inspiring time for these students,” explains Callie Hawkins, director of programming at President Lincoln’s Cottage, where she is in charge of the annual Students Opposing Slavery Summit. “They engage with survivors of modern slavery, modern abolitionists working in the anti-slavery field, and each other, to create campaigns that they will launch in their own schools to raise awareness and get others involved in the contemporary fight against slavery.”

Scroll down to learn more from Hawkins and the students. We know you will be as impressed as we are. — David Bruce Smith, founder, and Hope Katz Gibbs, executive producer, Grateful American™ Foundation