Although it may seem cynical on the surface, the undercurrent of the American story remains driven by hope.
In 1975, the Freedom Train passed through Oakland, California (about 15 miles from my home in Hayward) and changed the way I thought about America.
My brothers and I were among the seven million Americans who lined up to see the train that toured the country to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial, containing American treasures spanning two centuries, including George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, Thomas Edison’s first light bulb, and Judy Garland’s dress. The Wizard of Oz.
I remember standing there mesmerized as we rode through the exhibit on a moving walkway, both hands twirling a special edition Bicentennial quarter between my fingers.
The train had 26 cars, but the opportunities and hope it represented felt endless.
Nearly 50 years later, I serve as chairman of the American Quincentennial Commission (also known as America250), a committee established by Congress to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
When I took this job, I asked myself: Is the wonder and excitement I felt about America when I was 11 still there?
With the news filled with dismaying stories of contempt, disbelief, and anger-inducing headlines nearly doubling in the past 20 years, it’s no wonder so many people are saying they’re exhausted.
And yet, as I traveled around the country preparing for the 250th anniversary, I met people who were trying to bridge the gap. I talked to kids who told me America represented “the promise of a brighter tomorrow” and used the word “hope” without a trace of irony.
Despite the prevalence of cynicism on social media platforms and in the airwaves, the real story of our country continues to be written by optimists.
As we celebrate our history, America250 is developing programs to bring our community together around shared values and dreams for the future, and we find much in common.
For example, service is deeply ingrained in our country’s culture. Our history shows communities coming together to support one another after national tragedies, natural disasters, and pandemics. America250’s upcoming public initiative, America Gives, will engage in philanthropy, volunteerism, and public service in the name of those who have risen up.
When it comes to giving back to society, Americans are blessed with boundless ingenuity. Our neighbors and communities give generously of their time and treasures. While famous philanthropists often make the headlines, the vast majority of donations come from ordinary Americans.
While news reports suggest lawmakers are struggling to reach consensus, America250 is a bipartisan group of more than 170 lawmakers — the largest in Congress, representing Democrats and Republicans in roughly equal numbers — who, along with committee leaders from more than 47 states and territories, are putting partisanship aside to work toward bigger change.
But I have found that our newest and youngest citizens have the clearest understanding of our nation’s distinctive qualities.
Last December, I had the honor of joining more than 300 new Americans from over 70 countries at the kickoff of the 250th anniversary commemoration of the Boston Tea Party, all of whom believed in the opportunities this country offered. The naturalization ceremony for the new citizens was part of America250’s “The Story of America,” where people from all walks of life shared their thoughts on our country’s history.
Opportunity, not division, was the spirit of the event.
When America250 called on students to submit essays, artwork and videos about what America means to them, we received thousands of submissions about the triumphs and tragedies of the past and the opportunities for the future.
A seventh-grader from Arizona described America as a “beacon of hope,” while a 12th-grader from New Jersey acknowledged that “despite our flaws and imperfections, America is a land of progress and possibility, a place where innovation thrives and voices are heard.”
The America that I envision and want for the future is an America of optimism that our children and grandchildren can believe in — an optimism that learns from challenges throughout history, rather than ignoring them.
My mother, an immigrant from Guadalajara, Mexico, embodied the optimism that defines America in the eyes of the world: With no formal education, she left an abusive husband to raise nine children, and send them all to college.
I’m not saying our country isn’t polarized — it is — or that we don’t have huge problems that need to be solved — there are problems.
But if you want to hear the story of America this Fourth of July, I encourage you to turn off the TV and stop listening to the screaming. Listen to Americans, especially young people, and you’ll hear a very different story.
To this day, I carry that bicentennial quarter as a memento of my mother and how her journey led me to the opportunities of this country.
My mother passed away last year. She witnessed all of the all-consuming division and hatred of our times, but if you had asked her in her final moments what defines America, she would have said one word: opportunity.
She knew, as I did, that our story would continue to be written by optimists.
Rosie Rios is the Chair of the United States Quincentennial Commission, also known as America 250. She served as the 43rd Secretary of the Treasury of the United States.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, seeking common ground and finding connections.