Ramtin Arablouei

There's even some who are in support of the regime in Iran.

But I do think it represents how many Iranians and I would say probably most Iranian Americans feel about their desperate need to want to see the Islamic Republic fall.

Now, with regards to Reza Pahlavi, which is what this protest is where they're supporting today, they seem to really be rallying behind him, not necessarily because they support the idea of a monarchy or that they even see him as a permanent leader for Iran.

But they want to rally around someone.

And what he's providing is basically some kind of symbol or symbolic leadership for people to jump behind and say, we want this to replace the Islamic Republic.

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.