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Jill Burcum, Tribune News Service
I still remember the excitement rippling through my elementary school classroom when Mrs. Kaiser walked in with a stack of linen cloths and colorful thread. It was late spring 1976. It felt like the entire nation was celebrating the nation’s 200th birthday. Billboards, bumper stickers and T-shirts proclaimed the “Spirit of 76.” Kids rifled through purses and pockets in search of bicentennial coins. The summer ahead promised bigger-than-usual parades and fireworks.
Now, thanks to Mrs. Kaiser, our class would commemorate the moment, too, by embroidering a keepsake sampler. Stamped on the linen cloth was a Liberty Bell design and of course, the words “Spirit of 76,” to fill in with red and blue thread. All of us happily labored over our samplers, eager to finish and show them off. As the nation gears up to mark its 250th anniversary, I’m feeling wistful for that long-ago classroom project. The room full of kids in rural Iowa felt a shared sense of pride in the bicentennial and gratitude we could contribute in our own small way.
Five decades later, the feeling is far harder to come by as the nation gears up to mark the next milestone birthday. Political divisions are so deep that even a concert series intended to celebrate hitting 250 is widening fractures instead of bringing us together. The musical salute I’m referring to is part of what’s been dubbed the Great American State Fair, a multiday event planned for the National Mall beginning June 25. Sadly, it’s become a symbol of how this historic birthday has gone awry.
Soon after the lineup of nine acts, one that included Minnesota music scene standouts Morris Day and the Time, was announced, artists began backing out. So far, most have declined, drawing President Donald Trump’s ire. Behind the departures: revelations about the partisan nature of the Great American State Fair’s sponsor, an organisation called Freedom 250. Freedom 250 is a public-private partnership closely tied to the White House. It is not the congressionally authorised America250 commission with a bipartisan board, one that includes Alaska’s Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski and California Sen. Alex Padilla, a Democrat, established to oversee celebrations spanning the country.
The distinction matters, as the performers’ recent exits make clear. They thought they were signing onto an event meant to transcend a single presidential administration. But their performances became part of something that feels less like a national birthday and more like an election-year opportunity for Trump, one meant to solidify his political base as this fall’s midterms loom. In addition to the state fair, Freedom 250’s lineup of events includes the upcoming mixed martial arts bout on the White House lawn, which will be held on Trump’s 80th birthday. Another upcoming event with little historical connection or justification: an Indy Car race through the capital city.
Freedom 250 also promoted “Rededicate 250‚″ held last month. It touted the event as preparation for the nation’s 250th milestone through “Scripture, testimony, prayer, and rededication of our country as One Nation to God.” The event may not have been labeled as Christian in nature, but the faith leader lineup tells the story. Most of the listed faith leaders appear to come from evangelical Protestant ministries, churches and media organisations. Several had deep roots in the Christian nationalist movement. It’s understandable why many Americans might look at this roster and feel excluded, not included, which undermines the whole point of having national festivities.
The musicians who backed out of the concert series understood this and made a smart call. Those exiting — including Day, country star Martina McBride and the Commodores — made a powerful statement about celebrating a nation’s history instead of one brand of politics.
That leaves us with America’s 250th shaping up to be less a party than a missed opportunity. Despite our divides, I continue to believe that Americans still value unity. The 250th festivities could have been a rare moment to set aside our political arguments and come together to appreciate this moment. Our republic has stood for a remarkable amount of time. We’re still governed by a Constitution written by men who wore breeches and powdered wigs. We too often fall short of their ideals, but we continue to aspire to their vision of freedom and equality.
The little girl who stitched a Liberty Bell sampler 50 years ago would be shocked and disappointed by the rancor over America’s 250th birthday party. But as an adult worried that loyalty to one president has begun to edge out loyalty to our founding principles, I find some comfort in the chaos. There are countries where artists might not have felt free to say no to this concert series. Fortunately, we don’t have command performances here, at least not yet.
In a sense, the musicians’ exit is more of a fitting tribute to America than their performances would have been. They exercised the independence our founders fought for: the freedom to say “no” to those in power, even one holding the highest office in the land.
