Turning the Corner on Constitution Avenue: How America’s Story Might Get a Course Correction Through Social Capital Reinvention

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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.

This time of year might be seen in two ways: a ‘roots & culture’ takeoff and a ‘back to school’ jump-off. There’s a new season of returning programs and new specials to hit the small screen. We also have the hustle & bustle of daily life returning to regular programming. But there’s also the fact that cooler temps mean deeper ‘roots development’ with grass and trees. That’s what landscaping experts say. But what if this were also a great metaphor for the deeper ‘roots & culture’ development we might do as a nation?

SAIC spent the past few months during the lead-up to the Conventions season, making observations around two groups: those excited about the ‘politics of things’ and others excited about ‘the civics of things’. One of the ‘aha moments’ is that it’s much easier to monetize around politics than to mobilize around civics (let that sink in a bit). Said another way, it’s much easier to monetize candy than it is to monetize broccoli, but that doesn’t mean broccoli is less important.

With the Conventions over, some wonder what next? One of the takeaways from the 2024 presidential campaign trail is the idea that the next chapter of America’s story will be tied to matters of heart & home. In one sense, there’s a direct tie-in to family. But in a larger sense it’s about how we the human family operate with the same zeal for public good as folks do for elective office. Moreover, as everyday citizens, it’s about how we might “do something for country, keep moving for victory.” History reveals that victory is in how we “guard democracy, affirm the republic and save the Union.”

The next few months will likely be fast & furious in the political world. In addition, depending on our civic engagement, the next few years might be a chance for turning the corner on Constitution Ave through social capital reinvention, leading-up to the 250^th anniversary of America’s independence in 2026. We’ve got a shot at making a course correction, like planes do while flying on auto pilot. Sometimes it drifts a bit off the desired path but gets back on track due to the ‘smarts’ tied to airplane technology. Similarly, the ‘smarts’ in SAIC’s ‘social technology’, made possible by a deep dive in American history, the ‘black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks, offers a similar course correction to Union Station for:

1. People (hopes & hurts)

America’s Declaration of Independence is a forward-looking statement based on self-evident truths around life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That’s the ‘hopes’ part of America. But it also shares a list of grievances (hurts) that led to the spin-off from the British empire. What the Constitution then tries to do is forge our collective interests as ‘we the people’ to form a more perfect Union. It seems for our social capital reinvention, we gotta look at what matters most for the hopes of the nation and the hurts of the next generation to reach new heights and move past senseless tragedies.

2. Family (hearts & homes)

When the nation was founded, there weren’t any political parties. It was just a group of regular citizens committed to governing their affairs. All they had was their ability to appeal to hearts & homes. That’s why a group of ‘friends of SAIC’ got together under the umbrella of ‘Hearts & Homes for America’. We’ve gotta do more around civics education to help break the hate in hearts. We’ve gotta do more around civic engagement to build more hope in homes. We’ve gotta do better around family to deal with possible pockets of pain and shortfall of purpose. We’ve gotta do more as a human family for the public good.

3. Community (towns & teams)

The upcoming season-opener for ‘Dancing with the Stars’ was announced. Some of the celebs who’ll be strutting their stuff include familiar names and those who recently made a name for themselves. There’re athletes from the recent Olympics to name a few. In Hollywood we get to see ‘showbiz as the star’ with all the celebs that go with it. At the recent Conventions we got to see ‘politics as the star’ with all the public officials that go with it. What would happen if we’d make ‘civics as the stars’ with all the regular citizens to go with it? Well reality check… there’re more regular citizens than celebs and public officials combined.

4. Country (democracy & diplomacy)

America as a constitutional republic, tries to balance the people aspect of democracy and the power aspect of diplomacy. We’re a democracy that’s for the people, of the people and by the people. We’re a republic through voting for those who’ll represent our wishes in Congress, made up of a House and Senate. We model diplomacy by how we allow freedoms to prevail inside our country and beyond our shores. It’s that delicate balance of democracy and diplomacy that signals who we are as a country amongst ourselves and who we are as a nation beyond ourselves.

So SAIC delivers content and programming to engage and empower. It’s got new ‘social technology’ to deal with hate, hurt and depleted hope, by how we ‘see America in color’, not just in black & white. There’s a Bob Marley song with the words, “Lively up yourself and don’t be no drag; lively up yourself, ‘cause reggae is another bag”. Well, as we look to “Turn. Up. Big.” in roots & culture, let’s shake-off the things that are a drag in family, community and country. And, whether you live on MLK Blvd or work on Constitution Ave, we’re ready to level-up civics and social capital like a new ‘bag’ (as young folks say).

Chime-in on impacting Democracy & Public Good, Education & Community or Entrepreneurship & American Dream, ‘Civic Mondays’ events or Civics & Community forums. Plus,you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life. Checkout the Signup Center below.

Tracks: H.E.R. – Journey – https://youtu.be/bTWftRNdU3w?si=NCc2SnNRSZKg61Ro