America250

Make sure you join in on the celebrations

America’s 250th anniversary is just over two years away. And preparations are already underway on how towns and cities can join in on the party. America250 was organized at the Federal and State level to get municipalities the resources to throw a big bash to ring in 250 years of independence.

From the CT250.org website, the commission says “Events surrounding the commemoration of the 250th will take a variety of forms, from celebratory to analytical to commemorative, and will involve people with a variety of backgrounds and beliefs.” They are asking that events align their values with the proposed themes – Tell Inclusive Stories; Power of Place; Doing History; and For the Common Good.

As people reflect on 250 years of our young country, for the first theme they want people to not only reflect the values that make this country so great, but to be more inclusive of people who have traditionally been excluded from the narrative: women, free and enslaved African Americans, Indigenous people, immigrants, people with disabilities, the poor, and many others.

Connecticut being the Constitution State and one of the founding colonies, we are well positioned for the second and third themes. There are few places in America that have as much rich history, as much power of place as Connecticut.

In order to facilitate these events, there will be Planning and Capacity Grants available through CT Humanities up to $25,000 and $9,999 respectively. According to the CT Humanities site, the former will be awarded to support the research, planning, and development of humanities projects, such as exhibitions, public programs, and interpretive digital media, while the latter will support consultant-led projects to help organizations strengthen their internal operations and ability to bring the humanities to the public.

The first deadline has already passed, but the next application deadline is November 1, 2024.

Celebration is an important part of being American. It is said that the first July 4th fireworks celebration took place in 1777, just one year after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was George Washington himself who said, the establishment of our new Government seemed to be the last great experiment for promoting human happiness. Through celebration we can reflect on what we have accomplished in 250 years and what we can do to continue to elevate those inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.