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 …
Author Archives: Douette O. 'Doc' Cunningham
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 …
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 …
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, …
‘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 …
‘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? …
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 …
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 …
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 …
‘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 …
