Donal Gooch, featured in "In old tobacco country, Americans turn over a new leaf," passes down his family's cowboy culture to kids in Wendell, NC. Image: Dare Coulter.
As a way to tell our nation’s complicated story on its 250th anniversary and to support the role that journalism plays in a healthy constitutional democracy, the Academy commissioned local journalism projects from writers across the country.
The online publication, An America 250th Journal, features stories that explore how communities grapple with the ideals inherent in the Declaration. The article topics include citizens of Marblehead, MA, falling out and then moving forward after an explosive town meeting over housing policy; Alaskans fighting to assert their voices as governments and corporate interests map the state's energy future; and Japanese Americans and Native Americans meeting in eastern Colorado to reconcile the past. Links are also included to work from Academy members Danielle Allen, Judy Woodruff and Yuval Levin, who explore more expansive facets of the founding narrative.
Read the America 250th Journal.
The creation of An American 250th Journal is part of the Academy's Our Common Purpose project to explore how best to strengthen political and civic life and enable more Americans to participate as effective citizens in a diverse 21st-century democracy. This journal is connected to the initiative about recognizing America’s history and honoring its milestones in meaningful and inclusive ways.