Daymond John

It was a typical morning and I was on my way to deliver one of my keynote speeches. But on that day, my speaking manager Champ called me and informed me that this keynote would be a little different because I was going to deliver my keynote on a yacht that was actually sailing. About 45 minutes into the speech, I suddenly felt the boat slowing down and something came over me. I turned around and there she was, the beautiful majestic statue that we have come to know as Lady Liberty, the strongest woman I'd ever known. There she was, delivering on a promise that she made to me almost 40 years ago.

You see, you have to understand, I grew up in Hollis, Queens, a borough of New York City, and as a kid, I had ambitions to be somebody special, but as the reality of my surroundings settled in, I began to lose hope. People used to tell me and my friends that we would never live to see 21, and if we did, we'd be in jail. I began to think that certain things were just out of reach for me, as unfortunately many kids believe today. Then one day, we took a class trip to see the Statue of Liberty.

When we got to Liberty Island, we learned the history of the statue. We learned that Lady Liberty was a gift from France, given to us on October 28, 1886. The president of the French Anti-Slavery Society gave it to us as we abolished slavery after the Civil War. The broken shackles on her foot symbolizes the beginning and the end of oppression and tyranny. Lady Liberty made a promise to those, and to me, as a child on my school trip. That promise was, if you work hard enough, you can be anybody you want to be in America, regardless of your color, creed, gender, and anything else.

That's when it hit me. The child that visited her almost 40 years ago has now come full circle and stands before her as a notable man. She delivered on her promise to me, as she's done to millions before me. As we began to pull away, I realized that Lady Liberty has always been there for me, and will always be there for anyone in need of inspiration and a reminder of what makes this country so great.

I took a picture of her that day and said goodbye for now, knowing that she would always be there for me and would never leave me. Despite all that she has been through, she's never looked more beautiful than when she is illuminated by the lights on the day that we celebrate our independence. Thank you, Lady Liberty, for all you represent.