Local History Presentation: America: Failure at 250

The 250th Anniversary of our nation’s founding is a failure. Discussions on our history have been, at best, vacuous and are, at worst, propagandistic. Even the most well-intended reflections of Revolutionary War history have been muted and sanitized, an indication that the most emblematic element of this year is the elephant that now lives in every room in America. Is there anything worth commemorating when we cannot honestly look at our past? This video essay investigates the failure, from Ken Burns to Donald Trump, to meaningfully examine our nation’s history during the 250th anniversary.