Ramtin Arablouei

And Ramtin.

On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration boldly announced to the world that 13 British colonies were shedding the weight of empire and separating from Great Britain under the banner of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Like all milestone anniversaries, this year is a chance for us to stop and ask ourselves, what is the American story?

What have we achieved in the past 250 years?

Where have we stumbled?

And where are we headed next?

Yeah, there's no sugarcoating this.

As we approach the 250th anniversary, there's going to be a lot of celebrations and also a fair amount of people who just don't think there's much to celebrate.

Think of it as a time capsule, your weekly 15-minute guide to 250 years.

So first up, how do we even think about the 250th anniversary right now?

The founders were all wealthy, white, landowning men.

Some were slave owners, too.

And yes, the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, is the birthday of the U.S.

in one sense.

But remember, just a few years ago, we were having this conversation with Nicole Hannah-Jones about the 1619 Project.

The 1619 Project made the argument that the story of the U.S.

really begins with the docking of the first slave ships in 1619.

We will teach our children the truth about America, that we are the most exceptional nation on the face of the earth and getting better every single day.

We're not going to let it fail.

And for some, 1619 and 1776 miss an even bigger story.