Reach Higher for a Better Nation
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Featured
The Fog of War and Political Storms: What’s it Going to Take to See Through the Issues of Our Time?
Preview Summary – It takes going back in years to understand current times when we find ourselves dealing with the fog of war and to see through the issues that come at us like named political storms. Our current times call for a process for how we educate and captivate the minds of young and… Read more
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A Prescription for America’s Upcoming Act: Charting the Steps for Key Moves in Civic Life of Organizations and on the Public Stage
Preview Summary – Recently we learned from a Cato Institute poll that some 46% of respondents didn’t know what America 250 was about. Furthermore, a whopping 61% of Gen Zs were unaware as well. To further connect with these emerging groups, it’s as if we’re at a moment in America’s journey of needing to make… Read more
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Hometown Reset After Independence Day: With the Last Fireworks Show Done, How Do We See Ourselves in America’s Next Chapter?
Preview Summary – Here we are in 2026, America having just celebrated its 250th birthday, and the last fireworks show now done, how do we see ourselves in the next chapter? In 1774, what started out as skirmishes ended up becoming a preview of a ‘new America’. It was defined by local leaders and community… Read more
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America At The 250th Mark: Lessons from the Journey to Level-up The Media Story for More Guts & Glory
Preview Summary – To get a sense for our public discourse and how we got here, let’s pull out our ‘Civic 250’ lens and look back in time. This is where “Hometown 1776 meets America’s 250th in 2026.” Since the founding of America, the media landscape has been a platform for winning people’s minds. Nowadays,… Read more
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‘Civic 250’ in America! (Part 2 of 2): What It’s Going to Take for Us to be Seen as a Shining ‘City on a Hill’ in 2026 and Beyond
Preview Summary – The ‘Redistricting Genie’ is out the bottle, which will further remove the supporting mechanism that helped to ensure that African Americans weren’t disenfranchised at the voting booth. There’s GPS in the tech space, and PGS in the civic space. GPS helps us avoid going in circles during travel. PGS, Public Good Sense… Read more
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‘Civic 250’ in America! (Part 1 of 2): What It’s Going to Take for Us to be Seen as a Shining ‘City on a Hill’ in 2026 and Beyond
Preview Summary – In the 1600s, Massachusetts colonial governor John Winthrop is known to describe America as a shining “city on a hill”. It’s in seeing the twinkling of America at a higher elevation. What’s it going to take for us to be seen as a shining ‘city on a hill’ in 2026 and beyond?… Read more
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American Exceptionalism Gone Wild! Why We Need a New ‘Civic Branding’ Where A Cross Section of People Can Say, “Let’s Go!”
Preview Summary – The annual college basketball tournament, otherwise known as ‘March Madness’ is upon us, but there’s another ‘madness feeling’ that’s emerging with the nation in limbo and world on edge. With ‘America 250’ events across the country, this might be a good time for a social rebrand in America’s public image and policy… Read more
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Building a Better Nation: Here’s to ‘America in the Making’ for a New Generation based on Past Lessons, Present Struggles and Future Dreams
Preview Summary – There’re signs that Gen Zs aren’t down with the ‘bad energy’ that’s feeding into divisiveness, seen by some as a weird form of ‘lost happiness’. ‘America in the making’ for a new generation based on past lessons, present struggles and future dreams, can make progress along what might be considered the ‘Sovereignty… Read more
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Going Next-Level in Roots & Culture: Where Social Impact is Done Right for Empowering Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Preview Summary – When you consider those who helped set the stage in America’s early days, they tend to fit in two groups: founding influencers and founding fathers. What we’ve learned over the past 250 years is that going to the next level in roots & culture means having social impact done right for empowering… Read more
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‘America 2K26’ and The Nation’s Fix! How the Founding Ideals Inform our Goals, While an Eye on Public Service Inspires our Game
Preview Summary – Looking towards the new year offers a reset and fresh mindset. Some folks will be saying, “out with the old, in with the bold”. The People’s Plan is based on the first 20 years of America’s founding. The ‘Turn Up’ Agenda is about being “In the Mix for 2026” across history, civics… Read more
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America Votes and Cries for Change: How are We Gonna Get Past ‘The Politics of Things’ That We’re Told, and Closer to the ‘Civics of Things’ in Truths We Hold?
Preview Summary – The Shutdown reached a winddown! So how are we gonna get past ‘the politics of things’ that we’re told, and move closer to ‘the civics of things’ in truths we hold? A further challenge we have is that civics get put in second-class status and politics viewed as first-class. Guess where that… Read more
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When Two Americas Were Launched: The Pattern of Struggle Throughout History That Some Use Today to Gaslight the Nation
Preview Summary – Imagine during our nation’s founding, if folks didn’t bother to see the Revolution through, or skipped the rest of the Constitutional Convention, come what may. With government shutdown stalemate some feel their policies are like a rising tide to lift all boats. The problem is when they wanna throw others overboard to… Read more
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A Path for Shake-up or Breakout (Part 2 of 2): Joining the Trailblazers from Our Nation’s Past with the Changemakers of our Present Day
Preview Summary – Flashback to the past and we’ve got two music history moments in songs ‘Imagine’ and ‘Born to Run’ that led to a cultural breakout for both artists who dropped an empowering message. A ‘new & improved’ gameplan in civic fanfare will involve managing hometown frustrations as seen in the lead-up to Independence… Read more
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A Path for Shake-up or Breakout (Part 1 of 2): Joining the Trailblazers from Our Nation’s Past with the Changemakers of our Present Day
Preview Summary – Flash flood warnings are meant to get our attention, so we can make a note and take heed. Is America in such a moment in our history that requires a new level of awareness? As our new nation was unfolding in 1775 there wasn’t time for pomp and pageantry as folks were… Read more
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Independence Day, 249th Anniversary and Counting! The Big Reveal on What We’ve Learned About America from the Old Days to Present Times
Preview Summary – America’s national anthem isn’t just a patriotic melody, while Independence Day isn’t just about parades, cookouts and music festivals. When the anthem reaches its crescendo or the nation rises to the occasion, there’s a shift in consciousness that happens in lyrics and legacy. For the 65% of Americans who feel exhausted when… Read more
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Hometown Chronicles Cover Story: How We Got Here in this Moment as a Nation and Forging our Next Chapter in Civic Engagement
Preview Summary – Some wonder if America is going through bouts of hiccups in our public space or are we about to choke on something that’s gonna require the Heimlich maneuver to free the flow of hopes & dreams. There’s something that’s been brewing in the south regarding ‘boots on the ground’. In a pop… Read more
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The Civic Revolution Gonna Be Televised! Or At Least Impact Culture Like Color TVs Did Back in the Day
Preview Summary – There’s been an outpouring of frustration at Townhalls across the country. Folks are upset with how things have unfolded over the past 100 days of public affairs. These days we can’t just get caught up with the emotions of things. We gotta understand the evolution of things. What if U.S.A. now stood… Read more
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Do it ‘Boom’ for the Public Good! The Road to a Better America That’s Of, By and For the People
Preview Summary – Some pundits believe what Senator Booker did recently, beyond making history, might also be a game-changer in our social tempo. Since history speaks for itself, the nation’s founding saw people coming together based on two social streams: civics & politics. Making history isn’t so much about trying to break records but trying… Read more
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Stop the Press and the Madness! Are Folks Ready to Meet the Moment Across ‘Three Lanes of Activism’ in America?
By now we know that twice a year we get to make time change. Each year those moments seem to just pop up on us even though we know they happen like clockwork. In the Spring, we move the time forward by an hour, which means we lose an hour of sleep. In the Fall,… Read more
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The Repeating Cycle of America: It’s Time for Us to Grow-up as a Nation and Stop Being Stuck in The Past of Our Old Ways
Artistic genius at its best! That’s how many have been describing the Superbowl halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar. As one friend wrote on social media, “he used hip-hop bars to deliver symbolism and messaging over entertainment.” There’re a bunch of clips about the subtext and subliminal lessons in the performance. Not everybody saw it that… Read more
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Roll Call 2025 For Here and Now: What Presidential Inauguration, Civics and American Values Should Mean During This Season of Makeover
Not since 2005 had Christmas and the start of Hanukkah fallen on the same day. The significance of that coincidence happening this past holiday was not lost on many faith observers. Normally after Christmas the usual ‘small talk’ children have with others is “what did Santa get you?” While that question has been long answered… Read more
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How Does America Explain Itself? (Part 2 of 2): A Wake-up Moment on the Reality of Our Times
The holiday line-up is in full swing! Things started to roll out before Thanksgiving with promos for Black Friday. It seems we’ve already shattered shopping records with more cash registers left to ring. Online sales continue to skyrocket as folks do more clicks than trips to the mall. Even in sports the line-up is set… Read more
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How Does America Explain Itself? (Part 1 of 2): A Wake-up Moment on the Reality of Our Times
Well America, what just happened? A couple weeks ago the Yankees fell flat in the World Series. Over recent days in college football, we saw Georgia get beat by Ole Miss. Even soccer had its shocking result as Messi’s Inter-Miami squad got knocked out of the MLS playoffs by Atlanta United. Maybe the post-game analysts,… Read more
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The Original Founders Playbook: How Their Novel Gameplan Helped Roll Out the Red Carpet for America
“Blue States are getting bluer and Red States are getting redder!” That was the jarring headline from a recent USA Today analysis of where we are as a nation. Their team of journalists did an extensive look-back on the evolution of politics and voting patterns over the past four decades. What they found sends warning… Read more
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Turning the Corner on Constitution Avenue: How America’s Story Might Get a Course Correction Through Social Capital Reinvention
Folks are excited about ‘opening season’ kickoff time of year! With Fall temps getting a little cooler, here’s hoping that the same can be said about our political discourse. As the campaign season hits the road after Labor Day, with candidate debates and television ads on tap, there’s something eye-opening that’s sure to go down.… Read more
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The Hottest Convention Season of Modern Times: What Democracy, Republic, Union Mean for America’s Great Expectations
It was one of the hottest stories in sports and media circles at the Olympics. The women gymnasts led by Simone Biles took home the team gold. It was a kinda redemption story after winning silver in Tokyo. There’s even been some after-effect with the drama around Jordan Chiles’ bronze medal. But in between that,… Read more
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The Story of New Beginnings: Hey America, Who Are We as a People, and What Are We Made of as a Nation?
Did you catch recent news stories that hit like fireworks? In the sports world, we learned Lebron James opted out of his contract, but then signed a new contract not long after with a no-trade clause. Seems like he’s gonna be a Laker for the rest of his playing days. Add to that, word of… Read more
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The New Social Puzzle in America: How an Updated Version of the Lost Cause Wants to Take Us from Jim Crow to Joe Tribe
The summer season is here with lots of ways to get out and enjoy the outdoors. For many, it’s a time for beach life, family reunions, group conventions and vacation travel. With the happenings on the beach or the block, there’re events that bring us together around good times, good life or social impact. Meantime,… Read more
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The American Project on Impacting Change: A People’s History of Calling-out What is and Calling-in What Can Be
A debate has been brewing in America on two battle fronts. While not everyone has the same level of interest or intensity, the battles have caught the attention of die-hard fans and rabble-rousers. Some have been following the ‘diss track battle’ between Drake and Kendrick. The rap feud has got raw overtones with some fans… Read more
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A ‘Stroke of Genius’ in Civic Life: What America’s Story says About the ‘Movement of a People’ in Advancing our Nation’s Standing
If you’ve been watching the March Madness championships, there’ve been a bunch of exciting games. The finals results are in, not just in overall winners, but also in TV viewership. Outside of politics, it’s clear that sports events get lots of attention in the grand scheme of things as a nation. We all like to… Read more
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Brainstorming for America: Turning Lows to Highs, Step-back to Comeback and Downtime to Primetime in Civic Engagement
It was the scrolling alert on the TV screen and smart phone. Lebron James crossed the 40,000 points scoring mark. It’s a first for a pro basketball athlete. But even before that hit the wire, there was the NFL scouting combine with a new record in the 40-yard dash. While the NFL season is in… Read more
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Breaking Down America’s Score in 2024: An Up-Close Look at What Makes Us Tick, As Others Abuse ‘False Hope’ or Shady Trick
It’s official, the ‘big game’ is coming to New Jersey. FIFA officials announced that the 2026 World Cup Soccer final will be played at MetLife Stadium in Secaucus. With soccer as the most popular global sport, according to the World Atlas, the rounds of matches leading to the finals are sure to draw major media… Read more
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A Promise to ‘We the People’ and Our America: New Year, New Wake-up Call on Working Shoulder-to-Shoulder for Social Impact
Well, the Top 10 list of best concerts in 2023 is out. Did your favorite artist make the cut? The obvious ones on the list come as no surprise, Pitbull, P!nk, Beyoncé Taylor Swift, and so on. But according to USA Today, U2 was the big winner. Their shows are seen less as a concert… Read more
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Get Smart on the Issues Thru Media and Civic Events: A Deeper Dive for America’s Best Days or Worst Nightmare
It’s the holiday season and word on the street is that Santa Claus is coming to town! As the ‘bearded one’ makes his way from yonder, many get into the cheer of the season. Meanwhile, others are excited ‘bout the College Football Playoff line-up, Beyoncé’s Renaissance movie release, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film or the… Read more
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Moving Towards Our Civic Destiny: 4 Ways to Take Action on the Block or Make a Difference in Your Hometown
Is this a good time for some holiday trivia as we move into the festive season? First question, after Halloween comes…Thanksgiving or Christmas? Well, the answer might depend on where you shop. Back in the day there was a sense that Christmas could wait until after Thanksgiving. These days, holiday decorations are on display long… Read more
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This is How You Do ‘Public Good’: To Prevent the Sinking of Democracy, Spreading of Demagoguery and Killing the Soul of the Nation
Well, word on the street and in sports media is that the NFL’s got a problem. The season’s primetime schedule includes many games featuring the NY Jets. But the injury to Aaron Rodgers has put the league in a bind. While that story got big media coverage earlier, it’s now eclipsed in pop culture by… Read more
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The Road Less Traveled in Social Impact: A ‘Retail Civics’ Guide to Tamp-Down the Miseducation in America
It’s back-to-school season! Many already begun taking notes and prepping for their first skills test in the classroom or on the field. Parents, teachers and admins might have fresh ways to make sure students are ready for the school year. There could even be a catchy phrase that’s kinda back-of-mind motivation, like one made popular… Read more
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A History-Making Reason for Being a Better Nation: Why Dr. King Had a Dream Rooted in the American Dream
Checked your calendar lately? As civil rights organizations and professional service groups wrap-up their national conventions, women’s World Cup soccer squads ramp-up their play. Teams from all over the world are competing for the grand championship of women’s sports. The US women who’ve already made history, have set their sights on making even more. But… Read more
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(Part 3) The Hometown Effect of ‘Field Work’ to Impact a New Season of America: Making Waves from Coast to Coast that Move Us to the Next Level
In the blink of an eye, America went from a moment of cheering to one of jeering. First it was with news of a perfect game in major league baseball by Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán. Such a feat happens few and far between. Then came word that the Supreme Court struck down Affirmative Action with… Read more
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(Part 2) The Hometown Effect of ‘Field Work’ to Impact a New Season of America: Making Waves from Coast to Coast that Move Us to the Next Level
Well, the results are in! After final exams the class of ’23 took the stage to receive their diplomas. As they look back over the past few years of Covid disruption, there’s a sense of relief and exhilaration. Each graduate might remember the touch-and-go moments that kept them sleepless at night or restless in the… Read more
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(Part 1) The Hometown Effect of ‘Field Work’ to Impact a New Season of America: Making Waves from Coast to Coast that Move Us to the Next Level
Is it too soon to talk training camp? Might depend on whether you play the game or not a fan of the game. With the WNBA things are jumping-off now, while for the NFL it’s only a few weeks away. Both leagues recently had the Draft where newcomers got picked for their dream spot. The… Read more
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What Kind of America Would You Like to See and Live In? Charting a 3-Year Course to Get Us from Here to There or Somewhere Near
It’s been three years since Covid-19 was first declared a pandemic. When NJ Governor Phil Murphy announced initial steps to manage the expected surge of cases in the State’s health system, many were unsure where we were headed. Recently, we got word the U.S Department of Health’s pandemic declaration is set to expire soon. So… Read more
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Wish Upon a Star in Civics & Community: A Lit Approach towards ‘A New America’ of Social-Edge Issues Over Wedge Issues
Heard about the new craze in the tech world? It’s a feature that allows you to chat with an app using a few keywords, and have it give you an answer. There’s concern among biz leaders and education administrators of the potential impact. Some worry about students turning in classroom assignments they didn’t write or… Read more
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The Hottest Field of Dreams in America: For Having a Good Handle of the Issues Whether Cross Country or Cross Cultural
If you missed the news (or maybe you’re not a fan)… we’re living in two Americas! The most basic example is AFC vs NFC. As people gear-up for the Superbowl, we find folks rooting for one side or the other, Kansas City or Philly. For some, this event is the ultimate ‘field of dreams’ in… Read more
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The New Year Do-Over Checklist: Paging Those In Town & Country Who’re Ready to Do America Some Good
It was the most thrilling World Cup soccer final in history! But don’t take my world for it, just checkout the video highlights. Two countries vying for top-dawg international status in the sport, ended-up with penalty kicks determining the winner. Ok, in terms of excitement, the Peach Bowl game between Georgia and Ohio State is… Read more
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Where Do We Go From Here? Let’s Get Real Clear on Moving Dreams & Culture into Next Gear!
This is a spoiler alert! The latest Black Panther movie is in theaters, as the Wakanda nation went through some changes while making new moves. First, they spent time regrouping after the passing of their beloved leader T’Challa (previously played by Chadwick Boseman). There was internal squabbling within the inner circle (i.e. among their caucus,… Read more
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The Corner Store Debate: A Window into What’s Poppin’ in America and Why Some are So Polarized
Some folks can’t stop talking about Pickleball! It’s said to be the fastest growing sport in America. As a cross between tennis and ping pong, even pro athletes like Tom Brady and LeBron James have invested in upstart teams. But this might not be something you’ll hear discussed at a campaign debate between political candidates… Read more
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Siding With America and the Dream: Let’s Get Past Civic Battle Scars Like the Founding Fathers Did After the Revolution
It sounds like Apple has done it again! There’s a new set of iPhones on the market starting from the basic upgrade to the most sophisticated pro edition. From glancing over the release notes checklist and public comments, there’re some who’re excited about the new features. There’re others (even those from the Samsung world) who… Read more
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Major Turn in How We Roll as ‘We the People’: Gotta ‘Color Your World’ to Rock the Game on Today’s Issues
It’s being billed as the ‘next battle of the ages.’ In one corner is ‘Game of Thrones’ and in the other ‘Lord of the Rings’. The media shops that produce these mega programs now have spin-offs catching fire in the streaming world. This lines-up with recent news revealed by Nielsen’s TV ratings on how overall… Read more
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4 Things to Unite us as a Nation: Taking a page from America’s Journey of ‘Hope & Change’ That’s Hard to Deny
The Beyoncé buzz is spreading! With her latest album release, some say it’s got a throwback vibe. Others are connecting with the hip-hop flava while many love the club energy. And that’s just a drop in the bucket of what’s posted on social about her ‘Renaissance’ project. But there’s something else with queen Bey’s music… Read more
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