Tuesday is the Fourth of July, the day we celebrate the birth of our great nation. It is a time that we, as Americans, come together with family, friends and neighbors to celebrate and commemorate the principles of democracy and freedom upon which the United States was founded and for which millions of people still fight and die today.

America was founded on the principle that all of us are created equal and that we share the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is a principle that still inspires oppressed people everywhere, and which continues to spread across the globe. Not long ago we witnessed freedom's march in Eastern Europe, and we witness it today in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

This Fourth of July is the first one we will celebrate since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast last August. Katrina destroyed entire cities and communities, and it displaced thousands of families. As we celebrate our freedom, let us keep in mind those Americans whose lives, though free, remain unsettled.

Katrina reminded us that while America is a nation of great blessings, it has not been spared from suffering. Yet it also reminded us that unity in hardship has always been a hallmark of our nation. We at HUD play a part in preserving and building up that unity. And our agency has a unique opportunity to carry out our mission in the Gulf.

So this Tuesday, we at HUD recommit ourselves to the principles of our country and to our mission of tackling homelessness, leading families to homeownership, and partnering with others to build stronger, safer communities. I know that through your hard work and dedication, we will do this for the people of the Gulf Coast and for the nation as a whole.

Have a great Fourth of July.

Secretary Alphonso Jackson