A customer leaves a “birthday wish” for america’ 250th Anniversary on the New York Historic (picture courtesy the museum)
I work on the New York Historic, a nationwide historical past museum in New York Metropolis, and am tasked with serving to to construct considerate programming on the way to have a good time the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
There may be a lot to navigate: funding cuts, Meta insurance policies that discourage discourse, and a cultural second that defaults to partisanship and cynicism. But however this terrain, once we truly interact residents, we’ve been discovering nice idealism and optimism.
“I wish citizens could gain the dedication to our country like the Greatest Generation had,” writes Letha from Texas on our digital want wall for the nation’s 250th. “I wish we could regain the unity they had, strongly dedicated to our country, working for a better future with a sense of duty and gratitude for our freedom.”
Our Museum started its work simply after the presidential election and instantly sought funding for the initiative. One nascent concept we had was constructing a digital platform to gather “birthday wishes” from residents throughout the nation for our nation and its democracy. In a single assembly with a potential and well-connected donor, I made my pitch for a web site that might be each celebratory and sober — and rigorously nonpartisan. He rapidly frightened about this strategy, suggesting that even the invocation of “birthday” was too gentle below the present circumstances. “I believe there is a more than 50% chance the President will cancel the midterm elections – and this is no time to celebrate a birthday.” Clearly, the temper is darkish for at the least some.
However his counsel, we moved ahead on a web site entitled OnOur250th.org that invitations customers to depart five- to 50-word submissions. We constructed a coalition of 27 historical past museums throughout the nation to hitch in amassing bodily and digital notes over the subsequent yr. Assembly with museum leaders from pink, purple, and blue states was instructive. They had been recreation to hitch — which was important, as amassing notes from solely New York Metropolis residents has restricted worth — but issued sharp warnings: after they have engaged the general public in recent times, they had been flooded with assaults and anger. These museums helped us develop a listing of “ground rules” that we might use in order that we could possibly be clear about why we weren’t going to submit unproductive submissions, which usually embody profanity, violence, or irrelevant content material.
Guests jotting their needs for the way forward for the nation on July 4, 2025, on the New York Historic (picture courtesy the museum)
I’ve led communications at nonprofits for many years and — with uncommon exceptions — subscribe to the “as long as they’re spelling our name right” college of public relations. However the problems round OnOur250th.org had been completely different, significantly the gravitational pressure to be drawn into political conflicts. One media outlet was enthusiastic about overlaying our work, however provided that we might conform to touch upon the Trump Administration’s assaults on nationwide museum leaders and humanities funding. “Wouldn’t your museum want to speak up for democracy at this moment?” requested the reporter. In fact we’re appalled on the assault on museums and their independence. However we exist for a extra circumscribed objective: to coach Individuals about their historical past, so we can assist create a extra good union.
But in some way and splendidly, as soon as we launched OnOur250th.org the postings have regularly are available from our fellow residents, they usually have been breathtaking and provoking. “My wish is for greater national unity and for us to return to standing as a country united in serving all its citizens,” wrote Phyliss from Illinois. Themes of equality, training, and alternative are ever-present, and really not often do we’ve to suppress a remark for violating our content material tips. We’ve obtained submissions from center schoolers to senior residents, from virtually each state within the union. It’s actually not simple — I had no concept how onerous it might be to influence individuals to take the time to share a submission about democracy, and whereas we’re at 10,000 or so now, we hope for a lot of extra.
Rather more domestically, I discovered inspiration in a group within the Adirondacks.
Yearly, my spouse and I spend the Fourth of July up north with buddies, the place key battles had been fought within the Revolutionary Battle. We keep on a lake with 50 homes or so, the place one household has an annual multi-generational gathering for days, the spotlight of which is a parade organized down a mud highway, the place about 30 adults, kids, and canine march whereas waving small flags.
There’s a connection between this gathering and the founding of our nation. In 1776, in massive and small cities, cities, and villages, copies of the Declaration of Independence had been posted in public squares, which provoked gatherings of requires independence.
I feared that partisanship and animosity would infect the festivities this yr, because the lake residents absolutely have a wide range of views. I used to be unsuitable to fret. The parade had not an iota of politics, and other people proudly waved American flags (and some Pleasure flags) and wore goofy pink, white, and blue apparel. Quickly the parade stopped in entrance of us, and all of us sang alongside to “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
A nonpartisan gathering of group about our nation introduced us pleasure and optimism. Equally, Mike from Pennsylvania wrote on our want wall, “May our country continue as it has been, a beacon of liberty and goodness to the world, as we strive to form a more perfect union.”
By shining a light-weight on these sentiments, absolutely we could be a extra good union.
