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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

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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 a shift from sit-ins to teach-ins that engage history, civics and culture.
In America’s next chapter the main message will still be about a more perfect Union and living our best life. How we level-up America will involve civic life of organizations and on the public stage.

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It’s the time of year where some folks have begun returning to their regular scheduled programming while others are still on commercial break. Take for example K-12 and college students in the south heading back to campus for a new season of learning. Meanwhile, folks in Congress are on a monthlong recess from the drill of politics. It’s often a chance to get a pulse from residents in their local districts. This year presents some new opportunities as the ‘America 250’ initiative will probably run through the rest of 2026.

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. How is it that all that money was spent to promote the initiative, but so many folks were checked out from the message? This is especially concerning when we consider that millennials and Gen Zs combined, now outnumber Baby Boomers in the electorate. If the young folks are the voters, leaders and decision-makers on deck, and outnumber the previous generation, it seems we’ll need to engage them in new ways across history, civics and culture.

In a sense, these mid-summer weeks might be seen as a mission intermission. It’s like what happens in theater. After a few acts in the production, the stage performance leads to intermission where folks get to grab a snack or take a restroom break. While that’s happening among the audience, there’s something else happening behind the scenes. The stagehands will move things around to present a new look on set for the next act in the production. Maybe that’s where we are in the ‘America 250’ programming. Some things need to happen behind the scenes to get ready for the remaining production.

Now, some stage productions might have a call to action that signals to the audience how they can apply the message for greater good. Similarly, where we are in America 250 could invite a call to action for more public good sense. What if we see that like a doctor who handles a patient visit, by how we write a prescription for America’s next chapter? To do that we’d need a ‘revisit’ of America based on:

Human Activism (rights): Life’s basic requirement involves food, clothing and shelter needed to survive. But to thrive, the most basic requirement is having inalienable rights on our side.
Justice Activism (fairness): One of the three branches of government is the judiciary. It is responsible for rendering an equal footing and ensuring a fair reading of justice under the law.
Social Activism (impact): America has come this far based on challenging broken aspects in the system. We eat, live, work, play and pray more freely based on change through social impact.
Knowledge Activism (worth/meaning): Activism works to bring more rights, fairness, impact, and worth/meaning to our days under the sun (whether we’re on vacation or using our voices).

SAIC’s deep dive in American history, the ‘black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks provides a roadmap for doing that recap of roots & culture. Furthermore, the book Public Good Sense: Rebirth in Voice of a People and Soul of a Nation offers a call to action for key moves in civic life of organizations and on the public stage. To further connect with residents, it’s as if we’re at a moment in America’s journey of needing to make a shift from sit-ins to teach-ins that engage with the:

1. People

Tyler Perry is known for producing family-friendly stage plays on various cultural topics. It’s a niche he’s developed, going from the stage to the big screen. His productions have attracted a following as they deliver good fun and a strong message. While the support for these productions is rooted in the black community, Perry understands that even though we’re different people, we have the same needs. From the basic needs of survival to the aspirational needs for arrival in our personal journeys. So, in terms of America’s next act, it might help to bring a message of a nation going from survival to arrival.

2. Policy

When we visit a restaurant for dine-in service, we’re each given the same menu. It might list the choices based on appetizer, entrée and dessert, with a few sides. Each type of restaurant has its core dishes, so the cuisine you choose will depend on what you have a taste for. What if we understood policy discussions in a similar way? Depending on whether it’s at the federal, state or local level, the menu might be different. But policy makers are charged as best as possible, with presenting services which reflect that while we have different desires as citizens, we’re working with the same menu of options.

3. Passport

A recent convo made an interesting point about travel. It came with the reminder that even though we might travel to different parts of America, we’re under the same sun. That sounds elementary but the deeper appreciation is heavenly. Similarly, when we travel overseas, it might be a different country but the same sun. What helps to broaden our experience is in how we engage with the culture. The deeper appreciation is that while different, culture has similar meaning no matter the country. So, whether (or not) we’re using an actual passport, we don’t have to be fearful of well-meaning people under the same sun.

4. Politics

How a nation comes together is in getting to our respective destinations by how we make our journeys one. Think of the hundreds of cars moving on the highway at the same time. Some get on before you and others will enter after you. Some will exit the road before you, and others after you. The same highway allows travel in the slow lane, middle lane at regular speed, or the leftmost passing lane. What if our politics could just get its act together? We’d see ourselves as residents beyond the idea of ‘left or right’, that we’re on the same highway America, aware of those in the slower lane, middle lane or fast last.

After 250 years of independence, America is ready to make moves for its upcoming act in the next chapter. As we get through mission intermission, we can shift things around and present a new set to the audience. The main message will be the same about a more perfect Union and living our best life. But it will come with a call to action for engaging young folks in the feeling of going from survival to arrival. How we level-up America will involve civic life of organizations and on the public stage. So, in this next chapter, what’s it going to take to know your worth and have things make more public good sense?

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: Khalid – Know Your Worth – https://youtu.be/aEDULPGIwcg?si=LoIhWIuRRMFc1VcT

Jon Batiste – Big Money – https://youtu.be/mLE6W7lc2HU?si=6WTR8oGyuAnR2hWi

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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?

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Here we are in 2026, America having just celebrated its 250^th 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 players for a ‘nation view, hometown-strong purview.’
What we learned from the nation’s founding, the civil rights movement as well as cultural shifts was that frustration is best channeled into a ‘call of the culture or call of the people.’

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In 2023, the culture was on a high as hip-hop celebrated its 50^th anniversary. Artists and fans got the chance to reminisce on the ‘good old days’ and how the genre got its start in the Bronx with a Jamaican DJ mixing tracks around rapping. Some might have wondered what was in store for the next chapter in roots & culture. Well, here we are in 2026 and that question seems to have new meaning in a different context. With America having just celebrated its 250^th birthday, and the last fireworks show now done, how do we see ourselves in America’s next chapter?

Well, something seems to be brewing again, starting in the Bronx after a recent 3-night blowout concert headed by Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium, along with some of his friends in the biz. In one sense it was a masterclass in culture and branding, and in another a chance to reminisce about his music library and life’s journey. Plus, it seems he was also paving the way and building a runway for his daughter ‘Blue Ivy Carter’ and her future in the culture. But, knowing how he describes himself as ‘HOV’, what if he sees this moment as a chance to level up hip-hop? With some of the recent hot topics around music & messaging, it might also be a way to seize the moment and set-off the culture. So, what can we learn from America in 1776 and hip-hop in 2026 to impact life in the ‘A’ as America?

What started out as a few skirmishes in Massachusetts ended up becoming a preview of a ‘new America’. It was defined by local leaders and community players based on having a ‘nation view, hometown-strong purview.’ After a series of directives to the colonies from the British Parliament, residents felt it was time for a change. Their civic actions helped set the stage for the Declaration of Independence. Back then, it was a chance for them to seize the moment as well. These days, what will it take to make our journeys one, like local leaders did in 1776 and Jay-Z seems to be doing with hip-hop in 2026?

If we think of the magical exchange and exhilarating feeling between an artist and fans at a concert as the ‘call of the culture’, then maybe what residents are saying today can be seen as the ‘call of the people’. For that, let’s start by looking at some recent polling by national news/civic organizations and local interests which revealed what’s on people’s minds in 2026:

NBC News: Their check-in with Americans showed family & freedom were top-of-mind. With all the political drama and fanfare, people cherish their loved ones and the freedoms held dear.
AP News: There’s a sense that democracy & identity need their own neighborhood watch. It seems we wrestle with identity based on party affiliation, principle or a sense of purpose.
Cato Institute: Some worry that America is straying or fraying from its ideals & patriotism makeup. There’s a kinda battle between sides about whose patriotism is more real than the other.
Local News: What are hometown folks saying is a concern? Well, a pressing matter is getting the next generation to pick up a book (put down their phone) in our social media world.

With plans underway for the ‘Civic 250’ initiative, we might approach that like those local leaders in Massachusetts did to serve as a hometown reset for new beginnings. A simple way to think of that process is by looking at a construction project. Different stakeholders work together to go from plan to implementation. Let’s apply that model to America’s next chapter as a civic construction project. This will help pave the way and build the runway for the next generation, by rallying around the call of the people for America’s next chapter in:

1. Foresight

There’s often a seesaw effect in culture between nostalgia and newbie, between old-school and new-school. That plays out in generational shifts as music evolves or new genres emerge. This also happens in the public square where some prefer to go back to a time and place that mirrors their political comforts. There’s another battle that tends to brew as well between the culture and ‘the cultured’. What if this seesaw effect is best handled with foresight that sets the trends, charts a path, and levels up the game? Foresight with America’s next chapter is about what’s next on the horizon, after the sunset of the last 250.

2. Foundation

What happened in Massachusetts was a response to rumblings with a call to action. This led to a broader effort in civic construction and the nation’s founding documents. It’s like the feeling we experience during the preached Word, as the message co-habits the rumbling in people’s spirits and leads to a call to action in one’s spiritual journey. Or in a construction project where the rumbling happens with the bulldozer and frontend loader for digging the foundation. It seems based on recent polling, some wonder if the nation’s foundation has become compromised, like NY officials assessing that building with its buckling beams.

3. Federalism

Another seesaw effect that the Founding Fathers had to contend with was local control vs national consensus. That’s where Federalism came into play in going from Articles of Confederation in the first Continental Congress, to creating the Constitution in the next Congress with a balance of power. One area they dropped the ball on was equal rights for themselves versus everybody else. Federalism can be your friend if you’re from the right side of the track but a problem when you’re on the wrong side of history. We’ve seen this from 1776 to present, including some of the eye-raising Supreme Court rulings.

4. Facetime

One of our modern-day innovations is the ability to connect through an app that gives us ‘facetime’. On some phones there’s the so-named app which allows for audio and video, while there’s another app that allows for text, audio and video. These days America’s social landscape is all about getting facetime for the farce, foolish and funny. But back in the day (for those feeling a little nostalgia), facetime went beyond those areas to getting a ‘social fix’. So, for those feeling like we’re in a newbie stage, what if as part of a hometown reset, we focus on giving facetime to how we see ourselves in America’s next chapter?

What we learned from the nation’s founding, the civil rights movement as well as cultural shifts was that frustration is best channeled into a ‘call of the people.’ In addition, the change that came out of those efforts was based on a decision to ‘level-up America.’ Whether as working professionals, public servants, biz stakeholders or community players, the next 250 will see change we either let happen due to an in-born flaw that grows and hardens, or we make happen based on focused effort in public good sense. With a ‘Civic 250’ mindset, we get to take the mystery out of history and add a catalyst from our culture.

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: Alicia Keys – New York State of Mind – https://youtu.be/aGcM8z50Stw?si=_eCb3z6XCZxkX2Zr

Black Men United – U Will Know – https://youtu.be/xqzGQmfHUvw?si=KSJgs4O5HsZHn3w4

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America At The 250th Mark: Lessons from the Journey to Level-up The Media Story for More Guts & Glory

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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 250^th in 2026.”
Since the founding of America, the media landscape has been a platform for winning people’s minds. Nowadays, it’s about adding people’s ears, eyeballs and clicks to the mix.
During the Declaration of Independence, many founders understood that task is what you do in the position. Assignment is what you do for the public good, with purpose in the people.

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As the build-up to America’s 250^th unfolds, the first round of fireworks bursting in air is coming soon. With program plans and event announcements going out across town and country, some folks might already be picking out their lawn chair spot. We’ve seen this movie play out before at the 200^th mark, when the country was steeped in political upheaval after the Watergate debacle. The bicentennial at that time might have served as a respite from the din of the day and the dark of the night. Here we are again in a similar place but a more media-driven space.

To get a sense of what we see happening with our public discourse and how we got here, let’s pull out our ‘Civic 250’ lens and look back in time. Imagine this as a chance where “Hometown 1776 meets America’s 250^th in 2026.” In the early days, there were different fireworks and bombs bursting in air around the issues. It was a battle between the Monarchy and those asserting colonial rights. The King had issued a series of Acts that put pressure on the colonies to fall in line with taxes that became oppressive. Then backlash in the colonies created the rallying cry of ‘no taxation without representation’ and a concern about losing their freedoms. This led to a public information choice between traditional media of the British or independent media of the Americans.

Then in 1798, President John Adams signed into law the Alien & Sedition Acts. It was the Sedition Act part of the law that created a tension between those who were sympathetic to democracy and those who leaned on ideology. Fast forward to the civil rights movement and the three laws that were part of the crowning achievement. During the lead-up and subsequent years, the media landscape began shifting to liberal or conservative, left or right. That model has become a more dominant theme in how media might align with the electorate, and vice versa. Plus, over recent times, some media consumers have become unplugged based on an attraction to content that’s about culture wars (the fight), conflicts in their belief (the faith) and confusion around the issues (the fooled).

Not enough time here to drill down on those elements but consider that since the founding of America, the media landscape has been a platform for winning people’s minds. As things expanded from print to radio and TV, the modern media became about adding people’s ears, eyeballs and clicks to the mix. These days, it seems the debate is with using platforms and tools towards liberty for all or loyalty to one. This might even make more sense when you consider recent clashes at ’60 Minutes’ or even Meet the Press. So, the media landscape of the 21^st century seems headed in the direction defined by two paradoxical models: traditional or independent; left or right. Maybe the ‘fireworks’ at 60 Minutes, which is known for balancing traditional and independent, along with what’s happening in other parts of media are about which model will outlast, outwit, out-earn the other based on the current public information landscape of:

Broadcast Networks: These are the OGs of modern media with programming around sitcoms, local news and light-fair entertainment.
Cable Networks: This option in paid TV helped to increase the distribution of 24/7 news, mindless TV and other programming choices, for as many market segments as possible.
Streaming/Social Platforms: The new kids on the block in programming for media consumers. Some of the old, some of the new and some of the underground or underappreciated.
Independent Platforms: This media segment has been getting renewed attention in the current social climate. As seen in the old days, many are wondering if our freedoms are at stake.

So, here we are about to celebrate with parades by day and fireworks by night. It’s not clear if we’re poised to move towards a more perfect Union, since issues are getting in the way of what this moment really means. What are some lessons from the journey that might help us self-correct our track and level-up the media story? Well, this might include how we embrace:

1. America the Beautiful

When the early settlers arrived, they found areas already inhabited by native Americans. They liked what they saw not just in habitation but also in vast plantation. They saw America the beautiful in the wide land stretching south and west. These days we see ‘America the beautiful’ in the vast city skyline, wide ocean shores and unmistakable sights. But with beauty, there’s sometimes been the ugliness in how folks have approached development as a nation. It’s seen in the ‘isms and schisms’ that play out as culture war symptoms. We made it through settlement, slavery, segregation and beyond by striving for a beautiful situation.

2. America the Brave

The revolution first showed us America the brave. While the British had a military, the colonies were reliant on empowering everyday citizen-fighters, aka the militia. Many souls have been lost in wars fought for freedom. The problem is some see freedom solely as a response to perceived tyranny while others see it as a doorway to equality. One is approached as self-indulgent freedom, the other as self-actualizing freedom. We’ve seen America the brave in the fight for freedom from tyranny on the battlefield as well as the fight for freedom in communities by those who insist, resist and persist.

3. America the Brand

Biz experts say that in the 21^st century marketplace, it’s important to know what you sell and what’s your brand. Apply that to the nation’s journey and it might be said what we sell is the American dream, for those living here and others looking to come. It’s the idea of each generation finding itself better off than the previous one. That’s been a big concern among Gen Zs who question things. Then there’s America the brand, which has been described as American Exceptionalism. Well, put what we sell and what’s the brand in a new description of ‘American Essentialism’ for living in alignment and shared advancement.

4. America the Best

This might be viewed in a competitive sense, with analytics to show. There’re those leading indicators of what sets up apart as a people, nation and global force. But these areas can experience roadblocks based on government policy or social currency. A broader view might be less about competition and more about consciousness. Think of how we’ve become awareness-driven on health matters, with monitoring devices in a watch, ring or wristband, and all the analytics from sleep to sweep. Our nation at the 250^th mark should welcome an awareness-driven approach to be at America the best from sea to shining sea.

During the Declaration of Independence, many founders understood the assignment. America has gone through back-and-forth in politics, left-and-right in ideology, at times leading to extreme pendulum swings in policy. Plus, when conspiracy rules the day, it’s hard to know what’s real and what’s ‘made-up real’. Many founding fathers knew the difference between task and assignment. Task is what you do in the position. Assignment is what you do for the public good, with purpose in the people. Whether as an individual or nation going forward, let’s shine as America the beautiful, brave, brand and best.

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: Lorren – Shine – https://youtu.be/JzpmObyOWaQ?si=P2Sf3mV3pCUQr1x-

Tems – Free Mind – https://youtu.be/e8GzTXRAJ30?si=RxjldJ1rv3qfd_Bo

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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

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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 helps us navigate towards a more perfect Union.
‘Civic 250’ need not be just about the case where “Hometown 1776 Meets America’s 250^th in 2026.” It should also be an effort towards a new vision for America’s next chapter.

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It was the breaking national news story coming from a Supreme Court ruling. Basically, the message was that the ‘Redistricting Genie’ is out the bottle. The decision, which continued to dismantle the Voting Rights Act, was another dagger to the idea of ‘one man, one vote’. It basically further removed the supporting mechanism that helped to ensure that African Americans weren’t disenfranchised at the voting booth. Before the ink could dry or the dust settle, states began moving on redistricting efforts that would minimize the value of the black vote.

For those who haven’t been keeping track or wondering what’s the big deal, let’s do a deep dive. Without getting too much in the weeds, consider the at-home gardener planting a young plant, or the farmer stabilizing a tree that was uprooted by a storm. They’ll try to secure the young plant or the damaged tree with a plant stake. This way it will have support in growing through its young life or coming back from battling strong winds. In a sense that was the purpose of the Voting Rights Act. America as a young nation didn’t allow blacks equal access to voting. There were many hinderance put in the way. Even after the 15^th Amendment, they still battled against disenfranchisement storms like poll taxes and literary tests. So, the Voting Right Act was meant as a kind of ‘plant stake’ to support and value black participation in the electoral process.

Now, usually after a while the gardener or farmer will remove the plant stake as the young tree has grown up or the damaged tree has regained its footing. However, the difference we have here in America is that when we think America has grown up, it goes right back to the old tactics but dressed in a different outfit. History has shown that when that happens, suffrage movements are born to help rally America to live up to its ideals. Over the past 250 years since the Declaration of Independence, that has repeated itself as ‘we the people’ decided on next-level steps in civic engagement, social impact and public good:

Human Rights: The ‘Declaration of the Rights of Men’ came out of the French Revolution in 1789 and served as a framework for treating people with dignity and respect.
Women’s Rights: The ‘Declaration of Sentiments’ from the women’s suffrage movement in the 1860s, made the case for being treated as more than just housewives or handmaid’s tales.
Civil Rights: Preceding the founding of the NAACP by W.E.B. Dubois, Ida B. Wells and others in the early 1900s, was the Niagara Movement’s ‘Declaration of Principles’ calling for racial equality.
Political Standards: The ‘Declaration of Conscience’ written by Margaret Chase Smith and other U.S. Senators in the 1950s, rebuked far-right ideology of fear, bigotry, racism and nativism.

How might we work to avoid this repeating cycle of going in circles? In the tech space there’s GPS, and in the civic space there’s PGS. We know GPS means Global Positioning System and is the capability to travel east, west, north and south and not lose your bearing on the way to your destination. Well, PGS means Public Good Sense and is the civic equivalent to GPS. PGS works like a tool, process or capability to help us navigate our way for America’s next chapter, towards a more perfect Union. In other words, PGS is our ‘we the people’ navigation system equivalent to GPS, helping us get to our desired destination.

Maybe the redistricting climate these days proves that America still has trouble being believed about living up to its ideals. It’s a reminder of the difficulty in having legislation that can be a total stopgap for the schemes in the heart of man. It also shows though that without legislation serving as a ‘tree stake’ in supporting the rights of others, the next political storm or campaign slogan will simply run roughshod by overriding or uprooting previous legislation. That’s how we might understand America in a nutshell over the past 250+ years, as many look to celebrate its birthday with pomp and pageantry. But now that the Redistricting Genie is out the bottle, some real work is needed around America’s:

1. Promise

The idea of equal rights, is in its simplest terms seen in those words from the Declaration of Independence which says, “all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” Over the years, that promise has battled between Supreme Court rulings and congressional billings. In one breath there’re actions to have equal seen as wishful thinking and in another breath where equal is made to feel like there’s hope for getting there. That back-and-forth was once described as blacks being put in a situation or condition of ‘wrongs with no remedy’.

2. Policy

The Reconstruction period saw new hopes arise. Not long after, those hopes were dashed by policy reversals and back door deals of disenfranchisement. Then came the Supreme Court ruling in Plessy vs Ferguson that formalized what became known as “separate but equal”. That ruling opened the door to policies which gave a turbo-boost to Jim Crow and segregation. It wasn’t until the Supreme Court’s Brown vs Board of Education ruling in 1954 where segregation was outlawed. Here we are in 2026 dealing with a similar cycle, in the opposite direction with the Voting Rights Act on the chopping block.

3. Prosperity

The Declaration of Independence goes on to say, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. In the draft version of the Declaration, it spoke of “life, liberty and property.” That subtle shift is often overlooked and might speak to the shift America has had to make but at times continues to forsake. Back in the early days, property was the marker for having the right to vote or serve in public office. But since many were left off the property distribution line, they still pursued their happiness based on opened doors in shared opportunity. Today, some Americans are still mad about others getting a chance at the American dream.

4. Posterity

What happened in America’s early founding was next level stuff. But along the way, there were efforts to hold some groups back where things weren’t a level playing field. The Constitution speaks to an ongoing process that America should live by, which is “to form a more perfect Union.” That might be understood in a family context where with a posterity mindset we try to pass on to our children and grandchildren the opportunity for a better life. What we might take away from the founders 250+ years later is that we gotta strive as a nation to forge next level actions for the here and now as well as for posterity.

So, ‘Civic 250’ need not be just about the case where “Hometown 1776 Meets America’s 250^th in 2026.” It should also be an effort towards a new vision for America’s next chapter, with a conviction around unity of purpose, voice for social justice and view for a more perfect Union. An important question that needs to be answered in our modern times is whether people really want to deliver solutions or do they simply want to monetize keeping the problem going? Thomas Paine lived as if he worked for the Department of Common Sense. These days we need to live as if we work for the Department of Public Good Sense.

Tracks: One Republic – Good Life – https://youtu.be/jZhQOvvV45w?si=pZQ9bbf1u6Y_cem_

Alabama Shakes – American Dream – https://youtu.be/-1314ehjkos?si=l3iqQAV7OOsScDtp

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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

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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? We can take a page from the past based on the idea of “Hometown 1776 meets ‘America 250’ in 2026.”
In the same way women’s sports have brought a certain ‘fullness’ to fan engagement, we can foster a fullness in civic engagement because we were born for this moment.

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Doc Cunningham
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Sounding Off Social

This is one of those feats that couldn’t be kept quiet. It happened right before our eyes as many watched the Artemis II spacecraft take off from its Florida launch site. In a matter of ten days, the crew traveled to the outer reaches of space and back to earth, with magnificent images and history-making for the record books. They traveled farther into the orbit of space than anyone has ever gone. The trip was a warm-up for what’s expected to be more breath-taking things in space exploration.

While that’s been happening, the world has been on pins and needles across the middle east and Europe. An irony shared by a science enthusiast is how this was the first time the U.S. has done a moonshot trip since the Apollo mission. What is worth noting from back then, while that achievement left folks in awe, here we are many decades later in a similar predicament of a war footing and space-travel expanding. We seemed to have moved leaps & bounds in the science/tech space but still are in a repeating cycle when it comes to the social development space. Maybe a closer look into history, as well as the evolution of technology might help us understand this vexing situation.

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. Since then, the phrase has been used by various presidential candidates in campaign messaging. Interestingly, the images sent back from Artemis II and the starry skies gave us a twinkling feeling about what’s possible for humanity. Then, in 1863 there was President Lincoln’s Gettysburg address about “government of the people, for the people and by the people, shall not perish from the earth”. So, as we reflect on America’s first 250 years, what’s on deck for the next chapter? What’s it going to take for us to be seen as a shining ‘city on a hill’ in 2026 and beyond?

Maybe we could commit the same level of ingenuity and foresight that we just experienced with the space program and do the same in the civic/social arena. We can take a page from how they rallied in the past based on the idea of “Hometown 1776 meets ‘America 250’ in 2026.” This would go well with other times throughout history, for how we respond in 2026 and beyond in an inclusive multi-cultural format:

Thomas Paine’s vision for 1776 and beyond he put in a book called ‘Common Sense’ which made the case for the Declaration of Independence. Nowadays we’ll build on ‘public good sense’.
Paul Revere (regular citizen) worked with officials to rally hometown voices committed to unity of purpose. These days we can do the same with folks around civic ends and public good.
Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Dr. King, John Lewis and others helped young people and a cross-section of folks add voice to social justice. Young people want to clock-in a rebirth in voice.

Moreover, back in our nation’s early founding there were a few organizations spreading patriotic messages. They had their own focus and objectives for engaging with residents. Some of them included the Sons of Liberty, Daughters of Liberty, Philadelphia Patriotic Society, and so on. These days we have a few organizations delivering messages in civic engagement and social justice. But in 1776 there was a certain group that was key to laying the foundation for what would become a new America. They were instrumental with forging a shift in consciousness as a nation. Their example serves us well for a ‘Civic 250’ in America model today by how we develop a new:

1. Language

The recent space launch was next-level stuff. It’s hard to wrap your head around all the mathematical formulas and pre-launch drills that went into the voyage. Similarly, what happened during our nation’s founding was next-level stuff too. Back then we saw new terminology being introduced to describe what America could be. When it comes to technology, there’s always a new language to help folks embrace the concept. Whether with Windows or smart phones, we find ourselves expressing concepts differently. Well, SAIC represents a new language for capturing civic/social issues in a next-level way.

2. Mindset

It’s become generally accepted that ride-share services are here to stay. A decade or more ago there was a different mindset for takeout and transportation services. So, what made the shift happen? Well, ride-share services seem to offer the marketplace a sense of purpose for getting people or food to a destination. People feel like they’re involved with something that gives them the feeling of fulfilling a consumer-driven demand. Even these delivery options came with a new language in the transportation and food services sectors. What if we had a similar mindset for civic-driven demands of our times?

3. Process

When you look back in time, you see that the founders/influencers were ‘civics heavy, politics light’ to overcome fear of King George III and the colonial structure. We can do the same in 2026 to overcome current fears, with a new & improved approach. Imagine if as a Caribbean dish, we wanted to make a more perfect jerk chicken or oxtails, we’d need the right ingredients, utensils and recipe for our ‘cooking best’. Well, to be a more perfect Union, we need the right vision elements, conviction of purpose and voice of players, with a process for being our ‘hometown best.’

4. Sizzle

What does it mean to speak to the consciousness of the nation and young people? Think back to when you heard an old song you’ve listened to many times, but something was different at that moment. It’s not that the words or beat changed, it’s just that you had a eureka moment in realizing you were making up your own words in the song. Take any other cultural phenomenon. What happens for people to latch-on isn’t just the new language, but there’s a new sizzle with the concept. Similarly, we can have a new sizzle with civic/social issues in how we embrace SAIC’s new lingo for interpreting history, civics and culture.

Political Scientist Kevin Smith has found in his research that Americans are dealing with ‘politically induced fatigue.’ There’s also Pew Research Polling that aligns with those findings where the fallout has become bad for our mental health. It’s as if, like in 1776, we need a new social rebrand and civic vantage point. Back then some elected officials supported regular citizens in ways that sent a message to ‘we the people’. Well, in the same way women’s sports have brought a certain ‘fullness’ to fan engagement, we can foster a fullness in civic engagement with a new language, mindset, process and sizzle.

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: Skip Marley – Calm Down – https://youtu.be/eyq74jtdgnY?si=yTFzqb-spzrWp8DQ

The Score – Born For This – https://youtu.be/EP_CDtyV41g?si=yGttsKxH6f8WOeIo

Featured

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 portfolio in a new mindset around ‘American Essentialism’.
We’ll rally folks around life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, go back in time when the world was on edge or nation in limbo, for real intentions and civic operations to make a difference in culture.

Signup Center –

Mission Option #1: ‘Country Road’

Mission Option #2: ‘Community Road’

Mission Option #3: ‘Family Road’

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

Let’s just put it out there…the next few weeks gonna have a kinda madness feel to it! For sports fans, it’s the expected string of exciting games once the slate of teams has been announced for the annual college basketball tournament, otherwise known as ‘March Madness’. Teams from different conferences across public and private schools, vie for reaching the Final Four Championship. There’s often the thrill of victory in moving on to the next round, which also comes with the agony of defeat at the end of the road. But there’s another ‘madness feeling’ that’s emerging with the nation in limbo and world on edge.

The current middle east conflict is causing a spike in gas prices and food costs. As economists try to predict the next few months, inflation fears have returned. But both in the case of basketball’s March Madness and the current sense of social madness, there’s some background chatter among fans, media & sports analysts as well as historians. With basketball, it’s the question of whether to expand from 68 to 76 teams that get named to the round of games in the championship. In the case of the middle east, historians are likely to re-engage the concept of American Exceptionalism.

The NCAA is yet to take a firm position on whether to expand the number of teams. Those in favor believe it opens the door to other schools on the bubble of qualifying. However, critics are concerned that the new slots would go to the power conference teams at the expense of mid-tier conference schools having a shot to be part of the ‘big dance’. With respect to public concerns on how America is being perceived around the world, the idea of American Exceptionalism seems to have lost its way. Initially, the term was meant to project America as the model of a ‘city on a hill’: strong democracy, global leadership and moral standing. But some political observers believe the current climate reflects otherwise.

As ‘America 250’ events happen across the country, this might be a good time to consider a social rebrand in America’s public image and policy portfolio. If we’re gonna have the next generation onboard, it might mean having their buy-in on a new mindset around ‘American Essentialism’. The term Essentialism basically means doing those things where there’s alignment with your core blueprint to best fulfill your assignment. It’s in how you relate the essentials of essence to existence. Moreover, this would mean that who we are as individuals or a nation would aim to reflect our best yet, not simply who we advertise ourselves to be. Now, if there isn’t alignment, then there would need to be a change, whether in process or blueprint (essence) for a better existence. It seems that’s where America is today, as American Essentialism could help us move towards a more perfect union.

But it’s also where things were in 1776. There were issues as a cornerstone of American life then but are a lightning rod of culture wars now. So, it’s important not to get distracted by daily social madness but to channel our energies towards life, liberty and happiness. Over the first 20+ years of America’s founding or the civil rights movement, there were times public grievances would rally hometown voices committed to unity of purpose. It’s how we got the Declaration of Independence. Isn’t that what ‘America 250’ is about? Plus, at other times when people felt under pressure by government affairs, similar energy brought folks together for civic ends where they acted towards a new America in style and substance by:

1. Forming

The Constitution’s preamble says: “We the people in order to form a more perfect union.” Back then they realized it was time to form something different from what they’d come to know. That forming involved matters that were close to their ‘hearts & homes’ as in ideals and hometowns. These days it seems America has seen its ‘hearts & homes’ attitude get overwhelmed by a ‘might & mean’ attitude of others. A doctor uses the stethoscope during a health check to assess the beat of the heart for a patient. Maybe in pursuing a more perfect union for the next generation, we gotta get our heartbeat back.

2. Breaking

In buildings there’s a box that says, “break glass in case of emergency.” That’s an option/tool in case of an emergency. It’s not something done just for fun, since steps can happen before taking that action in an emergency. While in 1776 they got to a ‘break glass’ moment in Lexington and Concord Massachusetts, in 2026 we can avoid that breaking point. It’s been said that to secure the future you want, begin with the end in mind and rewind to the present. This might also mean going back in time when the world was on edge or nation in limbo, for footsteps in the sand that show real intentions and civic operations.

3. Educating

What else might be helpful in forming a new America for the next generation? Well, what happened in the 60’s was a ‘turn-up’ among young people when the ‘Greensboro Four’ did the first sit-in at Woolworth’s lunch counter. That ignited others to be peer influencers and next-level gamechangers. What if ‘March Madness’ wasn’t just a sports feeling among students/communities, but also a civic feeling inspiring a new level of awareness on what matters to self, others and humanity? SAIC’s ‘Coach to Coach’ teach-ins for students and ‘Civic Forums’ for communities will help us with making a difference for the culture.

4. Empowering

It seems America is going through a phase right now that feels like a ‘lost cause’. Back in time that term was used to rally folks around a new spin on the civil war fallout. While the confederacy lost the war, folks reeling from that setback came up with a message around how to turn that loss into a new mantra. Well, history also has examples of when folks turned public grievances into positive momentum by how they rallied in unity of purpose. This led to steps in organizing around civic ends and public good. These empowering moves by residents and public officials included civic resolutions and next-level solutions.

How might we rally ‘we the people’ and public figures on a civic rebranding in American Essentialism? We can take a page from 1776, 1782 and the 1960s. That means we’ll rally around life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for a more perfect union. We’ll work on forming a new America for the next generation, as hometown voices committed to unity of purpose. We’ll organize around civic ends and public good. We’ll go back in time when the world was on edge or nation in limbo, to see real intentions and civic operations for making a difference in culture. Hey beautiful people, let’s stand up, come together and make it work!

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: Cynthia Erivo – Stand Up – https://youtu.be/g3HICKj-4Zs?si=bQLgje2qRe_PJ0YK

David Guetta & Sia – Beautiful People – https://youtu.be/S2fSojJqyNY?si=oguJRATkH-kHrgqw

Featured

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 Scale’.
If building a better mousetrap, or a better game takes teaming, then building a better nation will take teaming across areas of governance, industry sectors and institutions of learning.

Signup Center –

Mission Option #1: ‘Country Road’

Mission Option #2: ‘Community Road’

Mission Option #3: ‘Family Road’

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

There’s been a lot of buzz across industry sectors! The obvious is the news that the Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record high surpassing the 50,000-point mark. For folks whose job involves watching for signs of economic uncertainty, they see this latest gain as happy times but also warning signals. Things are rolling for those with 401Ks and other investment accounts. Furthermore, with Superbowl 60 now behind us, some are looking at how the advertising blitz might help their biz secure the bag.

While that’s been a focus of the ‘merchant class’, others in the ‘social class’ have been uneasy with developments affecting the vibe & spirit of the nation. Some things might not be tip-of-tongue, according to CNBC, but retailers are seeing a shift in consumer preferences to go along with those concerns. There’re even signs that Gen Zs aren’t down with the ‘bad energy’ that’s feeding into divisiveness, as a weird form of ‘lost happiness’. Maybe there’s a lesson we can find in the success of the NFL’s campaign for building a better game? The focus there is on player safety and data analytics to make the game more enjoyable for fans, along with higher ROI in the marketplace.

In the earliest level classes around business management, there’s usually the idea of building a better mousetrap. As consumer knowledge and acceptance grows, companies look to improve their product or service experience. What if we approach America’s next chapter with a similar mindset? We’d be looking at ways of building a better nation. With ‘America 250’ observances on full display at the recent Superbowl, we might take a step back and consider advancing ‘America in the making’ for a new generation based on past lessons, present struggles and future dreams. In the process, we can make progress along what might be considered the ‘Sovereignty Scale’. It’s a way to assess whether we’re moving up in the direction of GOAT (greatest of all times) as a nation or moving down in the direction of becoming a GHOST (greatest hell on soil times) of a nation.

When early settlers first landed on America’s shores they came in waves across two regions. The first group landed in Virginia, many looking for new markets to trade their goods. They were often described as being part of the merchant class. They had money on their minds which meant that region became the cradle of enterprise. This strongly influenced their governing philosophy around free trade and property value but also opened the door to slavery. The other group of early settlers landed in Massachusetts (New England), looking to be new members of a just society, as they fled a sense of religious persecution. The New England region became the cradle of change.

The distinction between these two main groups of early settlers is important for understanding how some of the ‘culture war’ battles played out in history and show up in current times. Sometimes it’s a question of who’s getting ahead (or feeling left behind) when it comes to the distribution of public funds. Sometimes it’s a battle in ideology, whether religious, political or social. Some of what we’re seeing today reflects that contrast between the merchant class and the social class. While some folks are excited that their money is doing well, others realize the soul of America is in bad shape. It might even be said that a tumor has been growing in America, that could be blinding the eye, blocking the heart and affecting our well-being as a nation. So, if we want to be headed in the direction of GOAT status as a nation, then it might be time to revisit our:

1. Governing

In 2026 there’re many more levels of governance compared to America in 1776. We find that across national, regional and local governments, but also in industries as well as institutions of learning. There’re times it seems like governing is simply doing what it takes to win in the next election. Then after the campaigns are over, it looks like things go back to regular scheduled programming of money squabbles and political posturing. What if governing took a new look at incentives that help to advance public good and political will? Would that help incentivize ‘America in the making’ for a new generation?

2. Organizing

One of the first things a new biz leader does is name those who’ll serve in the new orbit. We see this playing out as NFL teams name new head coaches. This helps build leadership, culture and game performance. What if we approached the social space the way biz leaders approach the marketplace? Well, it might help set the stage for change by how we go about organizing around civic ideals in public good and social impact. We can take a page from 1776 and Paul Revere in the colonies, to 1960 and the ‘Greensboro Four’ in the south, for organizing ‘hometown voices committed to unity of purpose’ in 2026.

3. Alt-Branding

Sometimes this means taking a step back from the regular scheduled programming to incentivize creative thinking and alt-branding. There’re times senior biz leaders will assemble a group at a retreat to discuss the present and chart the future. We see this happening at times with political organizations too. Oftentimes a breakthrough occurs in biz when decision makers are open to considering a different brand option or market strategy. The work of SAIC was born from a series of national news stories that opened the door towards finding a different response and solution to the same repeating civic/social issues.

4. Teaming

During the coin toss at the Superbowl, each team rolled out five players as captains who came from offense, defense and special teams, three phases of the game. Each sub-team brings an aspect of play to the overall team. Plus, it’s in how those sub-teams coalesce around a common purpose that makes winning fun and rewarding. In post-game interviews you’ll hear players talk about a special connection built among the squad. If building a better mousetrap, or a better game takes teaming, then building a better nation will take teaming across areas of governance, industry sectors and institutions of learning.

The NFL is focused on building a better game through player safety initiatives and data analytics. This they see as the ticket to a more enjoyable game and higher ROI in the marketplace. With their eyes on expanding across international markets, their brand is catching on even in countries that already have their own version of ‘football.’ Similarly, with America’s 250^th birthday ahead, we can work on building a better nation in the social space by steps that incentivize public good and social impact around governing, organizing, alt-branding and teaming. SAIC’s framework opens the door to do just that on the big stage.

Tracks: Big Sean – One Man Can Change the World – https://youtu.be/GBVotNefYME?si=K0g-iH2RhePn7d0V

Beyoncé – Be Alive – https://youtu.be/4aeDlZOD-B0?si=UY5y_86D1BmbcNKh

Featured

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 life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
The days ahead on this road towards the next chapter is one that should embrace self-evident truths and the American Dream in living out our better angels for a more perfect union.

Signup Center –

Mission Option #1: ‘Country Road’

Mission Option #2: ‘Community Road’

Mission Option #3: ‘Family Road’

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

What’s the difference between the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend and America’s recent Wild Ride Week? In case you’re not a sports fan, the NFL kicked off its playoff run towards the Superbowl. The debate a few weeks ago was whether Bad Bunny as halftime performer would attract the kind of viewership that tops previous performers. Now debate has shifted to how the playoff is loaded with teams that aren’t normally in the running at this stage. That’s been the convo among sports fans and post-game interviews.

You might also have noticed that the games featured the words ‘America 250’ on the sidelines and game balls. That’s a nod to 2026 being the 250^th anniversary of America’s Independence. There’re a slew of events, activities and programs scheduled from now until ‘America 250’ hits peak in July. Obviously, the marking of the ball is a great gesture, but it’s gonna take more than that to speak to the consciousness of the nation and the next generation. You’ve prob noticed how recent events in the U.S. and overseas took on a ‘wild ride week’ feeling. Many aren’t sure where things are going or what they should be doing. Well, let’s look back to other wild ride periods in our nation’s history.

When you consider those who helped set the stage in America’s early days, they tend to fit in two groups: founding influencers (e.g. Thomas Paine, Paul Revere) and founding fathers (e.g. George Washington, Alexander Hamilton). Plus, there was a small subset who weren’t born in the colonies and as such were immigrants, e.g. Paine from England and Hamilton from the island of Nevis in the Caribbean. Those two individuals have been instrumental with inspiring the work of SAIC and our monthly updates. Moreover, they helped forge America’s shift in consciousness by putting things in writing. Paine wrote the book ‘Common Sense’ which made the case for the Declaration of Independence and America’s founding. Hamilton wrote most of the Federalist Papers which made the case for the States adopting the Constitution. It’s as if the first 20 years of America’s founding resulted in ‘The People’s Plan’, so to speak.

The first 20 years of the civil rights movement also helped shape America in the modern era. During that period Dr. King wrote a book that was instrumental with inspiring a ‘Turn up’ among the younger generation. As students at North Carolina A&T University took heed to his writing, two of them would be among those who led the lunch counter sit-in protests. They later teamed up with John Lewis to form the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, aka SNCC. What if we’re at a moment in America’s journey, with 250^th birthday celebrations underway, where we need to make the case for America’s next chapter? How might that be seen through the writings of ‘The People’s Plan’ from the founders or ‘The Turn Up Agenda’ from past social impact movements?

Well, what we’ve learned is that going to the next level in roots & culture means having social impact done right for empowering life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In the 21^st century that might not be enough though. We’re gonna need a new spin on the Declaration of Independence, otherwise called the Declaration of Emergence. As you know, SAIC is big on us having a better handle of hot-button issues by how we see America in color, not just in black and white. But our current times also call for something more, which the founders and Dr. King made possible by speaking to the consciousness of the nation and young people through:

1. Self-evident Truths

The first subject to note as the founders laid out ‘The People’s Plan’ was self-evident truths. That’s info/facts that are hard to argue, like “all men are created equal.” The problem these days is where self-evident truths get confused with ‘social truths’. It’s like what happens at the bar among friends. After a few rounds what’s said is sometimes half-truths mixed with tipsy small talk. In a computer system when ‘truth’ gets compromised things end up in a loop or critical error. Is that happening in our social/political system these days, thus affecting how we function as a nation towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?

2. More Perfect Union

A part of ‘The People’s Plan’ was forming a more perfect union. Think of America’s early days as defined by ‘Community 1.0’ where liberty & justice were at stake. After many decades, a shift in consciousness occurred with ‘Community 2.0’ where equality and opportunity were at stake. Then, on the dawn of the civil rights movement, another shift in consciousness occurred with ‘Community 3.0’ where fairness and equity were at stake. Now it seems the currently emerging period of ‘Community 4.0’ is where securing democracy and the soul of the nation are at stake in the push towards a more perfect union.

3. American Dream

When Dr. King uttered the words “I have a dream that’s deeply rooted in the American dream”, he was tapping into America’s story. In the early days the American dream was based on the desire for self-determination. Folks no longer wanted to let British rule have control over their economic and social well-being. Since then, the dream has gone from a push for gaining property, to expanding opportunity, to experiencing greater autonomy as a nation. Dr. King understood that ‘I have a dream’ would connect in a universal way to mean ‘we have a dream’, as others arrived at the doorstep with the same desires.

4. Better Angels

At times America has lost its way, in not living up to its ideals. This often resulted in dire circumstances for different groups of people. But what Lincoln said in his first inaugural address was an inspiring message to help us move past a period of divisiveness in the nation. Likewise, if we’re gonna have social impact done right for empowering life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, then we must summon our better angels to break from what’s holding us back. This means building on our unalienable rights, engaging those timeless civic ideals and tapping into hidden assets in mind, body and core of our humanity.

“America 2K26 and the nation’s fix” should embrace self-evident truths and the American Dream in living out our better angels for a more perfect union. This doesn’t have to be knee-jerk, but gotta be consciousness deep. As we tackle new year ‘Civic Resolutions’, we can have social impact done right with SAIC’s campaign/platform for a better picture of civic/social issues, like color tv did for black & white. We can have a better handle of hot button issues like smart phones did for analog cell phones. When we see America in color, not just black & white, we can live our best life in mind, body and core of humanity.

Tracks: Common – Don’t Forget Who You Are – https://youtu.be/mp2681a91NM?si=O2lzVALgsCABwvTZ

One Republic – Better Days – https://youtu.be/dbUI7JfHxLc?si=xpuvjaLHwgLt7UB9

Featured

‘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 and culture.
There’s more rational and oomph for how America’s next chapter might include the Declaration of Emergence where the nation gets to bloom in all its colors, since after winter must come spring.

Signup Center –

Mission Option #1: ‘Country Road’

Mission Option #2: ‘Community Road’

Mission Option #3: ‘Family Road’

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

Well, with 2025 just about done, the countdown has begun! Whether it’s folks hanging out at the iHeart Jingle Ball concert, office holiday party or some other social meet-up, the good times gonna be on and popping. Soon we’ll see the party revelers lined-up at the heart of Times Square. But there’s also a kinda count-up that’s happening too, as the new year offers a reset and fresh mindset. Some folks will be saying, “out with the old, in with the bold”. That’s one way to think of SAIC’s rollout of “America 2K26 and the nation’s fix”. Our overall approach is seen in key mission options across country, community and family.

For example, the avid gardeners among us can relate during the late Fall season. As they put away the patio gear, they also cut back some of their garden plants, otherwise known as annuals. This way when spring rolls around there’ll be new ‘green shoots’ busting loose. That’s something SAIC represents in its framework. For America to have a new ‘founding’ with a reset and fresh mindset, it’ll take cutting back on some things so that there’re new ‘green shoots’. Consider that if the shift from black & white TV to color TV involved cutting back on ‘white light’ to ‘turn up’ three streams of colored light, so does the nation’s fix for some of the racial/social issues require cutting back on ‘white light’ by combining three streams of ‘colored light’ in American history, the ‘black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. So, as with color TV, how might that better picture unfold?

Well, let’s walk in the shoes of Alexander Hamilton and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, one of America’s founders and an iconic civil right leader, respectively. By drawing on their example and the three social streams just mentioned, we’re poised to deliver market-level success tied to the ‘America 2K26’ big picture and rollout that’s defined by:

The People’s Plan: 4 steps leading to a new ‘founding’ and rollout of the next chapter.
The ‘Turn Up’ Agenda: 3-point strategy in civic engagement and ‘public sense’.

Interestingly, folks over 40 might relate to The People’s Plan based on the first 20 years of America’s founding. While folks under 40 might relate to The ‘Turn Up’ Agenda by being “In the Mix for 2026” across history, civics and culture. Think about how a DJ uses two turntables to ‘turn up’ the energy at a party. In the past, DJs would show up with two or three crates, having a collection of records across decades and genres. Nowadays the music is all digital. The key is to play the right mix of records from different albums to keep the party jumping. Well, that’s how the theme “In the Mix for 2026” came about. We wanna bring the right ‘crates’ in history, civics and culture to ‘Turn. Up. Big.’ for the nation’s fix.

In the coming month’s there’ll be more ‘inside stuff’ on what it means to ‘turn up’ around Life’s Blueprint, America’s Footprint. Moreover, there’ll be updates online and across different forums on what that means in my role as founder, producer, commentator. Sharing concepts as founder comes with having a vision for how to collaborate across ventures, whether profit or non-profit. As producer, there’ll be content, programs and events that help with having a better handle of hot-button issues by how we see America in color, not just in black & white. As commentator, you can expect heart-grabbing soundbites on daily news and current affairs (kinda like what you get on this site).

But there’s more! As famed writer/historian David McCullough reminded us, it was Thomas Jefferson who once said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be.” Told another way for those who wanna flashback to their college days, you know that first semester set the tone. It all depended on whether you chose to party all the time, or got some studying in. You don’t need to have a college degree on your resume to know that if you party all the time, you’ll have a dumb life. But if you study all the time, you’ll have a dull life. The key is to balance how you party and how you study. Sometimes you might even party to study (if you get what I mean). So, how we rollout ‘America 2K26’ will have us “In the Mix for 2026” to party and study as a:

1. Market/Member

When early settlers first landed on America’s shores they came in waves across two regions. The first group landed in Virginia, many looking for new markets to trade their goods. The other group landed in New England, many looking to be new members of a just society, as they fled a sense of religious persecution. One region became the cradle of enterprise, the other became the cradle of change. That’s a way to look at how we plan to formalize, monetize and institutionalize our efforts. One aspect is about advancing a more perfect union, the other about social capital partners in America and the diaspora.

2. Hotspot

When you hear ‘hotspot’ you might think of two ideas: (i) in a social sense it’s a place where folks show up to have a good time or be among good energy; (ii) in a tech sense it’s a digital connection for your phone or laptop to a public or private Wi-Fi space. Basically, a hotspot connects you with a social space that opens a whole new world in work & play. But also, as an online space that opens a whole new world in news and games. Well, our ‘America 2K26’ gameplan will include ‘Civic Life Hotspots’ that connect to a multi-purpose space to open a whole new world in work & play as well as roots & culture.

3. Social

The holidays can be a time of great social appeal. The array of lights and other festive displays help to spark a sense of optimism and good spirits. That’s an aspect of ‘social’ we plan to draw on for how we spark interest in what See America In Color represents. But there’s also another part to ‘social’ that you see when you look back to the early days spent at taverns. There was a shift in social consciousness as America went through its ‘labor pains’. Some folks were there to discuss strategy on how to organize and engage. Others were there to develop a path to a new America by how they’d educate and empower.

4. Network

During the founding there was a sequence of events and season of pronouncements. This led to forming a new nation and forging a oneness in purpose. That was captured in the Latin words E Pluribus Unum – Out of Many, One. This helped bind the 13 colonies into the United States of America. How might we take a page from that to help bind us these days as diverse citizens with a oneness in purpose? Well, we’re about ‘Operation MOJO’ and the Strong Citizens Association of America, with ‘5 iDeals’ to help make our journeys one. So “J.A.M. With Us” to join not simply a social network but movement network.

The People’s Plan builds on America’s founding across a 4-step rollout as the ‘civic strong’. The ‘Turn Up’ Agenda builds on a 3-point strategy in civic engagement and ‘public sense’. Back in 1776 before the Declaration of Independence became final, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called ‘Common Sense’ with the rational and oomph for forming a new nation. Well, in the coming weeks and months SAIC will lay-out the rational and oomph for why and how America’s next chapter might include the Declaration of Emergence where the nation gets to bloom in all its colors, since after winter must come spring.

Tracks: Eddie Murphy – Party All The Time – https://youtu.be/iWa-6g-TbgI?si=pUhxNO1ybNfPcMUT

Lauren Hill – Everything is Everything – https://youtu.be/i3_dOWYHS7I?si=vYZkgcMqe-qbF6wZ

Featured

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 got us…bad politics used to turn DEI into an IED.
With ‘America250’ already in motion, we can look back and begin to chart new steps forward. It’ll take some ‘civic dosing’ as well as a ‘mojo movement’ towards a more perfect union.

Signup Center –

Follow @SeeAmericaInColor on FB & IG for podcast episodes and events!

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

The Shutdown has reached a winddown! That was the initial breaking news hitting airwaves and social media feeds. As word started spreading, some were still saying it wasn’t a done deal. The concern was if some officials caved while others thought it important to fight for everyday people. The results of recent local and statewide elections which had national implications showed that America votes and cries for change. 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?

It seems every few years we keep getting in a government shutdown cycle. Maybe we need a 28^th Amendment that lists who’d still get paid during a shutdown and who would not. If members of congress along with others were on the ‘not list’, then that might change the calculation. But let’s also consider basics, like the difference between civics and politics. We understand civics to mean how you represent as elected official, citizen or community member to make government service and ‘public good’ matter. Meanwhile, politics is a means to an end for public good through government programs and policies. When you read social media comments, here’s what’s baffling to some people about our politics today:

One side sees government as a key, to unlock the service benefits for the people. The other side sees government like candy, to keep the service benefits to themselves and their enjoyment.
It took those who’re not up for re-election to push a deal to end the shutdown and be seen as the ‘bad guys’. While those who’re up for re-election oppose the deal but are seen as the ‘good guys’.

A further challenge we have is that civics get put in second-class status and politics viewed as first-class. We see it repeatedly where it’s as if politics tend to choke civics, sometimes to the point of near suffocation. Guess where that got us…bad politics used to turn DEI into an IED. Plus, continued culture-war battles might have led to the shutdown drama too. So, can we fix politics with politics, as America votes and cries for a different response and higher purpose? There’re times you must fight fire with fire. We see that when fighting forest fires where folks try to contain the spread. But most times when putting out fires, the experts use a fire-dosing strategy for tamping down the flames.

Maybe that’s somewhat where we find ourselves as a nation. There’s frustration to go around for different reasons, especially due to political whiplash over the past twenty years. But in this next phase of public policy and collective urgency, we gotta rally as the ‘civic strong’, not just as the politically well-connected. That requires intention. What should be driving our local and national actions? Well, consider these three factors from America’s past compared to our current social standing:

Back then folks were less advanced but more committed. These days folks are more advanced but less committed.
Back then the Black Church was a ‘fuel station’ for people’s vibrancy and advocacy. These days it’s in the process of re-imagining and re-grouping.
Back then we had public figures/venues operating like a ‘hometown dealership’ in civic content. These days some public figures are more about gaining status than leading people.

America wasn’t built on just soundbites. It was about crafting solutions for sticky situations. Then as various suffrage groups came along, there was a concerted effort around things like voter registration, civic engagement and voter education. These days we seem to need a new solution strategy as seen in how tech heads delivered change in consumer products like personal computers and smart phones. Those changes produced a shift in marketing and consumer consciousness. Similarly, SAIC’s approach involves a kinda ‘Hometown IOS’ as a new solution strategy to produce a shift in civic engagement and social consciousness. While the town square is influenced more by memes & misinformation, clicks & clout, noise & nonsense, than ideals, we can do better in how we respond to life’s MEME of the:

1. Moment

A focus on civic engagement seems to come up strong around elections/voting or a crisis/tragedy. Then after that, life and TV news/ads return to their regular scheduled programming. Imagine if players and owners in pro sports only got excited in the moment when it’s time for signing contracts but after that, things return to shoddy performance? Since elections results are like ‘contract signings’ with the winners, the electorate should expect top-billing not just in the lead-up to elections, but season after season too. Otherwise, we’ll keep finding ourselves in situations where America votes and cries for things to change.

2. Element

On November 6^th, 1967, Dr. King gave a speech to students in Philly that might be a wake-up call for us today. His message around four key points can be summed up as “Life’s Blueprint, America’s Footprint”. His speech was like a ‘halftime look-back’ on the movement’s achievements. He was also preparing students for the next phase of civic engagement. There’s an element to King’s speech that will help us in being more advanced and more committed. That will help us embrace a new solution strategy. Let’s shape America’s next chapter like a ‘hometown dealership’ in civic content at a Black Friday sale.

3. Movement

Over the past few months there’ve been many protests and rallying events. Some even described our current moment as hearkening back to the original Boston Tea Party, which itself was one of America’s early movements. Is that message getting through? Recent election results might say yea, but maybe there’s something else needed that Dr. King hinted at in his speech. These days we’re at a moment where we need to go from being ‘in protest’ to being ‘in mojo’ as in ‘hometown mojo’. That’s gonna require a new strategy in how we organize & engage, educate & empower.

4. Empowerment

We’ll build on the lead-up to and roll-out from America’s founding, with lessons from suffrage movements and sports leagues. On November 6^th, 1869, the first college football game was played in Central New Jersey. Soon, the game got so dangerous, even brutal where players died. The then U.S. president and public figures issued a call to action, creating the NCAA to help rein things in. These days our political/social climate has gotten dangerous/brutal too. We need a new empowerment strategy to rein things in. You’ve heard of POTUS, FLOTUS, SCOTUS. It’s time for CLOTUS (Civic Leaders of the United States)!

A championship coach and team will tell you that the secret to their success took more than just rah-rah moments and fire-brand speeches. It took real intention like in past movements of civic engagement. Furthermore, with ‘America250’ already in motion, we can look back and begin to chart new steps forward. It’ll take some ‘civic dosing’ and a ‘mojo movement’ to get us moving towards a more perfect union. In the past when consumers cried out for change in technology, the response was something user-friendly. As America votes and cries, we can do for citizen-friendly dreams like seen in tech and sports.

Tracks: Jon Baptiste – Big Money – https://youtu.be/PkS2xydpLIg?si=icn9NXOGu71l5rZm

H.E.R. – Hold Us Together – https://youtu.be/peiZgUda4dY?si=SB1YHMF7by4CbALF

Featured

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 let them drown in lack, debt or pain.
We can’t let our fast & furious lifestyle or the ‘internet of things’ distract us where we’re so plugged-in but at the same time so checked-out.

Signup Center –

Follow @SeeAmericaInColor on FB & IG for podcast episodes and events!

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

With each week of government shutdown, many wonder what it would take to break the cycle. These days it’s not clear whether both sides even want to sit down and have a genuine conversation to move America towards a more perfect union. 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. That might be what we have in today’s climate of shutdown, finger pointing and PR/fundraising stunts.

To appreciate the inner workings and underbelly of the current moment, we need to understand when two Americas got launch, going back to our founding. There’s been a pattern of struggle that first came about as patriots vs loyalists. Since then, the struggle evolved into abolitionists vs enslavers, union vs confederates, activists vs segregationists, and more recently to inclusive vs conservative. We’re seeing some of this play out today in the redistricting battle of mecca states vs massa states. What makes it more challenging these days is how some use that pattern of struggle to gaslight the nation. The idea of change must begin with and in us not just in trying to figure out whether to vote for a different candidate.

So, is there something we can draw from history to address this predicament? Moreover, is there a disconnect among everyday folks and the ‘Now Generation’? Consider the first 20 years of America’s founding (1776-1796) and the first 20 years and beyond of the civil rights movement (1955-1975). These moments were driven by the civics of things. Before political parties started taking hold in 1796, we had the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights. Even Civil Rights gains happened with a ‘civics of things’ mindset. Plus, when you look at the history of civic engagement and advocacy in America, you’ll find dual strategies like the following:

Lead-up to Independence; rollout from the Convention.
Crusade for Citizenship (Civics) in 1957 with Dr. King; Anthem for Action in 1960 with John Lewis.

This might give clues for America’s next chapter. When you look at those periods compared to now, what we’re doing today is like a drop in the bucket. We’ve gotta step-up our game from “flavors of ice cream to nutrients of impact, from calories to protein”. During the civil rights movement, young people were often the catalyst, the bootstrap, the jump-off. So, SAIC turned these dual strategies to engage everyday folks and the ‘Now Generation’ with our #MojoInAmerica (make our journeys one) and ‘Boots on the Ground’ initiatives. As in the 60’s, it’s about content to rally around civic engagement, pop culture to rally around hometown empowerment. This might even help us understand the shutdown cycle. Some might say their policies are like a rising tide to lift all boats. The problem is when they wanna throw others overboard to let them drown in lack, debt or pain. That’s an example of how the pattern of struggle can be used in ways that bring deception, dysfunction and dystopia in society.

So, in the lead-up to America250 we’ve been asking, “What’s America Missing?” The Declaration of Independence begins with, “We hold ‘these truths’ to be self-evident that all men are created equal…” History shows that when ‘these truths’ become missing or misplaced, America gets itself in a bad spot. For example, right out the gate, we know that ‘all men’ didn’t include black men and didn’t include women. Maybe there’re other ‘these truths’ that Americans think are missing today. We might even consider how folks were able to overcome the struggle to achieve a breakthrough, as well as build excellence to live their best life. Based on a different pattern from the influence of the Enlightenment age during our founding, or the civil rights era with Dr. King and others, or even with consumer products like color TV, personal computers, smart phones, etc, a shift in consciousness saw change occur with/in us as a new:

1. Language (or Foolishness)

America was first organized around Articles of Confederation. After a while, there was growing frustration that the 13 Articles were lacking for effective governance. A shift at the Constitutional Convention brought new language with these words, “We the people in order to form a more perfect union.” When PCs first arrived on the scene, they were cumbersome to use. After a while, tech heads responded to consumer frustrations with a new language to make things simpler. Even hip-hop as a genre came with new language. But the pattern of struggle in history shows that other folks instead go with foolishness.

2. Structure (or Sickness)

The ideals laid out in those ‘new & improved’ founding documents provided a broad structure for being a democratic constitutional republic. Governance would be organized around three co-equal branches of government, with checks & balances to keep the system on track and leaders in-line. The structure gained admirers from many nations and has been a model for the birth or rebirth in our social construct/contract. But the pattern of struggle shows others going on a different route based on grievance or hate or divisiveness, revealing a sickness in the soul of America, e.g. Slavery, Civil War, Jim Crow, etc.

3. Focus (or Distraction)

America’s initial focus was on breaking away from British rule by becoming an independent sovereign nation. That also meant rallying around a cause greater than self. This was guided by a simple unifying message, “natural rights in liberty”. Social movements were efforts to have America re-gain focus on the founding ideals. In the time of Mahatma Gandhi, the focus was ‘social uplift for all’ which Dr. King and the movement modeled as ‘non-violent civil action’. With SAIC, it’s about ‘smart civic engagement.’ But history’s pattern of struggle shows how distractions set-in when the focus leans towards ‘race agitation’.

4. Smarts (or Tension)

Whether the shift is in social lanes or market sectors, there’s often new ‘smarts’ with the change. Going from colonies to states, new ‘smarts’ were made possible in governance, with multi-tasking as independent states while becoming the United States. When TVs went from black & white to color to what we have today, new rounds of ‘smarts’ made the visual experience more enjoyable. As PCs and cell phones went from old tech to new tech ‘smarts’ grew too. But history’s pattern of struggle shows when America gains in ‘smarts’ to become more inclusive, there’s tension that some use to gaslight the nation.

Biz players talk about the ‘internet of things’ as linked devices for online/digital communication. We can be lying in bed or chilling on the beach while video chatting with a person some distance away, as well as control household devices from afar. It helps take the stress out of one-on-one interactions, like online dating. What if SAIC works as a link-up around a new language, structure, and focus in ‘smart civic engagement’? We can’t let our fast & furious lifestyle or the ‘internet of things’ distract us where we’re so plugged-in but at the same time so checked-out. Some Americans might be asking, “will you rescue me?”

Tracks: One Republic – Rescue Me – https://youtu.be/Nym5stAJAt8?si=Lq3IwrcwzMS74yP_

Skip Marley – Change – https://youtu.be/VXbKf-uSmJo?si=BCcOzk2_wnh6wC0a

Featured

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 and rallying civic engagement as seen after the Convention.
We can raise our mojo around impact and public good not by the old school approach of ‘racism agitation’ by some new school techniques for how we ‘make our journeys one!’

Signup Center –

Follow @SeeAmericaInColor on FB & IG for podcast episodes and events!

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

There’re two music history moments from 50+ years ago that helped shape advocacy and activism in America. First, on September 9^th, 1971, John Lennon released the album with title track ‘Imagine’. The message pointed to a better future in daily life on earth as well as the here-after. Roughly four years later, on August 25^th, 1975, Bruce Springsteen released the album with title track “Born to Run”. These music projects were breakout moments for both artists in how they dropped an empowering message.

With the recent 50-year anniversary celebration at Monmouth University in NJ for Springsteen’s album, folks might wonder whether their artistry offers a potential breakout moment in today’s social environment. Lennon’s take on ‘Imagine’ in some ways reflects what our days past as well as life-skills experts today suggest; begin with the end-results in mind. Remember that during our nation’s founding, two social impact tracks were front and center (the lead-up to Independence, rollout from the Convention). Over the years, those impact tracks have influenced abolitionists, civil rights and other suffrage movements. In a sense, they were in-line with a ‘Crusade for Civics, Anthem for Action’.

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, there was Paul Revere whose life’s work led to forging a new nation through the exchange of ideas and ideals, one community at a time. When you think about SAIC’s backstory and framework, it represents a similar mindset too, built around how we see America in color, not just in black & white. Pull that all together as happened in ‘imagine and run’. A path will emerge for shake-up or breakout by joining the trailblazers of our nation’s past with the changemakers of our present day. Why would taking a page from ‘old days’ make sense today?

Well, think about a time with a wayward child at home, teenager in school or young adult in the community. Parents, administrators and authorities might try different things to get them on track. Some might go with an ‘old school’ approach while others might employ ‘new school’ techniques. In some cases, both aspects might make sense. In the long run, that person will look back and probably see a moment that helped to create a shift in their attitude. As the saying goes, “its attitude that determines your altitude.” Maybe America needs an old-school attitude shift as well.

But what about a ‘new school’ approach for America? With SAIC, it’s about how we connect the dots in a fun way like dominoes, across history, civics and culture. This also means having a new & improved version of a ‘Crusade for Civics, Anthem for Action’ that engages Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z since they represent the future of our republic. Plus, the gameplan requires having ‘boots on the ground’ not for warfare but for civic fanfare by:

Managing hometown frustrations like seen during the lead-up to the Declaration of Independence.
Rallying civic engagement like seen during the rollout after the Constitutional Convention.

The objective is to foster a mindset about being the ‘Civics Capital of the World’ starting in Central Jersey, by how we level-up our nation’s focus in:

1. Education

Did you know before the Constitution was in place or political parties were in a race, the first 25 colleges were already founded? Harvard was founded in 1636 and others that followed were founded in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions. There were some in the south too since that’s how the population centers spread. Those areas were the birthplace of settlements in America after the White Lion ship landed in Virginia with 20+ Africans, and pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth Massachusetts. It’s also where Paul Revere had lonely-road horseback rides to exchange notes and spread civic ideals.

2. Awareness

Revere’s trips were important with shaping the emerging nation. This involved building awareness around sovereignty, hope, excellence and goodwill. While that worked in the lead-up to Independence and the rollout after the Constitution, the 21^st century needs a new level of awareness in response to the issues of today. There’s an opportunity we have between Constitution Day, National Civics Day and America’s 250^th birthday in July 2026, to raise a new level of awareness around those ‘old school’ ideals as well as some next-gen aspects of 21^st century education in academics, athletics, arts and advocacy.

3. Consciousness

Whenever America made moves in fulfilling its ideals, there was a shift in consciousness, one community at a time. Psychology experts will tell you that consciousness works in tandem with the subconscious. It’s like in sports there’s practice to develop muscle memory. You’re not always thinking specifically about how you’re gonna make the play. It just happens in the moment based on having practiced the skill over time. Well America, maybe there’re some civic skills for which we’ve lost our mojo that need practice. We need to work on having ‘civic muscle memory’ and not be fooled by ‘slick talk’.

4. Purpose

What makes change hard to come by in the civic/social space? In part, it’s because some folks have more to lose than others. Plus, as the saying goes, “it’s hard to teach an old dog new tricks.” That’s why they’re trained in the early stages. Similarly in life, younger folks have less to lose when it comes to rallying around change. They have less pride, money, ego, etc, to lose than adults. So how do you make up for that dilemma? You build change around a unifying sense of purpose. This way you’ll attract young people looking to define a sense of purpose and older folks looking to live with a higher sense of purpose.

Is there a consciousness missing in culture, based on ‘clicks and clout’? Take the internet out the picture and go old school, you’ll see that the nation’s founding was influenced by the Enlightenment Age. So, who are the civic soothsayers today like back in the early days (as opposed to the smooth sayers now)? For those like Lennon who did it through music in the 60s & 70s, you find these lyrics from ‘Imagine’: “you may say I’m a dreamer; but I’m not the only one; Hope some day you’ll join us; And the world will be as one.” We’ll raise our mojo not by ‘racism agitation’ but by a conscious effort to ‘make our journeys one!’

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: Third World – Sense of Purpose – https://youtu.be/4z4yuSvQPa8?si=94h25eU1UqlnctSV

Mary J Blige & Busta Rhymes – You will Never Find Another Me – https://youtu.be/XKwmuRT2VOI?si=zoXy0kCtKPcCYV3P

Featured

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 focused not only on winning the battle but also creating a shift in consciousness.
While politics of the day might raise concerns about warfare now, it’s gonna take boots on the ground in civics, enlightenment and healing for a shift in consciousness in our present day.

Signup Center –

Main Content –

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

This summer saw flash flood warnings get our attention and cause tragedy from Texas to New Jersey. Normally folks would make a note but not really be concerned. But after being taken by storm from recent downpours, it requires a new level of awareness from getting those alerts. In a sense, America might find itself in a similar place. Things are happening by storm, as there’s a new battle brewing in the nation with less than a year going into the 250^th anniversary of America’s independence, otherwise known as the Semiquincentennial. Maybe we need a new level of awareness to make a note or take heed.

Travel back in time to the days of our founding and there were aspects at play then as we see now. Many had become exhausted by British Monarchy rule. This included frustration with numerous taxes. Things got so bad that some started to look for a path for shake-up or breakout to move beyond the madness. Interestingly, concerned citizens then were deeply influenced by the Enlightenment period, which helped to forge a shift in consciousness with ideas like ‘natural rights’, or what the founders eventually called unalienable (inalienable) rights. Meantime, a little over a year ago we learned from a Pew Research poll that 65% of folks are exhausted when they think of politics. Plus, in terms of our social climate, who’s bringing the enlightenment, since many are more focused on clicks & clout.

Knowing the thread that runs through the cloth of America helps us with joining the trailblazers from our nation’s past with changemakers of our present day. The battle/divide during our founding was between loyalist vs patriots. During the civil war it was between confederates and unionists. Now it seems things have evolved to a battle between ‘Mecca States’ vs ‘Massa States’ (like those that initially seceded). We see this playing out in the recent push around redistricting. But the common thread whether during revolution, civil war or current times, is in those who seem/feel celebrated (viewed as insiders) vs the other side who seem/feel slighted (viewed as outsiders). You can also tell the different sides based on whether they’re about ‘we the people’ or mostly about money and power.

In the coming months there’ll be events of pomp and pageantry in the lead-up to July 2026. But as our new nation was unfolding in 1775 there wasn’t time for that as folks were focused not only on winning the battle but also creating a shift in consciousness. That happened through efforts like:

Committees of Correspondence with hometown voices in unity of purpose and other civic ends.
Paul Revere’s work in New England and Mid-Atlantic regions to spread awareness.
Rallying around a ‘big standing’ with the Declaration of Independence as a new nation.

One of the benefits of the Enlightenment period was that it brough a new language for describing the issues around life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This helped to shape a new structure for governing, as well as focus for going from colonies to the United States of America. These days it seems the structure (Constitution) is under attack, and the focus is less communal and more confrontational. The period after the Revolution gave root to the American experiment. The period after the civil war gave root to what’s known as America’s second founding. Some hoped the period after the civil rights movement would be a kinda post-racial era. But here we are knocking on the door of our 250^th birthday, asking ourselves what’s it gonna take to create a new shift in consciousness as a nation. Maybe folks like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Hancock can help us with a word or strategy around:

1. Leadership

Back in the early days, leadership wasn’t dependent on political parties. It came out of hometown voices focused on unity of purpose and other civic ends. In 1772, Samual Adams and John Hancock were key players in forming Boston’s Committee of Correspondence. Long before the New York Times or cable news networks, these committees began to spring up locally and across the colonies. It was their way of breaking news and providing leadership as the colonies asserted new democratic willpower. Of course, we now know those names are among the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

2. Mission-ship

Many remember the story of Paul Revere’s horseback ride into Lexington to warn the patriots that “the British are coming.” But there’re other aspects to his life that give context for mission-ship. Long before there was Fedex, there was the ‘pony express’. Revere would take long rides to the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions to share updates on what was happening across the colonies. The ‘mission packages’ didn’t get there overnight, as Revere had lonely-road travels through backwoods. But it’s the sharing of insights and stories from regular folks that helped to fuel his sense of purpose and mission.

3. Allyship

As a teenager, Revere was a bell ringer. In those days, bell ringing was how they shared birth, wedding, death and other announcements. He was among a small group of young boys who took that responsibility seriously which eventually led to shaping their life’s work. As an adult, Revere became a silversmith with part of his work done in making bells. It’s as if he was the Mark Zuckerberg of his time, providing the community with ways to ‘post’ messages via bell ringing. Some of those he worked with as a young bell ringer in his hometown became confidantes and strong allies in his life’s work as a regular citizen.

4. Citizenship

When it comes to impacting, serving and servicing the marketplace, many industry leaders know about B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) for having strong earnings/value. These marketing strategies help open lanes of commerce and streams of income. What’s needed in the 21^st century on our journey to a more perfect union is the concept of B2CE (business to civic ends). That new model will help open lanes of engagement and streams of public good. It will provide a framework to guide efforts on impacting, serving and servicing the marketplace for having ‘strong citizens.’

The Revolution battle was over taxes and self-determination, the civil war over slavery and the cotton enterprise. The civil rights battle came out of exhaustion with segregation and discrimination. Today’s slow-boil battle seems to be with redistricting. It took boots on the ground in warfare to fight some previous battles. But there was more involved in creating a shift in consciousness as a nation, one community at a time. While politics of the day might raise concerns about warfare, it’ll take boots on the ground in civics, enlightenment and healing if we’re gonna ‘take a walk’ towards a shift in consciousness.

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: Jamal Roberts – Heal – https://youtu.be/6rccyIFqIPI?si=lizFb2NIwVcRVk-W

Passion Pit – Take a Walk – https://youtu.be/dZX6Q-Bj_xg?si=DpfMviNirPL2Vthc

Featured

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 they think about politics, there’s a combo of civics and empowerment (like an ‘Empowerade’ booster) to raise the consciousness of the nation.

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Main Content:

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

America’s national anthem, aka the “Star-Spangled Banner”, has become a fixture at sporting events, including Olympic medal or other championship ceremonies. It’s also an obvious go-to at patriotic occasions like those celebrated around Independence Day. The full anthem isn’t sung or played on most occasions. But the last sentence is repeated in all the four verses. Those words appear as a question at the end of the first verse. Then a shift occurs when those same words appear as a statement in the remaining verses, as in “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”

The significance of Independence Day for any nation represents a time when freedom became more real in a legal, political and civic sense. It’s when residents began to have a greater role in self-determination and public affairs. There’s a much deeper meaning though as for some groups the milestone fell short. Their freedoms came as a later struggle towards a more perfect Union. In other words, Independence Day is more than just parades, cookouts and music festivals. It also symbolizes an ‘awakening’ in the consciousness of a nation.

What if the consciousness of the nation, based on awareness of oneself in the civic/social space and broader world was approached with the same passion as we do with AI in the tech space? These days AI is playing an increasing role in society. But before there was social media, the consciousness of the nation took shape around social impact and public-good factors. In one sense, that’s a big reveal on what we’ve learned about America from the old days to present times. Our nation’s journey had a shift in consciousness from asking the question, “O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?”, to stating it as an affirmation.

In business, Fred Smith, the late founder of FedEx comes to mind. His journey was of getting past questions folks had on whether his company would be profitable. Some industry players thought his idea, while understandable, wasn’t doable. At times he had to ask staff to wait a week to cash their checks. His story of revisiting a college term paper and turning questions into a commercial enterprise is a business version of what others have achieved through social movements. Beyond Dr. King as figurehead for the civil rights movement, there’s Gregory Watson who led the charge for the 27th Amendment; Stevie Wonder who fought for the MLK Holiday; and Dr. Opal Lee who advocated for the Juneteenth holiday.

Here we are at another moment in time where we can add to history and legacy. Based on the current social climate and crosswinds in public policy, maybe we’re at a similar point, as folks question the next phase of America’s journey. With Independence Day, 249^th anniversary and counting, we gotta look at the things we question that are ‘out-of-pocket’ or unacceptable or unequal or represent an injustice. Let’s figure out how we turn those questions into action statements. To make that happen we gotta rollout a Civic Revolution that isn’t about sticks & stones or cannons and bombs, but instead about:

1. An Upshift in Consciousness

If you follow the story from 1776 to present, on the road to a more perfect Union, our nation’s journey has advanced based on Independence that came through a shift in consciousness. Folks no longer wanted to be ruled by a king but preferred a route of self-determination. Unfortunately, blacks and others were left out of that formula so there were missing elements to those newfound freedoms. Other more inclusive opportunities came about later through what might be called an upshift in consciousness. Folks had to kick-in the ‘turbo’ factor to help America understand why the racial status quo wasn’t acceptable.

2. A Boost in Hope

An important ingredient to survival is hope. When hope isn’t lost, there’s a chance of rising again. One of the legacy aspects of Independence was in the hope folks had for a new nation. They began to see new possibilities and explore new frontiers. But a related ingredient to survival is change. It’s been said that the only constant in life is change. The seasons change year in, year out. There’s the constant in what we expect from the seasons and there’s the change that comes with each season. In America, there’s the constant that comes with daily life. But there’s change required for each round of making progress.

3. A Jolt in Passion

While it’s important to keep hope alive, that hasn’t been enough to get America to level up. That comes with a jolt in passion. The passion of a nation feeds off the consciousness of a nation, in the same way that passion in business might feed-off market awareness. Maybe what kept Fred Smith and FedEx going through those early years was the glimmer of hope that kept the lights on and the jolt of passion that kept the delivery truck wheels turning. That passion isn’t always about how much noise one makes in the marketplace or social space, but more about how much positive movement one creates through actions.

4. A Mark in History

Some holidays provide one-size-fits-all meaning behind the occasion, while others might be more specific to certain groups. Independence Day has a more universal message. It represents a mark in history like a before-and-after view in weight loss, or a black & white then, but color picture now in tv technology. A high mark in history helps us savor the moment in time. But some low marks occurred when there was less conscience or consciousness in the nation. In other words, some marks in history show up as turning back the hands of time and others as moving the nation forward for the ages.

Are we progressing as a nation, or regressing in our politics? A Pew Research Poll from 2024 revealed that 65% of Americans feel exhausted when they think about politics. As with sports, work or other activities, when we’re exhausted, we’re likely to pull back or step away. Athletes often go to the sidelines and refresh with Gatorade or similar energy boosters. To provide the same relief for residents in the civic/social space, like those who’ve check-out from the issues or are wearing blinders, we need a combo of civics and empowerment (like an ‘Empowerade’ booster) to raise the consciousness of the nation.

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: Alicia Keys – Underdog – https://youtu.be/izyZLKIWGiA?si=z06J9zfo986CGFbj

Jon Baptiste – Freedom – https://youtu.be/3YHVC1DcHmo?si=Q7mZLGgh6VsyvQJu

Featured

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 culture context, it’s a new line dance. In public affairs it might help us level up our social impact.
The problem we have these days is emotions of grievance, hate and divisiveness have been turned into personal animus as opposed to frustrations being turned into purposeful action.

Signup Center –

Main Content:

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

If there’s anything we know about showbiz, there’re certain events that sellout out quicky or are like must-see TV. Just this month alone, folks have the NBA, celebrating Broadway and music awards in LA. Take your pick, or for those who’re fans across the spectrum, then one or more of the above works for you. There’s sure to be a cover story or viral moment that has people talking and brand-attention rising. But these days 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.

What if we had to write the next hometown chronicles cover story to explain how we got here in this moment as a nation? What might be the theme in the chapter on civic engagement? On the west coast there’re clashes between immigration agents and residents. On the east coast there’s discussion around legislation that could set the path of America. We need elected officials to show leadership and deliver policies that showcase our nation as ‘light on a hill’, not ‘ash on a heap’. Meantime, there’s something that’s been brewing in the south regarding ‘boots on the ground’. In a pop culture context, it’s a new line dance. In public affairs it might help us level up our social impact.

These days we need a fresh approach for how we respond to the frustrations of ‘we the people’. If we take a step back in time we can walk in the shoes of history. As our nation was coming into fruition, there were 70 delegates who were invited to attend the Constitutional Convention. Of the 70, there were 55 who made it to Philadelphia. Of the 55, there were 39 who signed the document. Of the 39 there were three who kept telling the story of America’s founding and future promise (that’s what we find in the Federalist Papers). Then, 10+ years or so into the young life of our republic, two stood tall in response to attacks on our democracy (they became future presidents). Since then, we’ve gone from 4 million to 325 million. How things played out at the national level gives clues for our next chapter in civic engagement.

There was also action taken at the local level to forge more ‘boots on the ground’. Those steps involved newly incorporated municipalities as many were focused on life, liberty and happiness objectives. But in another sense, ever wondered why New York is considered the media/financial capital of the world, or why Los Angeles is considered the showbiz capital of the world? When it comes to government or biz, the capital has a sizable number of public servants or industry personnel, e.g. Washington DC as the nation’s capital. So, what would it mean to have the title of the “civics capital of the world?” We’d have more ‘boots on the ground’ with content to rally folks around civic engagement, and pop culture to rally folks around hometown empowerment.

The capital is often about location and how folks leverage resources at their fingertips. Let’s then connect the dots across history, civics and culture where the power of the people and the people in power come together in a major way. Our response must take into consideration that we got here because of grievance, hate and divisiveness. The problem we have is those emotions have been turned into personal animus as opposed to purposeful action. If we’re gonna move past animus and deploy action, we’ve gotta be operating as:

1. Advocate

There’s been a push across NJ and a couple of other States to allow students as young as 16 to vote in school board elections. The idea known as ‘Vote16NJ’ is that the earlier we get young folks involved in voting the better it will be for voter participation at all levels. There’re mixed feelings as to whether the public school system is the only avenue for civics education, since some fear the ‘politics of things’ might get in the way. There’s also a sense that while public education provides the initial facts and keyword-learning of civics, there’s a void in providing a broader mindset or fuller meaning of civic matters.

2. Syndicate

If we wanted stronger citizens, we’d probably need to focus on building understanding about government, having them be more informed, engaged, inspired on issues as well as making gains in voter turnout and civic participation. Sometimes in showbiz, you’ll see a local personality move on to a national role on a network or syndicate. This allows for a wider reach as a group of individuals or companies pursue more commerce or promote some common interest. Civics can also help advance America as a syndicate across education, biz, government and community for more in commerce and common interest.

3. Administration

Consider how organized sports play a big part in student development. At an early age, students get to participate in P.E. for their mental and physical well-being. Some go on to other extracurricular or competitive formats. Based on the value of sports and artistic expression in culture, what would happen if there were an anti-talent vibe? The activity would lose its excitement and excellence. Similarly, when administrations consider our nation’s well-being if there’s an anti-knowledge or anti-civics vibe in some sectors then the importance to our culture will lose its excitement, excellence and essence.

4. Innovation

How did we function before without a microwave in our kitchens? How did we find our way before without having GPS in our vehicles? How did we research a topic before without having the Internet? These innovations have changed the way we cook our meals, drive our cars and challenge our minds. Similarly, we need new innovations in how we make our way as a nation across family, culture, community and dreams. SAIC represents a campaign/platform for having a better handle of hot-button issues by how we see America in color, not just in black & white. As with that shift in TV, it’s about delivering smart civics.

America’s going through a ‘microwave moment’ that might not be the best use of public affairs. It’s like putting foil in a microwave which causes sparks to fly. Lots of sparks are flying in our social space. After each use for heating, the microwave will beep to get our attention that the cycle is done. Well, we’re getting beeps too in our nation that should be getting our attention. Let’s open the door as advocate and syndicate in civic engagement. Let’s make new strides in administration and innovation for empowerment. Let’s not lose excitement, excellence and essence in an ordinary day to turn out some extraordinary play.

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: Alex Warren – Ordinary – https://youtu.be/u2ah9tWTkmk?si=0WV0TRqUTLiPgUwA

Beyoncé – Be Alive – https://youtu.be/4aeDlZOD-B0?si=RpTXMUUnPasyjc4Z

Featured

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 for the United States of Authenticity? It might give us a new way of looking at how we address the issues with clarity.

Signup Center –

Main Content:

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

It was one of the most anticipated NFL Drafts in recent memory. Folks showed up in droves at the Packers stadium. Others tuned-in for the multi-day, hours-long coverage on cable and broadcast. The big question was, “would Shedeur Sanders get picked in the first round?” Well, he ended up being selected in the fifth round as the 144^th pick overall. The experience of ‘dream delay, detour and disappointment’ is one that I can relate to in my own life’s work, as Sanders had in this process. Every sports analyst had their take on what went down or why he got picked so far down. Some wondered, “what kinda impact will he have in the league?”

The answer to that question is gonna take some time to unwind, but we’ve got other issues at hand. Over the past few months there’s been an outpouring of frustration at Townhalls across the country. Folks are upset with how things have unfolded in public affairs over the past 100 days. So, we gotta respond correctly to the cries of the America people over the next 100 days. Those cries might be because, as Fannie Lou Hamer once said, some folks are “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Some cries are because we keep going through the same cycles, where things need to change. Others cry out because they’re hungry for real information, not the misinformation and disinformation in some media spaces.

These days we can’t just get caught up with the emotions of things. We gotta understand the evolution of things. Think about how we went from black & white TV to color TV back when. This shift happened because technology no longer relied on just projecting ‘white light’. Instead, it combined three streams of colored light, (red, green, blue). It’s those three streams that give us the beautiful picture on our color TV set. Furthermore, with B&W TV, if you turn up the brightness (whiteness) too high, it’s hard to enjoy watching. With color, if you take away red, green or blue, that’s sure gonna be a terrible picture.

Maybe that’s some of what we’re dealing with, which is deeper than just what we see in the politics of the day. When folks wanna take away Black history from the American story, that makes the picture worse. When folks just want to turn up the brightness (whiteness) of the American movie trailer, then it’s hard to enjoy living in America or to advance the American Dream. We can use the campaign/platform of See America In Color (SAIC) for how we get a better picture of civic/social issues for a higher level of citizenship. This way we’ll impact culture, like color TVs did back in the day.

**Civic Revolution Televised (to your smartphone)**

That’s why the Civic Revolution gonna be televised. It’s time to ‘set it off’! Let’s break down the issues to breakout a shift in town and country. Folks will understand how we got here as a nation by looking at the U.S. presidencies of John Adams, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. Then, what if the power of the people and the people in power came together in a major way to shore up our democracy? We can take a page from 1798 and regular citizens at the local level, public officials across State Legislatures, as well as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison at the federal level. When we model these actions, our Civic Revolution will be on a fresh path of:

1. Life

The nation’s founders were influenced by the Enlightenment era. They brought that to life in the Declaration of Independence which says, “all men are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights”. What they might not have fully shared is that we’re also born to fulfill certain inner assets around mind, body and spirit. Living a full life isn’t just tied to those God-endowed rights, but also to how we make life ‘pop’, like music does for the culture. When we express these inalienable rights and inner assets, we live like an impact player that’s seen as a rock star.

2. Liberty

For those inner assets to be fully expressed, we gotta have the liberty to think, do and act in ways that reveal our authentic self. It’s the real you that shines through. Otherwise, you’re living out of the ego self which is the made up you. America seems to be wrestling with that too. There’s the real America based on true liberty, and the made-up America based on grievance, hate and divisiveness. Living our best life is like listening to music. Those tracks are built around beats, hooks and bars which create flow. Our inalienable rights and hidden assets (e.g. calling, purpose, passion) can create flow too, a beautiful thing.

3. Happiness

Why is it that some Americans seem so wound up about any and everything? Is it that they’re unaware or out of touch? Our happiness often comes from experiences we have around the good things in life. But there’s also an extended happiness of inner approval and outer awareness. When those carry over to our life’s work, we might find ways to stand on civics the same way we stand on business or stand on sports for our dollars or enjoyment. If that sounds like a stretch, just consider that the founders included happiness in the nation’s Declaration, which they used as a tool of enlightenment to lead with civics.

4. Witness

The thousands who showed up at the NFL Draft can say, “they were there.” They were able to witness events in real time. In the Constitution there’re five objectives for guiding us in real time as a nation. One of them is found in these words: “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” That’s another way of saying we can be a ‘witness’ by being there as things happen and we can be a ‘witness’ in how we leave a legacy. It’s about walking in the shoes of history, connecting the dots across history, civics and culture to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

What if U.S.A. now stood for the United States of Authenticity? It might give us a new way of looking at how we address the issues with clarity. There’re times we want politics to be a solution for things that are better solved through civics. With civics, we can build a crossover coalition in the spirit of what Dr. King called the ‘beloved community.’ It’s time for a new rising that reflects true enlightenment and puts us on a fresh path in life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We can be a witness in shoring-up our democracy. That’s the kind of impact we’ll make in securing the blessing of liberty, prosperity and posterity.

Tracks: Jac Ross – A Change is Gonna Come – https://youtu.be/ik1_D0Z0qv4?si=HsRuoo_3yef-cbdb

Bruce Springsteen – The Rising – https://youtu.be/P5pNqBhz8uI?si=-YQsmDoZd-KxIadZ

Featured

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 to make a difference. However, some in public service have lost their moral/political will to be decent human beings.

Signup Center –

Main Content:

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

Another NCAA March Madness is in the books! Three weeks of intense competition led to the Final Four playoffs on the men’s and women’s sides. The UConn woman took the crown through the rounds as the big three of Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers racked up points like an April showers downpour. On the men’s side Florida came out on top against Houston, after a gutsy rally from 12 points down. The last time all four #1 men’s seeds made it to the Final Four was in 2008. Even though that happened again this year like basketball heaven, fans still had busted brackets.

These days we’ve got a different kinda busted brackets to deal with in public affairs. As economic policy gets rolled out, the stock market and many biz leaders have gotten roiled-up. Things have taken a nosedive with investor fears setting in about the global economy. Meanwhile, in Washington we saw something bold happen on Capitol Hill recently. NJ’s senior Senator Cory Booker, spoke on the Senate floor for 25 hours and 5 mins, breaking the previous record held by noted segregationist Senator Strom Thurmond. That 68-year-old record is no more, but making history is more than breaking records.

It seems Senator Booker decided to do it ‘boom’ for the public good. He realized that by the end of April, we’ll have lived through 100 days of a new Administration in Washington. It has been a rollout driven by politics, politics, politics. Now, politics is an aspect of public service that involves carrying out the policies of governing. As Abraham Lincoln once said, “government of, by and for the people shall not perish from the earth”. But what if the government is being run by factions of self-interest? Maybe it’s because some folks have lost sight of the purpose of public service as seen in:

The five objectives of the republic: social justice, domestic tranquility, common defense, general welfare, liberty & posterity.
The five pillars of democracy: voting access/safeguards, shared power, human freedoms, social equality, rule of law.
The five perspectives for making #HometownStrong comebacks: faith, fear, firsts, fight, face.

Some pundits think what Senator Booker did, beyond making history, might also be a game-changer in our social tempo. He said these first 100 days haven’t been normal and shouldn’t be seen as such. He challenged his colleagues to do better. He used John Lewis as inspiration, like many used Fannie Lou Hamer’s Boston speech in 1968 as inspiration, imploring Americans to wake-up for “good trouble”. That’s like SAIC’s ‘Operation Mojo’ to make our journeys one by how we empower many as one. It’s a chance to rekindle our ideals and virtues. One concern is some have lost the moral/political will to be decent human beings. In the past, when civics got lost or leaders lost their decency (e.g. slavery), politics did too. As we’re seeing now, some folks then make bias, bigotry and bombastic views, fashionable.

One author said the road of America’s founding wasn’t necessarily an ‘immaculate conception’. Plus, since then there’ve been times of contradictions, complications and complicity. But even with those past moments, the road to a better America can be one that rallies around a quote Senator Booker shared in his speech: “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.” History shows that ‘money as power’ has played a role in public policy decisions than put self-interest over public good. While there’s nothing wrong with wealth, there’re some wealthy folks who see themselves among ‘we the people’ and others who see themselves above ‘we the people’. So, what if the power of the people and the people in power came together in a major way? It might lead to a new sense of civic engagement in our:

1. Mindset

UConn player Azzi Fudd was asked at half-time of the game against UCLA, “How is it that you started the game so strong?” Paraphrasing, she said when you get to this level, it’s about having a ‘breakout mindset’ as a team. Everybody’s got to be locked in. Similarly, as things unfold today, we gotta be aware of the stakes. When players are locked in it raises their performance as individuals and as a team. Moreover, it helps raise fan engagement which can impact the outcome of the game. These days in our nation call for a ‘breakout mindset’ that raises our awareness and civic engagement.

2. Mojo

During the civil rights movement local marches got folks’ juices flowing. They’d often gather in black churches to strategize, synchronize and galvanize their mojo. In the 21^st century, what’s it gonna take to bring fresh mojo to the movement? Last time we mentioned that when consumers complained about the early PCs, tech heads came up with an innovative solution. This gave us Windows with a ‘point & click’ interface. SAIC uses that model for doing the same in our social discourse, by how we ‘point’ to the more perfect union we seek, and connect the dots across history, civics and culture to make things click.

3. Mission

Some of the nation’s founders and bold citizens back in the day might relate to SAIC’s “mission to educate, vision to empower”. Consider this sequence: Independence declared, 1776; E Pluribus Unum adopted, 1782; Constitution ratified, 1788; NJ’s ‘Township Act’ incorporated 100+ municipalities of citizens governing their public affairs, 1798; national political parties in elections, 1800. Folks led with civics before politics, in life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. That’s why SAIC’s civic rollout includes introducing a Resolution that helps folks rally around answering the question, “What’s America Missing?”

4. Millennials

The U.S. Bureau of Labor reveals that millennials will become the largest population block in the workforce by 2029. Folks in their late 20s to mid-40s will hold key positions of influence and authority in the foreseeable future. We’ve gotta make sure they’re on-board as we influence family, impact culture, invite community and inspire dreams. They’ll bring ‘#MojoOfMillennials energy’ that connects with these words Senator Booker said in his marathon speech: “Moments like these require us to be more creative, more imaginative or just more persistent and dogged and determined.”

So, how do we ‘point & click’ for a better America? How might we do it ‘boom’ for the public good? Our nation’s early days had people come together around two social streams: civics & politics. Civics spoke to our common good and shared humanity. They evolved with politics by outlining citizen concerns (grievances) and developing a template for governing as a democracy. We can use those examples for how we do the same towards life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in 21^st century America. Folks, this is your invitation to our ‘conscious party’ as “J.A.M. Sessions with the People”. Let’s push to start!

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: Ziggy Marley – Conscious Party – https://youtu.be/RSfQ4oE9W9I?si=6Mzfe4xqFLruGEvP

Tyla – Push to Start – https://youtu.be/2WU5pK3ZIQI?si=ws-l4ORUa3SuLZnM

Featured

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, we move the time back an hour which means we gain an hour’s sleep. Some folks have mixed feelings about the time change, while others have strong feelings about our current times.

What if we not just make time change but also make the current times change? Well first, let’s go back to when America was trying to do that by getting its footing. After the Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution, folks were trying to figure out whether they wanted to be a ‘collaboration of colonies or a confederation of States’. To meet the moment, they drafted Articles of Confederation. But after a couple of years things weren’t working as they wished, so they had to figure out whether they wanted to be a ‘confederation of States or union of States.’ They revamped the Articles of Confederation to create a U.S. Constitution as a democratic republic. That document has stood the test of time.

These days some folks want to turn things upside down, by hinting at suspending the Constitution. It’s as if they’re pushing for the rebirth of the Confederacy or coming at DEI like a new Revolution. Furthermore, some companies want to use DEI to flaunt their street cred in ‘name, image and likeness’ but chose to drop DEI from their ‘name, image and likeness’ of in-house programs. They seem to forget that the first ‘call to action’ of the Constitution is ‘to form a more perfect Union’, not a more white or more racist or more divisive union. Maybe we gotta stop the press and the madness and ask who’s ready to meet the moment? History shows that when we arrived at a similar crossroads, we deployed ‘three lanes of activism’ as is happening now:

Blockade: Using our dollars as economic leverage through boycott and buy-in.
Broadcast: Rallying/mobilizing around black voices in mainstream media or independent black media.
Best Life: Charting a course to overcome the struggle, get a breakthrough and build excellence through education.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was an early catalyst in the civil rights movement. In addition, black media played a key role in keeping the community informed and on point. Back then, folks like Rev. James Farmer were key with training the masses on non-violent protest. Those efforts have always been about how we upgrade America. Instead, some want to keep repeating the cycle of America of ‘advancement, reversal, reconstruction, resistance’. This self-defeating, self-sabotaging cycle might remind us of those times when personal computers first arrived on the product scene. It was somewhat cumbersome to use in having to remember direct commands and wait for the response. Then things were upgraded to what we have nowadays in ‘point & click’. The tech heads heard the frustrations/complaints of consumers and came up with a better way to address those feelings.

While blockade and broadcast are important areas of activism, SAIC also realized that we could take a page from the tech heads and develop a strategy around a platform with content, programs and events that run on top of the platform like apps. This is like the OS model that tech devices use today. This way the three lanes of activism don’t end up building ‘loose cannons’ as idols & imposters in as much as building ‘civic strong’ people… ‘we the people’. Then, a bonus is that SAIC brings AI capabilities (automatic intelligence as opposed to automatic ignorance) by connecting data points across history, civics and culture. With all that said, if we’re gonna have #AmericaLiveUp to its ideals and best life, as we saw with the founders and tech heads, we gotta breakout a shift in:

1. Sword & Shield

Humanity has always produced change, and tech heads have always delivered upgrades by how things went from primitive to innovative. There was a time when the weapons of choice were swords & shields in combat. But the fight cannot go on forever. So, for every next-level solution, a shift occurs that involves diplomacy or innovation. Think of the days of the American Revolution to our current point, we went from collaboration to confederation to constitution. Folks then asked the question, What’s America missing? The answer led them to the motto “Out of Many, One” as well as legislation in American ideals/values.

2. Hearts & Homes

At first, political parties didn’t exist. Efforts in citizenship and leadership were guided by civic virtue of ‘hearts & homes for America’. Even James Madison in Federalist Paper #14 seems to confirm that by saying, “Hearken not to the unnatural voice which tells you that the people of America, knit together as they are by so many cords of affection, can no longer live together as members of the same family; can no longer continue the mutual guardians of their mutual happiness; can no longer be fellow citizens of one great respectable and flourishing empire.” But what we see much of today is mere virtue signaling.

3. Campus & Community

Our journey to a more perfect union has gone through upgrades in representation. Think of us starting out as ‘Community 1.0’ with education institutions training a new nation in self-government, while abolitionists focused on ending slavery. After the civil war more institutions came on board, including HBCUs. A shift to ‘Community 2.0’ occurred with industrialization training, while activists sounded the alarm on lynchings. As segregation took hold, a shift to ‘Community 3.0’ saw citizens trained in non-violent protest, and there was a rise in information-tech. Now there’s STEAM in education as we ask, “What’s America missing?”

4. Town & Country

With the initial Articles of Confederation, the founders soon realized some gaps. There was a problem with handling ‘common defense’ of the colonies. After the words “We the people in order to form a more perfect union”, you’ll see five areas they felt the new U.S. Constitution would address: establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. SAIC sees an opportunity to begin answering the question “what’s America missing” like the founders did in their approach to those five areas.

So, let’s go from primitive to innovative in America’s next chapter, as opposed to the reverse or just being about lining your pocket while the market tumbles. Join us in answering the question, “what’s America missing?” Plus, SAIC is looking at new ways to deliver content, programs and events where folks have a better handle of hot-button issues, by how they see America in color, not just in black & white. What do you do when you want a rebirth of the Confederacy? Maybe you go to the dark ages. What do you do for an upgrade to America’s story? Change the times and make our journeys one with more #MojoInAmerica!

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: Armin Van Buuren – Turn It Up – https://youtu.be/kivuDS-6HbQ?si=6CKI5wTMklTe1IFy

Dwayne Wiggins – What’s Really Going On – https://youtu.be/0GIFY7NI-OI?si=VnzYEF97vDeVkHel

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 way though as some felt the show didn’t have enough razzmatazz. But maybe the current social climate called for a different way to view the rhymes. Ever wondered how folks made it through crazy times of the past? Well, we’re living in such a moment.

To understand where we are in time, let’s look back to the period of Reconstruction. This ties-in with the phase of America’s story after the civil war that saw a ‘rollback’ (sorry biz leaders) in civil rights gains. Back then, when blacks were promised 40 acres and a mule, there was a rollback. When black folks started to win elected office, there was a rollback in ballot access. After voting rights and citizenship laws were passed, there was a rollback to what became known as Segregation. In our current season of backlash to Black History Month and anti-DEI sentiment there’s basically a rollback in fulfilling America’s ideals.

The problem is that Black history has always been a catalyst for change against the bogeyman, sometimes known as a ‘white supremacy’ mindset. Said another way, whenever America makes headway towards a more perfect Union, there’re forces that operate around:

Denial of truth: Self-evident truths turn into ‘social truth’ like sometimes happens at a bar.
Withdrawal of trust: As America withdraws from neighbors/agreements, denial is to autocracy as withdrawal is to hypocrisy.
Tyrannical in task: There’s so much angst due to knee-jerk decisions and faulty explanations.

In the past, this has led to citizens getting bamboozled by a skewed reality as leaders chose to unwind progress under the pretense of trying to upgrade policy. Plus, in some circles these days, patriotism seems to be more about a ‘race to riches’ than a service to the common good as a nation. It’s interesting, last time we talked about the words ‘establish justice’ appearing in the Constitution. Well, another objective listed after the preamble of ‘We the people in order to form a more perfect Union,’ is found in ‘general welfare’. Some in America have lost their way on ‘general welfare’ and handling of grievances.

Well, like Lamar’s halftime show, SAIC’s efforts as a social-edge campaign/platform bring symbolism and messaging with uplift entertainment. A new phase of our rollout (as opposed to rollback) is in ‘Operation Mojo’ where community partners join forces to ‘make our journeys one’. Not enough time to get into how this relates to history, but moments in our past have had wake-up calls. Those times in history were followed by two scenarios: (1) Boycotts, (2) ‘Social Moonshots’. In other words, there were upshift steps in civic engagement, social consciousness and programs to level-up our game. An important note is that America seems to have a repeating cycle. So, it’s time we choose to grow up and stop being stuck in the past of our old ways. We’ve got to learn from those past moments by how we:

1. Influence Family

People often say Black history is American history. One way to understand this is when white folks can take to social media and read between the lines of Lamar’s symbolism and messaging. This means his performance wasn’t just a ‘black history’ performance. There’re some ‘common good’ aspects to black history that have significance beyond black people. We know that’s true from Dr. King’s message about building a ‘beloved community’. Yea, he was rooted in Black America based on genealogy. But his message was the ultimate example of diversity, equity and inclusion as a family line or American family.

2. Impact Culture

One of the ways folks tried to impact culture back in the day was through intimidation. The KKK became a thing after Reconstruction because folks wanted to reset the narrative about the civil war. They also did that through ‘denial of truth’ by saying the civil war was about ‘State’s Rights’ when it really was about trying to hold on to slavery. We can impact culture today by how we relate King’s ‘beloved community’ with SAIC’s ‘mojo circles’. What if we could show folks another way to ‘slice & dice’ the craziness of our times through civics, the way Lamar gave us a new way to get the message across through his lyrics?

3. Invite Community

Think about how smart TV’s have made streaming apps and multi-media features possible? We can watch Internet broadcasts on our TV sets and ‘mirror’ content from our phones to our family room big screen. Well, think about what ‘smart civics’ might do to raise our civic engagement and social consciousness. SAIC’s expertise in this area is about connecting the dots across history, civics and culture. This way we’ll achieve ‘informed living, homeland rising’ with EASE: Educational, Aspirational, Social, Entrepreneurial. Ready to get on board our Friday Night Flights to a higher destiny of community?

4. Inspire Dreams

It’s hard to believe that next year will be 40 years since we’ve been honoring the MLK Holiday. It was signed into law on November 2,1983 and first observed as a holiday on January 20, 1986. That should be enough for us to see it’s time we grow up as a nation. Also, next year we’ll have the 250^th anniversary of America’s Independence. Let’s put it this way…America’s independence inspired dreams of a new nation built around democracy as a republic. Moreover, Dr. King’s dream was built around the idea of making diversity, equity and inclusion meaningful in our journey. How are those dreams looking these days?

At a civil rights movement transition point in April 1968, Dr King said these words: “The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around.” By Summer ‘68, Fannie Lou Hamer at a Boston speech said America must “wake up.” Are we at a similar point now? Well, Dr. King outlined two high-level steps: (1) Fierce urgency of now, (2) Do something for country, keep moving with new energy. So, does ‘Operation Mojo’ interest you or your group? Let’s get through the rumble & tumble moments by how we influence family, impact culture, invite community and inspire dreams in the next chapter of America’s story.

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: P!nk – What About Us – https://youtu.be/ClU3fctbGls?si=kF83Dml6T4Z4yh0x

Chaka Khan – Keep Your Head Up – https://youtu.be/88DS-T7Ypa4?si=V5Art2MWV-7zFbLb

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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 by now, there’re some bigger questions that America needs to have front and center. There’s also the coincidence of Inauguration falling on MLK Day.

Since it’s the start of a new year to build on vision, there’re probably some action items you’re turning into goals. To make them a reality will take steady effort and maybe even probing insight. That’s where we find ourselves as a nation too as we ponder what presidential inauguration, civics and American values should mean during this season of D.C. makeover. There’s probably a steady effort underway to get folks in place. But what about the probing insight needed to make sure America rises to the occasion of the Constitution and its goals? Meanwhile, there’s a shake-up happening in social media and traditional media. Not enough time to get into it here, but for clues we gotta go back to America’s second President John Adams.

Following the pre-amble’s first few words of “We the people in order to form a more perfect Union”, comes these two words: “establish justice”. As SAIC is known for, we’ve done a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story, and #HometownStrong comebacks for some probing insight. The founders wanted to establish justice as a nation because there was a sense of unfairness from the British throne. But America’s history has also seen a focus on ‘social justice’ in response to those experiencing the feeling of denial. There’s been equality denial, voting rights denial, opportunity denial, climate change denial, and more recently, election denial as well as DEI & truth denial. Dr. King understood this social justice element when he said, “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Just to recap, those ‘threads of denial’ led to different moments in history. They’ve played a role in America’s tug-of-war between two sides: life, liberty and happiness vs hate, grievance and divisiveness. Plus, throughout history we’ve had moments of major ‘public lies’ that caused Americans to make decisions based on deception and not destiny. These ‘lies’ included the three-fifths clause, Supreme Court decision on Dred Scott as well as Plessy vs Ferguson ruling on ‘separate but equal’, and more recently, disinformation about the 2020 election results. It’s important to share these not simply to cry foul, but to remind us that history is like a ‘civics bible’, the more we apply it the better we’ll handle life’s issues.

Dr. King encouraged us as a nation to choose the path that led to a higher destiny of community in the same way that SAIC offers a path for a higher level of citizenship. When King wrote the book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?” there was a stretch between 1963 and 1968 that holds some relevance to the past five years. What could have caused him to go from his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech to his ‘Mountaintop’ speech five years later where he said, “The nation is sick. Trouble is in the land. Confusion all around.” Well, we might add a new subtext to King’s book title with the words “What’s America Missing?” If we had to interpret King’s dream and make it relevant to here and now, what might our 2025 goals (and beyond) as a nation look like? Maybe we should first revisit “Out of Many, One” and reset around how we “Empower Many, as One” to:

1. Build your Quad/Squad

In the ‘here & now’ Dr. King could rattle off some quick points of concern. He might suggest that some parts of ‘The Church’ has lost their high ground. He might emphasize that we need a new social consciousness mindset with education and civic action as two sides of the coin of economic/social impact. His dream might point to a newer sense of urgency for how we build our quad/squad so that America’s unresolved trauma, unresolved truths and unresolved trust don’t spread even further like wildfire. As with computers, when truth is lost, we end up in an error condition or major system failure.

2. Build your Brand

In the new year as companies announce that they’re rolling back certain initiatives, many are wondering, what does that mean for the ‘pace of change’? In civic life W.E.B. Dubois talked about us having a double consciousness of how we see America and how America sees us. Well in business there’s the idea of having a ‘double bottom line’ in how you make money and make a difference. Those in biz know that as you build your brand and attract customers, you’ve gotta do things even when it’s not ‘popular’. Similarly, to build success you gotta do some things that aren’t always convenient or ‘trending’ at the time.

Attracting Customers

3. Build Your Block

When “Out of Many, One” was adopted in the early days it served as a mantra in going from 13 colonies to become the United States of America. Back then there weren’t any political parties, just folks operating with the idea of “hearts & homes for America.” If we’re gonna “empower many, as one” we gotta empower many families as one, many communities as one, even ‘We the People’ as one. To get there, we’ve gotta put civics in the driver’s seat. With politics we tend to see a push/pull between money and power. With civics we get to be inspired by a push/pull between people and progress, between ideals and innovations.

4. Build Your Cred

What’s it gonna take to build more cred as a nation and level-up our Union? To begin answering the question “what’s America missing”? we need a model to connect the dots across history, civics and culture. Plus, maybe America needs a new mojo in our game, culture needs a new lingo to explain things and families need a new go-to for not repeating same-old-same. In sports, momentum rules the day. Teams can have similar records and somewhat equal talent, but it’s in how they bring juice, magic and charm that things click as mojo. Similarly, we can build our cred by how we deliver more #MojoInAmerica.

At Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s inauguration he said, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. There’s a certain kinda fear that’s hovering over the nation in this season of political makeover. Dr. King as a Baptist preacher might use scripture to remind us that “God didn’t give us a spirit of fear. But of power, love and a sound mind”. In this new period of civic engagement, let’s build King’s dreams and our purpose in speaking truth to power, operating in love with one another and maintaining a sound mind. Every kinda people make the world go ‘round and ‘We the People’ keep America moving towards destiny.

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: One Republic – Better Days – https://youtu.be/dbUI7JfHxLc?si=2BvAy-E-pbIILi7i

NF – Hope – https://youtu.be/YUdkYx9WH9k?si=eHvA_Zf1LeENndCg

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How Does America Explain Itself? (Part 2 of 2): A Wake-up Moment on the Reality of Our Times

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 with twelve teams named for the new College Football Playoff (CFP) series. And of course, holiday lights are twinkling everywhere.

Meanwhile, others are gearing-up for a changing of the guard in Washington. With the final count of election results being just about done, some wanna regroup. As with sports, it helps to ‘review the film’ to see what led to the loss at the party level. But another way to understanding the ‘L’ is in whether we’ve lost or way as a nation. For starters, we get to see the full picture by comparing America over the past 20 years, with the first 20 years of America’s founding and rollout.

Interestingly, the first line in the Constitution is a statement of civics (“We the people in order to form a more perfect Union”). The rest of the Constitution comes with statements of politics. Similarly, the most quoted line at the beginning of the Declaration of Independence is a statement of civics (“We hold these truths…). The 27 grievances listed afterwards help us see how things can get caught up in politics. Maybe it’s not an accident that the motto E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) happened in the first 20 years, when compared to America’s recent journey of ‘election whiplash’ over the last 20 years.

You’ve heard it said that we live life forward but understand it backward. From our ongoing deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks, we’ve made the following notes that might serve as a wake-up call on the reality of our times, based on the last 20 years of presidential campaigns:

When politics get put in the driver’s seat, civics get put in the backseat (or even the trunk).
History and its lessons are often overlooked or dismissed, so unproductive things repeat themselves like a memory-loss patient.
There’re times when roots & culture get the side-eye from those in politics, biz/admin or pop culture, which can leave regular folks in the dark.
When people or public officials miss the mark, it takes a ‘We the People’ view to bounce back. When politics is used as a wedge, those folks are working with a ‘We the Privileged’ view.

What you’ll see from looking at the first 20 years is that America has two ideological threads rooted in its political DNA: one based on enlightenment, the other tied to disenfranchisement. Taken a step further (or deeper), America’s journey has followed two threads: “Life Liberty & Happiness; Grievance, Hate and Divisiveness”. Moreover, whatever thread a campaign runs on, that’s likely how it will govern. With a closer look, you’ll discover three aspects in American history that help explain how these threads came to be. So as America tries to explain itself (to itself and the world), these threads shed light on who we say we are (ideals) versus who we show we are (identity).

In the next chapter in America’s story it’s important to connect the dots across history, civics and culture. Why? Well, we’d never allow in school, biz, sports or even family what we let happen in politics/civics. With the former arenas there’s some department that will sanction folks when they step out of line. In public affairs ‘We the People’ are the oversight body by how we vote. But we can’t sanction when we don’t understand the ideological threads of contradictions versus convictions. Like we saw in the first 20 years of America’s existence, it’s gonna take putting civics in the driver’s seat. This way we’ll know when the media finds its legs between reporting vs marketing, informing vs idolizing, and better understand the:

1. Stakes

Our body does hundreds of operations each day to stay alive. We make lots of decisions to keep our lives on track. Not all decisions are high stakes. Some are just run-of-the-mill. Every so often, we get an alert or info that requires a high stakes decision. The first 20 years of America’s existence had high stakes decisions producing our founding documents. The last 20 years of our existence have been on a razor’s edge. We gotta pay attention to social alerts and historical info for better high stakes decision making. We gotta better balance screen time and learn time, not just making decisions as ‘reality entertainment’.

2. Stars

Every industry has stars recognized at various awards. In culture, star-factor shifts and evolves with the times. What we’ve seen throughout history are folks who only want to celebrate others whose light shines white, versus folks who wanna celebrate others whose light shines in a multi-colored, multi-cultural way. In other words, there’re those who see ‘Whiteness as their wokeness, and otherness as your weakness”. The light folks shine on the inside, is the light they project on the outside. A black & white TV projects white light, but a smart TV’s beautiful picture projects colored light. That’s what SAIC brings to the party.

3. Stats

Every sport has its stats where analytics has become its own commodity. But so has happened in politics where lies, disinformation and distrust have become their own commodity that gets sold to the public. But Dr. King wanted us to avoid being sidetracked by bad stats. His hope during the civil rights movement was that it would help our nation achieve a higher destiny of citizenship. It’s not about one side trying to fool the other side or control the other side or turning culture wars into battles that fool the public. It’s about how we fulfill the ideals of America’s spirit and get back our ‘civic mojo’ to make our journeys one.

4. Story

Sometimes elections are like ‘baptism’. We get preached the ‘gospel of the parties’ then are all-in with the policy/programming. However, whether at graduation, a wedding day or baptism, that’s not a one-time thing but a lifetime journey of learning and growing. America, we got to do a better job after elections where it’s not just a one-time thing, but a lifetime journey of being informed, engaged and inspired citizens. After graduation we get to grow in skillset. After the wedding day we get to grow in marriage. After baptism we get to grow in faith. After elections, we gotta grow in the story of perfecting America.

Throughout history ‘We the People’ used civics to become more informed, engaged and empowered around the stakes, stars, stats and story. We’re at that moment where we need to not just be about ‘the show’ but also about ‘the know’. We must remind ourselves of what it means to be a democratic constitutional republic, not just a hodgepodge tribe of citizens. We’ve got to deploy a new world view, with history as a mirror to help us see who we are; civics as a map to see our way around; and culture as a motor to drive our way through to an America we desire and expect in our hearts and homes.

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: Bob Marley – Wake Up and Live – https://youtu.be/dq-_js08tU0?si=911h24tdDvfUQI6t

John Legend – Wake Up Everybody – https://youtu.be/iJgxJ6JrPkc?si=Rr7Y7mIFeXKzs9zn

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How Does America Explain Itself? (Part 1 of 2): A Wake-up Moment on the Reality of Our Times

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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, sports radio pundits and podcast hosts are gonna make it make sense.

Then came the presidential election. It’s going to take some time to have it all make sense, but we gotta avoid being stuck. After a disappointment like happens in a big game, the commentators might run through the season from start to finish to help connect the dots. Moreover, the analysis might look at the team’s past and present to consider their future options. We need to do the same to answer the question, “how does America explain itself?” Maybe one aspect is that folks see their vote like voting for contestants on a realty tv show. Plus, with around 6 million less folks voting for president compared to 2020, and the social hierarchy from history, looks like many had more dread than hope.

But there’re lots of other factors to pull in when reviewing the reality of our current times, in terms of history and legacy. For example, during biblical days there was a pendulum swing over a 450-yr period between good Kings and bad Kings, where God at times had to step in to set things straight. But let’s make it make sense from SAIC’s ongoing deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. We learned that throughout America’s almost 250-yr history, author Corey Brettschneider says we’ve seen a similar pendulum swing:

We’ve flipped back-and-forth between reckoning and recovering in the journey of America.
It was the efforts of ‘We the People’ that ensured America kept moving and growing.

Reckoning had Democracy on edge, while recovery had it on elevate. Then, add-in thoughts Dr. King shared in 1967 from assessing the civil rights movement and race relations in his book “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?”. He once said that “darkness cannot drive out darkness only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” SAIC’s footnote on King’s message is that “politics cannot drive out politics, have civics help do that.” A cold hard truth is that love doesn’t spread hate, only self-hate does that. Light doesn’t spread darkness, only darkness does that. So for America to heal, how’re we gonna address the self-hate, the darkness, the hypocrisy?

Furthermore, the presidential campaign revealed some things about trying to heal election wounds. No one with a wound goes out and keeps re-injuring the wound, expecting it to heal. It’ll heal when given treatment or surgery or time, as with athletes after a hard-fought game or injury. The problem we have is that sometimes politics keeps re-harming the wound. So we’ve gotto do some analysis to help America explain itself (to itself). For starters, there’s a void/disconnect in how we see America and each other in:

1. Humanity

SAIC’s social-edge framework is built on the shift from black & white TV to color TV. Black & white TV beams a stream of ‘white light’, with varying shades of gray. Color TV beams three streams of ‘colored light’ (red, green, blue), when combined give the beautiful picture on our sets. America began with a single stream of ‘white light’. The nation’s journey towards a more perfect Union is shifting to a multi-stream ‘array of light’. The ever-present challenge in America is some mainly want to stream ‘white light’. This sadly plays out across humanity and the annals of time in a mindset of “whiteness over otherness.”

2. Democracy

Each time our democracy was on edge it was preceded by a stark ‘public debate’ or provable ‘lie’. Around the time of our founding and the subsequent abolition period, the debate was that Blacks were inferior (three-fifths clause). During the Antebellum period, a ‘debate conclusion’ led to Dred Scott being told he had no rights as a citizen (Supreme Court Ruling). More recently after the 2020 elections, things went off the rails. In each case, the wranglings led to seismic moments in American history. So, understanding modern elections and how we got here means connecting the dots across history, civics and culture.

3. Party

Political parties took shape around 1796 and more fully by the 1800 elections as Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Now, don’t get stuck on labels since party names have changed and ideology flipped between parties over time. The key thing to note is ideology flips between living in contradiction or living in conviction. An example of this from the early days was in slavery as a contradiction to the Declaration of Independence ideal of equality. These days the contradictions play out in election polling data and public policy info. Was the election really about the economy or other contradictory factors?

4. History

It’s said that controversy sells, sex sells, celebrity sells. This election saw ‘bigotry sells’ surface in new ways. These were demeaning moments against different racial groups which have already begun to affect college campuses and Black voters. In the early/mid 1900s there were minstrel shows which often had folks in blackface as a gesture meant to be funny but was instead demeaning. Decades later there was Archie Bunker, who played the lead role in a sitcom serving up a similar mixture. What we just experienced and have seen in history felt like it came from the ‘political supermarket’ of old.

Maybe Dr. King would take a page from scripture or ‘Uncle Sam’ take a page from history in asking, “what does it profit a nation to lie to the whole world but lose its soul?” In early America we had one group of politicians pushing the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 while another group of NJ citizens were crafting the Township Act of 1798. Same year, two different realities. Since today looks like this is America, we can take a page from King’s work to “do something for country, keep moving with new energy.” The civil rights movement knew that it’s ‘We the People’ that keep us on the ‘life, liberty and happiness’ path.

Tracks: Jazmine Sullivan – Stand Up – https://youtu.be/X-6g7My_j14?si=XO1qpHiMVESZOWjr

John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change – https://youtu.be/oBIxScJ5rlY?si=VCVIxXoKolm8Pq4z

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The Original Founders Playbook: How Their Novel Gameplan Helped Roll Out the Red Carpet for America

Doc Cunningham
Da Island Guy
Sounding Off Social

“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 flags about things that contribute to the partisan discord and social divides. What does that mean for the future of America? (hold that thought).

As Israel marked the one-year anniversary of the attack on its citizens, we see ongoing instability and rising tensions. There’s increasing concern that things could get out of hand and become a regional mess. But even closer to home, as the presidential campaign season rounds the corner towards the homestretch, some are wondering if we’ll have similar post-election drama as happened in 2020. It seems both situations need a new language to describe things, while walking in the shoes of history.

In the case of the Middle East, U.S. policy supports a two-state solution. With the situation as horrific as it is, maybe that new language for moving things along might include as a mantra, “Shared Peace Lifestyle”. Furthermore, with the U.S. social/civic climate, a similar step might apply. That’s the inspiration behind SAIC, as a novel concept around civic/social issues for a higher level of citizenship, having coined the term, #MojoInAmerica (MOJO – Make Our Journeys One).

Remember, SAIC was born out of a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. From those lessons, we found some key ‘pivot points’ along the way. There was the Declaration of Independence in 1776; the adoption of E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) in 1782. The release of the Constitution to the States for review in 1787. Then there was the Federalist Papers being published on October 27, 1787. It’s why Oct 27^th is observed as National Civics Day. Of course, there’s that moment between Benjamin Franklin and a female bystander who posed the question, “What do we have, a monarchy or republic?”

While that question lands loudly within the current political climate, there’s a subtext that resounds even louder, kinda connecting from back then to now. Think of it in the ‘What do we have’ terms today:

Is it just about politics or also civics?
It is just protecting turf or uniting people?
Is it just the ‘horse race’ of running for a constituency or the ‘voice race’ of empowering citizenry?
Is it just promoting the policy or perfecting the Union?

With the choice at hand in the upcoming election, we can take a page from the founders’ playbook in rolling out the red carpet for America. The model left by them is one of turning the Constitutional Convention into civic mobilization that appealed to ‘hearts & homes for America’, otherwise known as ‘We the People’. Political parties didn’t arrive on the scene initially until 1796, and more established in 1800. What made the red carpet rollout special is that it was:

1. News Breaking

The three main writers of the Federalist Papers were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. According to the online History Channel, when the first essay appeared in the Independent Journal, Hamilton argued that the debate facing the nation was not only over ratification of the proposed Constitution, but over the question of “whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force.” These days, what’s news breaking is more ‘shock & awe’.

2. Crowd Sourcing

As the founders returned to their States, they had the chance to share ‘meeting notes from the Convention, release notes from the Constitution.’ There was that bystander question that got the ball rolling, as Franklin left the Convention Hall. When they arrived home, their focus was to engage residents in the benefits of being part of the Union. In other words, independence was the first step in democracy and republic, but to get to Union they did ‘crowd sourcing’ instead of ‘crown sourcing’. It’s like when a potential candidate announces a listening tour, they’re trying to fine-tune and maybe foretell their plans.

3. Mojo Building

The founders and citizens knew the stakes of ratifying the Constitution. Clearly, there was some ‘mojo building’ at play. The National Anthem hadn’t yet been written so ‘E Pluribus Unum’ and the Federalist Papers were the tools. One helped to rally the social climate, the other was paramount for forging the civic climate. But something else happened, like what immigrants get to experience in becoming naturalized citizens. As with public officials, we take an oath to “support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.” That’s tied to some ‘life, liberty and happiness’ patriotism.

4. Shift Making

The first three States to ratify the Constitution were Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, with ‘shift making’ across the land. SAIC as a social-edge campaign works to embrace civics and bridge divides. Example, in consumer tech we went from black & white to color TV; same box, different technology. With civic/social issues, SAIC helps highlight that we’re “same box (flesh & blood), but different cultures”. With TV, we went from same source (channels) to different streams/smarts. Similarly, with the issues we go from the same ‘isms & schisms’ then and now to viewing things through SAIC’s ‘smart prism’ as a nation.

Before there was ‘we the democrats’ or ‘we the republicans’ there simply was ‘we the people’. With red States becoming redder and Blue State becoming bluer, we can deploy ‘See America In Color’ to bridge the civics gap and partisan divides. As the red carpet got rolled out in the early days, all the founders had to work with was appealing to ‘hearts & homes for America’. In part, that’s the inspiration behind SAIC’s latest efforts to rally around civic engagement, civics education and social impact. This means taking a page from the founders, built around news breaking, crowd sourcing, mojo building and shift making.

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: Rag’n’Bone Man – Human – https://youtu.be/L3wKzyIN1yk?si=rT6qK9HaifvTkN-d

Tems – Higher – https://youtu.be/Qa1IaUywiO8?si=DQ5eUwgqMk-D-bd4

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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

Protoje (Ft Jesse Royal) – Family – https://youtu.be/258_PV8K634?si=P-WeaAsefowElVno

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The Hottest Convention Season of Modern Times: What Democracy, Republic, Union Mean for America’s Great Expectations

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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, was the Adidas brand’s new ad campaign that stirred-up bad memories from the 1972 Munich Olympics where members of the Israeli delegation were killed. The ad featured runway model Bella Hadid who is of Palestinian descent. She issued a statement condemning violence and apologized for being caught-up in this unfortunate promo.

That was some of the talk in pop culture, but there were other stories where the sense was things were feeling ‘hot hot hot.’ This past July has gone down as the hottest day on record, both literally and figuratively. It was reported by European Climate Services that global earth temperature, based on the averages of land and sea, hit a new high. On a Sunday in July a new record was set, then broken the next day.

Now, when it comes to the presidential campaign, the recent earth-shattering announcement and events during this Convention season left many folks stunned. A different candidate at the top of the ticket has brought new life politically and buzz socially. With this series of stories dominating news coverage, it leaves open the chance that we can have the summer of 2024 mirror the summer of 1787. Back then, the founders met to take initial steps of crafting a roadmap that would be tied to perfecting the nation.

Meanwhile, it feels like this might be the hottest convention season of modern times. Since the days of our founding and the journey of our making, we’ve had moments of crisis and crossroads, where we had to guard democracy, affirm the republic and save the union. On those occasions, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln left us with examples that were as meaningful then as they are now. You might remember these from:

Washington’s declaration in his farewell speech to watch-out for political factions and despotic leaders that might wanna veer from the founding ideals.
Franklin’s warning at the end of the Constitutional Convention that “we have a republic, if we can keep it”.
Lincoln’s courage during the civil war of issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to save the union.

In the current climate we can build on their example while taking a page from business circles. There’s this idea called SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) that’s used as a strategy for staying on the cutting edge in the marketplace. Well, in civic & social issues we might use that mindset to rally around a gameplan to get us through the election season and the make-or-break times in America’s story. One thing we might do is make ‘civics as the star’ by how we walk in the shoes of history. We the people can engage a Civics Convention as an updated template of what the founders had in mind. This’ll help set the stage as folks consider the:

1. Choice

It seems some are bored/mad with the founders’ design on things, in wanting a ‘divorce’ from democracy towards a Christian Nationalist image. That’s one track being offered for America. The other track builds on the founding ideals in a more inclusive way. It’s like SAIC’s model of social/civic reinvention, which mirrors the shift from ‘black & white TV’ to ‘color TV’. It’s a more inclusive framework that’s not just about projecting ‘white light’ but combines elements of ‘colored light’ through American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. This mirrors who we are and want to be as a nation.

2. Course

As the founders met in the summer of 1787, their efforts charted a course for the new nation. The guiding purpose has always been about perfecting the union. What might that look like in the 21^st century? When World War II ended, the NATO alliance was formed to bolster solidarity and synergy of European nations around democracy. We need a similar strategy now to foster synergy and solidarity on making ‘civics as the star’. During the Harlem Renaissance, Ralph Waldo Emerson believed that “intellect and artistic production could help overcome prejudice”. A public/private alliance having a similar role is needed today.

3. Courage

Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves during the Civil War. The push for freedom by abolitionists was heard in social and political circles. But there was the dilemma of blacks joining the Union Army without further inflaming border states that hadn’t yet joined the Confederacy. The courage it took to form the union in 1776 and to save the union in 1865, might be understood in words from Thomas Jefferson: “Whenever the people are informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” A public/private alliance and informed nation gives rise to more courage, less distrust.

4. Common Good

You’ve heard SAIC’s message before that “civics is to country as hygiene is to humanity. Without it things can get funky”. There’s no law to manage hygiene, it’s just something we do as self-care during life’s ins & outs, and as a common good for human interactions. That’s what this public/private alliance would mean in terms of nation-care. The founders gave us a roadmap for working and growing as a nation. It’s been updated over the years to better reflect the times. But it’s important to not lose sight of the common good so that social/civic interactions don’t devolve into a situation where things get funky.

Party Conventions have become a way to make ‘politics as the star’. But back in the day when parties didn’t exist, the founders were about making ‘civics as the star’. In a few months we’ll be choosing the direction for our country, which will drive the course we take. With that in mind, noted philosopher Reinold Niebuhr one said, “man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary.” We gotta have the courage to guard democracy, affirm the republic and save the union. To continue as a beacon of hope, land of the free, home of the brave, we gotta be on the worthy side of history. So, let’s meet the moment of America’s great expectations.

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: Pharrell Williams – Freedom – https://youtu.be/LlY90lG_Fuw?si=60X3tOqB4FVISmYc

Sara Bareilles – Brave – https://youtu.be/QUQsqBqxoR4?si=Bqs0TenSajKxVaab

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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?

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 his son (Junior) getting drafted by the Lakers, and then signed in a matter of days. This news was all over in pop culture.

Politics is right up there too, especially after the uproar and unease following the last presidential debate. There’re those who’re like sharks going for blood or like citizens wanting to see new blood in higher office. The life & times we see today in the summer of 2024 might take us back to the summer of 1787. As the founders met during the Constitutional Convention, they had to choose a leader at the proceedings. Then following that, they had to vote who would become the nation’s first president.

Be a fly on the wall then, a cricket on the floor now and a diviner of public sentiment, you’ll soon get some of what’s causing all this angst. These days America is trying to write the story of new beginnings, as well as to answer the question, “who are we as a people, what are we made of as a nation?” Some of the struggles among voters point to the fact that America still has a leaning to having two white men as the nominees from each party running for president. There’s also the factor of telling other countries when their leaders need to step aside to usher in new leadership, but we’re having a tough time doing that here as it relates to both candidates.

George Washington, who became the first President had some other concerns then that might even apply today. He was worried about factions driving policy and law. He was chosen during a time when the struggle was around the battlefield of war and democracy. These days, we’re on the battlefield of democracy as well as law/social order, especially with recent Supreme Court rulings. The person we choose to lead us in this next phase of America should have those points top-of-mind or close to heart. Back in 1787 they chose Washington based on four key criteria:

Little/no embarrassment to country.
Greater competence for duty.
Stronger character for synergy.
Better vision for democracy.

In sports, great athletes are often seen as making the right play at the right time. They’re good at ‘making the right read’ at pivotal moments in the game. Can that idea or the above 4-pronged criteria be helpful today with paving the way for the next chapter in America’s story? With all things being equal, one might choose a candidate based on party loyalty, personal liking or media savvy. But this time is different. Plus, the struggles seem to also be between regular voters vs big-money donors, left-wing vs right-wing, hope vs hubris, age vs autocratic-leaning. So, we gotta look at what else the founders had in mind when they rolled out the red carpet to America’s Independence. They wanted life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through the inner workings of:

1. People

A key phrase in the Constitution reminds us that the nation was founded around new beginnings in self-determination as ‘we the people’. The challenge in America is making sure the will of the many isn’t trampled on by the wishes of the fewer or the civil rights of the fewer isn’t squashed by the many. The challenge we have is that politics and sports play a significant role in culture, with civics having a smaller lane. In the same way that the founders came together and laid out plans for our democratic republic, we gotta revisit that period to highlight ideals that will get us through this moment of Civic Revolution.

2. Power

As States came on-board in the Union, folks did more to have ‘we the people’ be a bedrock at other levels of government. Across the country there was the founding of local municipalities/townships that officially recognized everyday citizens who were committed to handling their civic affairs. We know them today as legislatures, mayors, council members, etc. It wasn’t just about serving in high office but also formalizing other parts of self-government. These days we need a kinda regeneration in civic engagement and public good, where folks aren’t in it just for public grandstanding, but for better policy making.

3. Promise

What might regeneration look like? Consider injuries to the body and how it’s designed to heal itself by growing new cells, new flesh, new skin. We even see this in nature when branches get pruned and shaped, there’s a regrowth that occurs. The promise of America can serve as that regenerative force. But we gotta cut back from our body politic the things that are like dead weight that serve as a resource drain in the system. We gotta prune and shape some leaves/branches to give birth to new ideas. We gotta ‘set off’ the ideal of turning promise into dreams, like canisters into fireworks.

4. Process

America has gone through 7 phases in its history: Settlement, Slavery, Independence, Civil War, Reconstruction, Segregation, Civil Rights. Now we’re in the throes of a new phase, let’s call it Reinvention. When seen like the caterpillar/butterfly metamorphosis, we can move forward and become a butterfly of our better angels or revert to a cold nature and become ‘dead shell’ as a country. Metamorphosis is a transition from an immature form to an adult form. So, for this next phase, SAIC has crafted a Public Interest Proposal across country, community and culture as a public/private initiative.

Whoever is chosen at the Conventions will be one step closer to pulling the levers of America’s power. Right now, a battle for the soul of America is among gatekeepers, content producers, culture makers and power brokers. In getting to ‘Union Station’, there’s track 1 based on alliance in truth & civility. Then there’s track 2 based on alliance in grim and grievance. But we can’t wait for ‘Project 2025’ as roadmap. We gotta set-it-off now with ‘Project 2024’. The path we take to Reinvention will depend on the degree of ‘esprit de corps’ (good vibes, swag & bag) we muster for a more perfect union, to level-up as a nation.

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: Mickey Guyton – All American – https://youtu.be/0AtnvO2_Ijc?si=1y0O3gHbQ8UND3Bb

YG Marley – Praise Jah in the Moonlight – https://youtu.be/Kgh9TVm4X8s?si=69ztLk9Azt6zv3rh

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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, the NBA season’s gonna wrap with the naming of a champion after a hard-fought series and long season. As the baseball pastime settles in, the WNBA season finds its groove around rookies and veterans. Whether Caitlin Clark buzz dies-down or not, the lead-up to the summer Olympics in Paris is already having stories of triumph and heartbreak. Ever wondered with all these sports events, you never hear athletes saying they’ll protest if they lose or that they’re being set up to fail by league/sports officials?

Well, the same can’t be said about some in the political world. Since the last presidential election, there’s been a puzzling aspect to how things played out. One way to help solve this puzzle which has become the new social enigma in America, is to take a step back and review the record. As many folks know, that’s how See America In Color (SAIC) came to be. After a series of national news story, a deep dive began into American history, the ‘Black to America’ story, and #HometownStrong comebacks. This led to creating a social-edge campaign/platform that’s about having a better handle of hot-button issues, by how we see America in color, not just black & white.

What’s happening today is an updated version of the Lost Cause trying to take us back. Remember after the civil war, the Lost Cause mindset tried to explain-away why the Confederates lost to the Union. That message grew into a force that contributed to the Reconstruction backlash, since some weren’t happy as Blacks made headway. The disruptive Lost Cause voice grew louder into what later became known as Jim Crow, a period of restrictive and destructive policies/laws. So, when some (who should know better) say that the Jim Crow period was a boom for Blacks, they’re clearly lost or loose with the facts because of what they overlook. It’s as if they wanna take us back, by going from Jim Crow to Joe Tribe.

History reveals many were caught-up in the Lost Cause as a response to losing the civil war’s fight over slavery. In a sense, they wanted to re-insert practices of white supremacy. Furthermore, there were splinter efforts that might be thought of as ‘loose cause’, which like a loose tooth, weren’t fully rooted in substance, but were often conspiracy-based. The enigma we see today mirrors that period. In today’s version, the context involves a switch from slave plantation to duped-tribe plantation. But for SAIC, what we’re trying to do during this period is go from ‘beloved community’ (as Dr. King often described the civil rights movement), to ‘mojo posse’ in efforts to make our journeys one (mojo). To do that we gotta understand current times with the backdrop of:

1. Hate

Nine years ago, a South Carolina community was rocked by tragedy at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. The victims were all church members at Bible Study. The person who carried out this heinous act was someone consumed by hate. This corrosive mindset has different degrees of victimhood, sometimes due to lack of self-love. But it also shows up in those who’re indoctrinated and radicalized by messages that sell ‘whiteness in the context of darkness’, thus being duped. That happened after the civil war as the Lost Cause mindset infected others who got caught up in KKK-thinking, like seen with the church shooter.

2. Harm

The Lost Cause wasn’t the only form of victimhood and hate. As Blacks made gains in public service and personal achievement, there was a backlash which led to a growing acceptance of and occurrences in lynchings. This intimidation became a kinda spectator sport as ‘loose cause’ not rooted in substance, but in conspiracies about Blacks. We’ve heard about the Imposter Syndrome where folks feel like they don’t belong. Well, what we see in ‘duped-tribe circles’ across some sectors of society is the ‘Nobody Syndrome’, where due to poor sense of self, folks offer their less-self instead of their best self.

3. Stigma

Hate and harm during Jim Crow caused social stigma, like signs that said, ‘whites only’. Even in Hollywood back then, some black artists couldn’t stay in the same hotel after performing in the hotel’s ballroom. Think about the days of black & white tv, sometimes the picture would be a bit fuzzy. You couldn’t enjoy the program as much. These days some argue the fuzziness will be made better by being colorblind, by not seeing others in color. SAIC is less about colorblind and more about having a color-mind by not being stuck on black & white tv. But to see things better in color of ‘no hate’ for a fuller life.

4. Dogma

The Civil Rights Movement helped bring an end to Jim Crow. Folks were tired of the hate, harm and stigma that prevailed. A major turning point was the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was inspired by Rosa Park’s courage to no longer ride at the back of the bus. She and others had had enough of the dogma tied to second-class status. Being told you don’t belong or that you gotta take a backseat could have caused some to experience low/lost hope. But instead of those emotions being turned into ‘lost cause’, the people rallied and turned them into one of the greatest modern-day movements in social change.

To close, the Lost Cause was about explaining away the Confederates losing the civil war. These days folks try to explain away a candidate having lost the 2020 Presidential elections. The ‘loose cause’ back then led to a backlash due to conspiracy theories around Blacks. The ‘loose cause’ today is seen in a backlash to DEI and other efforts in social progress. We’ve gone from fighting to protest and eliminate the slave plantation to fighting to inform and elucidate the ‘duped-tribe plantation’. There’s even a ‘loose cause’ in how some rap artists and public figures explain their political views. So, making social change happen means scrapping the ‘fake stage show’, if folks only wanna sell their less-self, not their best self.

Tracks: Lil Duval – Smile (Living My Best Life) – https://youtu.be/BekGQqRJfWo?si=qXesN9McYv73l6Ej

Alicia Keys & Maleah Joi Moon – Kaleidoscope – https://youtu.be/uOaMqC8ymig?si=RJR5GTxa8yWRsDUa

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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

Doc Cunningham
Da Island Guy
Sounding Off Social

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 scratching their heads while others treat it like solving a puzzle.

Then there’s a battle on the other front that has dominated the evening news. It’s been a tense few weeks across college campuses at home and abroad. The ongoing middle east turmoil between Israel and Hamas has the ‘now generation’ in a tizzy. Some wanna know why one side seems ‘favored’ over the other side, when famine and unnecessary destruction are the stories of disaster. The other side is fed-up about feeling as if they shouldn’t exist. For either side it’s kinda the same message, just different context.

In a sense, current social protests are like what happened in the 60s and 70s. Back then folks were fighting to dismantle ‘Jim Crow’, advocating for civil rights and warning about nuclear war and the dragged-out Vietnam war. These days the burning consequential issues revolve around the culture wars and the ‘isms and schisms’ that have plagued us throughout history. Back then we dealt with sit-ins at lunch counters. Nowadays it’s encampments on college plazas. Are we missing something?

As SAIC draws-on its research in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks, you’ll find some common elements to the success of efforts that moved us from protest towards perfecting our Union. They include:

“Calling-out what is, calling-in what can be”.
Change as part of a social framework within an intellectual setting or with spiritual fervor.
People finding their voice and taking a stand.
A new ‘order of things’ from having rattled the conscience of America.

Folks would call out what’s wrong, or not working or weakening our values or just plain old wicked. The movements that helped bring change did so within an enlightenment push. Plus, a key lesson for today’s activists and agitators is in knowing that a ’poverty of vision’ results in making noise without making moves. Moreover, remember that “an overdone steak is burnt, while a well-done steak is flavorful”. In other words, we’ve gotta go from encampment to empowerment and ensure that the energy and passion displayed doesn’t dissipate like smoke after a fire.

If we look back to events of the past that made a difference with living in America, you’ll find a shift occurred in the culture. For example, a shift from spreading racial animosity to pursuing racial equity, from political maneuvering to vision building, from being limited to seeing America in black & white to seeing America in color. So, if we’re gonna go from encampment to empowerment, here’s what might help turn the mess into a message across campus, main street and country with the help of:

1. Administration (upset or explain)

There’re times when a child misses the mark. How we handle the situation might vary on a case-by-case basis. Off-the-charts behavior might call for some serious punishment. A few choice words or slap might even show up out of nowhere. But sometimes, the situation requires that we do less to be upset by how we holla and scream and instead do more to explain how they live and learn. We’ve all had our own growing pains but eventually made a shift for the better. As the saying goes, “you live life forward and understand it backward”. At the end of the day, it’s about turning the situation into a teachable moment.

2. Media (inflame or inform)

For media outlets, it’s often about ratings. What’s the number of eyeballs they can attract/keep with their programming. But there’re other forces at work since the shift from free-tv to pay-tv. With free-tv the competition was based on how well they informed the public. The more in-touch folks felt about the happenings at home and abroad, the more loyalty to a station. Plus, there were fewer channels then. Since pay-tv, the competition seems to be about how some inflame the public. It doesn’t take much to inflame (doesn’t take much to cause upset). But SAIC’s vision to inform and explain helps impact change.

3. Business (tune-out or level-up)

They say what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. For some when it comes to social issues, the sense is “what happens out there, stays out there”. That mindset bleeds into disinformation or decisions that lack foresight. After events of the past few years, some businesses made a shift to help employees level-up in civic engagement and social impact. Recent protests are reminders that issues hit close to home. Sports leagues have gone on record about doing more with players and fans so that it’s not just about the game but also about us as a nation. SAIC’s take is that it’s gotta be about bringing more #MojoInAmerica.

4. Community (exhale or engage)

There’s a time to complain and be upset. But we can’t simply exhale without thinking about how we engage. That’s one reason for SAIC’s efforts at developing Campus Solidarity Day (aka Breakout Day). It takes a page from what we see in sports where Draft Day for athletes and execs is an exciting time for the brand and love of the game as an athlete/league (breakout the champagne, breakout the dreams). Well, Breakout Day for students and administrators will be an exciting time for social impact and love of the culture as a citizen/country (breakout the fun, breakout the teams).

Throughout history, the American project of impacting change has been about how we “call-out what is and call-in what can be.” That’s no different in these days of street protests and college encampments. It can ruffle feathers to call out what’s wrong or not working or weakening our values or just wicked. But to make shifts happen we’ve gotta look at how we explain vs exclaim, inform vs inflame, level-up vs tune-out and engage vs exhale. In the words of James Brown on ‘Living in America’, we gotta work “hand in hand, across the nation…yeah we got to have a celebration.” It’s a matter of truth or dare.

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: James Brown – Living in America – https://youtu.be/c5BL4RNFr58?si=CRKp1i5pno1HF9UV

Tyla – Truth or Dare – https://youtu.be/boOWyGnGYxs?si=_iO9CKygHUIyo0ZC

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 feel like winners in some aspect of daily life.

While that’s been a Spring Break activity feeding our fun, we reached the six-month mark since the start of the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Efforts at tamping down violence and freeing hostages have been ongoing. Folks are frustrated about the recent loss of life with food workers, and how things are playing out. On the homeland, it’s been just about two months since the tragedy at the Chiefs’ Superbowl Parade. Equally so are those who’re saddened by how a fun post-Superbowl event ended with loss of life too.

In an interview with USA Today, Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid says the organization and the nation gotta do better, “Which has nothing to do with chasing a threepeat, but so much to do with a deeper purpose: the children”. In a sense, it’s as if our nation needs to experience a ‘Stroke of Genius in Civic Life’. We might start with a lookback in history for some clues on what America’s story says about the ‘movement of a people’ in advancing our nation’s standing. Think on how America’s founding got its footing and later free enterprise goodness. The nation came to be through movements of:

Merchants seeking expanded profit in commerce (quantity of life).
Pilgrims seeking greater purpose in community (quality of life).
Citizens seeking deeper patriotism in country (solidarity of life).

These aspects continue to influence, inspire and sometimes inflame the issues of our time. What we see from March Madness is there’re more folks riding on the fun of sports. But it seems the recent World Happiness Report suggests that even with high numbers in sports viewership, more younger generation folks aren’t quite feeling America’s life situations. Clearly, there’s a difference between fun and happiness.

Closer to home, many residents made plans to view the solar eclipse. Some folks travelled long distances by air and highway to get the best view. Retail and restaurant venues offered ‘Eclipse Day’ specials to attract customers who’d be looking to the sky. Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but what if we could put a similar level of energy and dollars into civic life as we did with the eclipse? If we consider that America’s story is the combination of quantity of life, quality of life as well as solidarity of life, the common thread across all three is getting to the point of taking a stand for:

1. Self

An age-old question in human interest terms is ‘WIIFM – what’s in it for me’. With any effort for profit, purpose or patriotism, it’s an underlying question, oftentimes silently kept. There’s usually a ‘self’ aspect that gets our attention and motivates participation. In the case of the Chiefs, their ‘WIIFM’ focus is gonna be on a possible threepeat. But what coach Reid was also saying is the importance of a higher purpose as an organization. In other words, not only to ‘party with a purpose’ with a parade in the community, but also ‘live with higher purpose’ as a collective. That’s when self gets to tag-team with solidarity.

2. Education

Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement tapped into something that folks hung-up on grievances seem to miss. The movement was focused on opening the doors of commerce, strengthening community and advancing country through policies that respect the value of all people. What we have nowadays are some who’re focused on devaluing people. Moreover, one way the movement got its boost was built around education. The Brown vs Board of Education ruling was a landmark decision and bookmark to the movement. Civics education can play a similar role today for taking a stand.

3. American Dream

The American Dream is sometimes seen as turning opportunity into capability, a good job into a good life. There’s also the part of invention through innovation. Either way, things might lead to greater market value and social capital. One way we see this play-out in sports is where players/teams turn energy into chemistry and build marketability through synergy. Similarly, America is at its best when it builds its standing around creating synergy across quantity of life, quality of life and solidarity of life. Maybe that’s what the effort in E Pluribus Unum was about during the early days, as well as civil rights in later years.

4. Country/Family

The challenge these days is of double-speak from those who push policies in division but offer rhetoric in patriotism. This feeds the culture wars and a toxic kind of synergy. SAIC brings a different approach, like back in the day when music was released as a ’45’ vinyl record. There was the main track as well as what was known as the B-side. One side was the lead single, the other was an instrumental or different song. A good ‘45’ was one where it was a ‘double hit’, lead single and B-side. Well, we can do the same by bringing new energy to our civic life and human spirit. It’ll make for a double hit in country and family.

America looked to the sky in unity for one reason, the eclipse. So to coach Reid and those who wanna forge a ‘Stroke of Genius’ in civic life, let’s take a stand in unity for the culture. This will help impact self, education, American Dream and country/family. Our ‘Civic Mondays’ program to triumph in social spirit is like planting a seed and watching it sprout roots, then branches and leaves in civic engagement. The program and SAIC are for all ages, like water for a potted plant. As civics gets poured in, April showers bring May flowers. So ‘JAM With Us’ on the method to our madness, turn up big for fun and happiness.

Tracks: Chris Brown – Turn Up the Music – https://youtu.be/eQWG8BVeryU?si=JKn9fNnIoKlqPoIK

Nupah – Self Love – https://youtu.be/uveBMpCfgAU?si=2S2GqCNk8EXKGIkL

**Civic Mondays**: Pre-register using link below
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwoc-ipqzksGdZLMpmg9aMQ8W-bpzRvoeI4

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Brainstorming for America: Turning Lows to Highs, Step-back to Comeback and Downtime to Primetime in Civic Engagement

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 its downtime, the next crop of players gear-up for primetime.

But that’s often easier said than done when it comes to the issues of our time. From Supreme Court rulings to surges in border crossings to shrinkflation pricing, it sometimes feels like too much to handle. That’s why SAIC’s efforts involve helping us with brainstorming for America. Our Civics & Community forum series is focused on making our voices heard from the block to the Capitol.

Take for example how there’s a growing effort to deny DEI as a biz/social value program. There’re those who want to play the ‘reverse race card’ to suggest that they’re being disadvantaged. Then, when you add-in the furor around immigration issues, you realize it’s all connected to the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 (INA). During the civil rights movement, much of the focus was around equality. This period saw some major legislation passed to solidify those efforts.

The INA included provisions for boosting immigration from predominantly non-white regions. So, countries in the Caribbean and Africa received an increase in numbers of immigration slots. This shift was an example of valuing diversity in public policy. Now, imagine if that chance wasn’t possible. There wouldn’t be an SAIC that came out of a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. There wouldn’t be an SAIC that invites folks to “JAM With Us” in community empowerment. That would have been my loss, and maybe even America’s loss too?

With the 250^th anniversary of America’s independence in a couple years, we have the chance to explore local resolutions and state/federal legislation that writes the next chapter of America’s story. Plus, as the presidential campaign season ramps-up, folks are looking to be informed and involved. There are moments when it feels overwhelming from poll results and media reports. While not always top-of-mind for some millennials and Gen Zers, the issues are a way for us to come together and inspire the next generation of Super Citizens around:

1. Democracy – New Light

The American experiment of a democratic constitutional republic came out of the Enlightenment period. Folks were tired of being tied to a King or tied down by colonial strings. Democracy was ‘new light’ in public affairs and civic engagement. SAIC brings a social-edge campaign/platform that sheds new light on the hot button issues of our time. In a sense, it’s like knowing the difference between a bird feeder and a scarecrow. One attracts birds with food, the other scares birds from destroying food. SAIC helps us see the issues in a similar way. Some folks wanna destroy our ideals, others wanna feed those ideals.

2. Diversity – New Lane

Imagine road construction, with one lane closed on a three-lane highway. Traffic continues (but slowed) in the remaining lanes, with merging cars from the closed lane. If cars in the open lanes never allowed cars in the closed lane to merge, then that would cause a jam-up. Sometimes they’ll open a lane on the shoulder as an alternate path. Similarly, what DEI allows is for channels of opportunity to be open for those who’ve historically been ‘closed-out’ or might continue to be overlooked. It’s an alternate way to have representation. Then, everybody can merge or ramp-up with the traffic flow of the American Dream.

3. Synergy/Unity – New Leap

Most folks know about the courage of Rosa Parks in not giving up her seat on the bus. We also learned about Claudette Colvin who nine months before had a similar experience of being asked to give up her seat and was arrested. But most don’t know that Dr. King had a similar moment when riding home on a bus at age 14. He was returning from an oratory contest in Dublin Georgia. At first, he thought not to give up his seat when asked by the bus driver. But his teacher/chaperone advised him to do so for their safety. So King had a synergy/unity connection with Parks which led to a new leap in the civil rights movement.

4. #CitizenStrong – New Life

With a spring feeling in the air, it’s time for seeing new life. Trees get to bud new leaves and yards sprout new grass. The Easter season also represents new life in faith and form. What would it mean to have a sense for new life with civic/social issues? It means being aware of those who’re bent on “branding ignorance and marketing distraction”. That’s what the immigration debate has come down to. Working on being #CitizenStrong gives us a chance to not fall prey to the scarecrow. That’s why we’re about advocating roots & culture, not being ignorant in civics and demographics.

So, if you’re feeling a level of burnout from the campaign season or election updates or other hometown disappointment around the issues, maybe March Madness will be an outlet. But in the meantime, to go from lows to highs, step-back to comeback, downtime to primetime means finding new light, new lane, new leap and new life in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes it might seem as if an attack on diversity feels like folks see you as a threat instead of an asset. But as iron sharpens iron, so does civics sharpen civic engagement to help us stand-up and even step-up. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Tracks: Stephen Marley ft Buju Banton – Solution – https://youtu.be/nf_v6CORMNs?si=rVWWcOTGYPTYE7Dm

Jasmin Sullivan – Stand Up – https://youtu.be/X-6g7My_j14?si=KWkjmhK_fUDJpLXe

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 buzz and fan-demonium. The countries and cultures represented by visiting teams and local communities might easily be found in hometowns in the NY/NJ area.

There’s another big game that gets our attention every February. The NFL Superbowl is seen as the ultimate sporting event in the U.S., with a growing fanbase in many parts of the world. The event also falls during Black History Month, and it seems every year there’s always a cultural issue that’s got folks bothered or hot under the collar. This year it’s those who think there’s too much attention being given to Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. They’re even pushing conspiracy theories. Then, add-in issues from the presidential campaign trail, and you’ve got folks pondering whether America is a racist country.

All the brew-ha-ha shines a light on America’s divides throughout history. By looking back we’ll see that America was founded with elements of racism in its DNA (e.g. three-fifths clause, etc). In one sense, there were times when the racism was intentional and other times an oversight. Plus, there’re those who look at racism like seeing a glass as being half-full or half-empty. It’s the same glass but viewed differently because of lived experience. But there’s something else about America’s roots. It’s that we’ve got a ‘breakaway gene’ in our DNA. Over 200+ years of trying to live-up to our ideals, we’ve either been trying to break-away from the aspirational or break-away from the detrimental/dysfunctional. We see this playing out with DEI and immigration issues as a battle between the public good vs political tool.

That’s the crux of America’s divides that seem to get reborn or re-imagined for the good or for the bad as a nation. Maybe the release of the Bob Marley movie might help make sense for how we handle the divides. Marley and his music reached worldwide status because he:

Connected with ‘the people’ in songs about the liberation struggle.
Watched ethnic battles and civil wars in African countries after their Independence in the 50’s and 60’s, so he didn’t want the same to happen in Jamaica.
Was loved by folks across the world and especially in Africa, as a Reggae Ambassador “of service” to people, and admired leader “of value” to gov/biz decision makers.

The popular track ‘Jamming’ was released during the 70s when Jamaica went through a period of social unrest, political division and election tension (sound familiar?). Marley headlined a major concert to help bring the political factions and everyday people under the banner of “One Love” and the idea of “unity of respect and purpose”. It’s from this lived experience that SAIC’s “JAM With Us” (join a movement) initiative is about how we experience more #MojoInAmerica (make our journeys one).

Now, going back to sports, when we watch the pre-game coverage of the Superbowl, the commentators share various stats and video clips to help breakdown what we might expect from the players. Similarly, as the presidential campaign season rolls-on, there’re political analysts doing the same for what’s at stake. Well, if we had to breakdown America’s score in 2024 on what makes us tick or fall for the shady trick as a nation, we’ll see that folks get sold false hope. So, to avoid getting caught-up in the conspiracy, disinformation or wild ideas from celebrity newsmakers, it helps to be:

1. ‘Smart’ on Issues

We can break down whether America is a racist country based on if we ‘see America in black & white’ or ‘see America in color.’ In other words, based on how a black & white TV works, it beams a stream of white light with varying intensity. But a color TV beams three streams of colored light (red, green, blue) for the beautiful picture on the screen. There’re those who’d like America to be defined by ‘whiteness’ as the narrative (beam of light). But others want it defined by its history as well as a multi-cultural narrative (streams of colored light). So, if we were able to ‘get smart’ with TV technology, why not on the issues?

2. ‘Juiced’ on Culture

People get ‘juiced’ on culture for different reasons. It could be the music, food, spirits, lingo, social vibe or some combination. But what seems to be happening more often these days is folks getting ‘juiced’ on junk culture. It’s like in the financial world we gotta be careful about junk bonds, or with our health we gotta minimize junk food. In terms of culture, we gotta minimize getting ‘juiced’ by those who’re selling us a junk ‘bill of goods’. Sometimes we gotta know if that celebrity newsmaker or political candidate is talking out of ‘profit or prophet’ reasons when rallying folks in roots & culture. We can minimize getting ‘junked or punked’.

3. ‘Pumped’ on Movement

There’re many ways to get involved with a social cause or civic engagement. Oftentimes there’s the idea of being part of a movement. When seen in a physical sense, movement gets the juices flowing. It raises blood flow and heart rate which are good reasons to get ‘pumped’. But in a social sense, getting ‘pumped’ on movement relates to having a certain mindset. Throughout history we’ve seen different ‘movements’ of folks wanting to break-away from slavery, segregation, etc. The concern these days is about those who want to break-away from the aspirational to the detrimental, from democracy towards autocracy.

4. ‘Inked’ on Union

There’s excitement on Signing Day as athletes announce where they’re headed for college. During our nation’s founding there was another signing day when the Declaration of Independence became official. It announced where our country would be headed. Plus, in another founding document you’ll find that our nation was ‘inked’ on Union with the words “in order to form a more perfect Union”. Whether it’s signing day in sports where athletes from different backgrounds and hometowns plan for a team or signing day in the life of a multi-cultural nation, being ‘inked on union’ has us locked-in on the betterment of the whole.

So, when the initial round of play in World Cup Soccer begins in a couple years, teams will go through qualifying games in the championship. Interestingly, when the finals happen in July 2026, America will also be celebrating its 250^th birthday. The question we gotta ask today…what if we approach the next two years to get ‘smart’ on issues, ‘juiced’ on culture, ‘pumped’ on movement and ‘inked’ on union? Maybe we’ll have a better handle on America’s divides. Maybe we’ll have more #MojoInAmerica. Or maybe we’ll better understand the ‘breakaway gene’ in our DNA towards the greater public good as a nation.

For more on impacting Democracy & Public Good, Education & Community or Entrepreneurship & American Dream, chime-in at the ‘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: Bob Marley & The Wailers – Jamming – https://youtu.be/oqVy6eRXc7Q?si=kgIuPRusJqg4U6nb

India Arie – What If – https://youtu.be/GCKFFitNxy4?si=5aUtrr9ARPDyfIkq

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 and more as an experience.

So what if we could come up with the Top 10 list of hometowns for civic engagement in America? Would your community make the cut? Here we are in a leap year with the chance to turn a new leaf in 2024. As folks make plans for better health, more travel and higher earnings, we might also see the new year as a wake-up call on working shoulder-to-shoulder for social impact. It starts out by making a promise to ‘We the People’ and our America.

If Dr. King were at the mic he might direct us to scripture for a metaphor that translates in life. It’s like the story of the fishermen being recruited to join the movement of the Son. They were gonna be taught what it takes to be “fishers of men”. In modern day terms, they’d cast their nets to reach those who would consider civics over politics. When you study America’s history, you’ll find moments of progress in the nation were tied to civics, while moments of pain and social strife were driven by politics. The Son used the movement for sharing spiritual insight and a social impact message. As a Baptist preacher, Dr. King might have also applied this and other metaphors to the civil rights movement.

With civics, the focus is on ‘power in the people’. With politics, the focus is on ‘power in the powerful’. The Son would later impress upon decision makers and the people that ‘power in the system’ and those who’re powerful should not overwhelm or disregard or discredit the ‘power in the people’. By going back in time, America was founded on the notion of power in ‘We the People’, with those word appearing at the top of the U.S. Constitution. It’s just that there was a limited view to those who were property owners. They didn’t fully see the nation as ‘our America’. That mindset seems to resurface and gets in the way from time to time.

Since the new year presents the chance of a do-over, how would we go about fulfilling the promise to ‘We the People’ and our America? Maybe we’d consider that a focus on civics means a new dawning in Democracy, Public Good and American Dream, while a focus on politics might mean more divisiveness, extremism and misinformation. Plus, when it comes to growth & change as individuals or as a nation, there are some things to guard against that could short-circuit our potential: ignorance, immaturity, insecurity, indecision. So, taking a page from the process used by the founders, and updating it for the 21^st century, we can chart a course for “our America” and our personal goals by how we:

1. Write it into Existence

There’s a scripture that says to “write it down, make it plain”. In a sense, that’s what happened during America’s startup. They penned three key documents, Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. Those serve as the linchpin for our constitutional, democratic republic form of government. Personal development coaches suggest a similar strategy for goal setting. Write it down, make it plain across your mental, physical, spiritual, financial and emotional well-being, spanning a few years. In other words, growing personally or as nation takes some forethought, not just afterthought.

2. Speak it into Relevance

If you don’t write it down, then at least you gotta speak it into existence/relevance. Those of a certain religious faith believe that God spoke the world into existence with the words, “Let there be..”. What the founders did after the Constitutional Convention was to write/speak America into relevance. They’d write the Federalists Papers and then went on the road telling the colonies what was agreed upon for the new nation. The colonies would later adopt the Constitution as a binding document to govern their affairs as the United States of America. You can just feel the relevance that name holds at home and worldwide.

3. Lead it into Prominence

A startup nation wasn’t enough, there had to be some action that went along with the message. They’d have to lead the nation into prominence. SAIC is embarking on such an effort through the ‘Civic Mondays’ effort to triumph in social spirit as well as the Civics & Community Forum series across government, education and community. This way you can “JAM With Us” to grow organizationally and organically. The Son went with a similar approach with His rollout. Furthermore, by combining the spiritual and the social is what led to the prominence of the Son’s movement as well as the acclaim of the civil rights movement.

4. Release it into Brilliance

Sometimes we’ll see time-lapse pictures of changing weather conditions as a storm moves in and rolls out. We go from sunshine to clouds back to sunshine. What if we could see time-lapse pictures of a flower in bloom? It has access to the natural resources of air, sunlight and water. The flower slowly opens up into its full radiance. What if we could see time-lapse pictures of America as a new dawning in Democracy, Public Good and American Dream? Well, as you “JAM With Us” we’ll bring more civics, more roots & culture into the mix of available resources and watch the nation release into its brilliance.

These days it seems like mass communication is often less about informing and empowering, more about click-baiting and entertaining. We need a bit more click-thread journalism. In addition, there’s an overload of politics focused on ‘power in the powerful’ that overwhelms civics focused on ‘power in the people’. We have some who complain and monetize around the problem, but disappear around the solution. The Top 10 list of hometowns for civic engagement will thrive as we write it into existence, speak it into relevance, lead it into prominence and release the brilliance of our best selves as individuals and a nation.

Tracks: Nailah Blackman Ft Lyrikal – Best Self – https://youtu.be/3OGeRodfJ50?si=LPsmWiFeR5HrFwgk

Stevie Wonder – Higher Ground – https://youtu.be/33ZsLGWj1H4?si=vKIc2xyCQPjfQ-N5

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 remake of the Color Purple movie. Those might keep you cuddled-up by the fireplace or big screen.

But during the Hollywood ‘60s, folks were watching the TV sitcom “Get Smart” featuring Maxwell Smart, aka Agent 86. The theme of the show was built around a secret agent who was often making ‘bumbling moves’ in his undercover work. He had gadgets he didn’t handle well, like the phone in his shoes. The technology on the show then seemed far-fetched, but here we are today dealing with ChatGPT and other high touch devices. What if we could make advancements in civics the way we’ve seen happen in tech?

Well, that was a question that helped give birth to SAIC. Yea, there were my own times of ‘bumbling confusion and frustration’ around a series of national news stories which required getting a better handle of the issues. This experience led to a deep dive to extract moments from America’s best days or worst nightmare. The framework that was developed is based on America’s journey of 7 phases (Settlement, Slavery, Independence, Civil War, Reconstruction, Segregation, Civil Rights); 3 communities (Community 1.0, 2.0, 3.0); and 2 questions: (i) how did they overcome the struggle to get their breakthrough, (ii) how did they build excellence to live their best life.

You may be wondering, does that help us get smart on the issues of our time? How might we go from ‘Best-Life 1.0’ to 2.0 to 3.0? Well, think about how we went from black & white TV to color TV to smart TV. We went from a picture based on the streaming of white light, to a picture with three streams of colored light, to a picture with cutting-edge apps and features. Similarly, SAIC’s model is about doing the same with civics, by looking at history and today’s issues not based on just a stream of ‘white light’ but by combining three streams that involve American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. Sadly, some folks don’t want to move beyond the streaming of ‘white light’ as their preferred way for seeing or handling the issues. Moreover, what we see in some circles of public service is more about attention-seeking and chaos, than honor and civic duty.

So in America and even beyond, we gotta decide whether we want to have the best days or worst nightmare moving forward. That’s what Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement had to contend with as well here at home. He’s often remembered for saying “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. These days, it seems we also gotta bend that arc towards Democracy, Public Good and the American Dream. This might require a gameplan for ‘civics in action’ for the next chapter of America’s story. Plus, if we take a page from Dr. King and the movement, apply it to SAIC’s ‘JAM With Us’ (join a movement) initiative, we’ll need to pack:

1. Vision for the Assignment/Journey

Ambassador Andrew Young once shared that Dr. King wasn’t initially gung-ho about being a figure-head for the cause. He saw it as an enormous responsibility. But after self-reflection and divine intervention, he came onboard based on a vision for the assignment/journey. It’s like taking a road trip and punching the destination into your GPS. It gives routes based on traffic patterns and congestion. The direct route is often the way to go but it may also show the by-pass around the city. Civics is a direct route for how we get smart on the issues, but a vision can provide a bypass around roadblocks, power-trips and doubts.

2. Leadership for the Movement

It’s amazing how far we’ve come with computing technology. When computers had Windows and macOS added to the box, it was revolutionary in function and user-friendly in application. This was due in part to tech leaders who heard the frustration cries of consumers for how clunky it was to use the early devices. It took leadership in going from black & white TV to color TV, DOS to Windows and flip phones to smart phones. It took leadership to go from British colony to Independence. And it’ll take a shift in leadership and citizenship by listening to the frustration cries of citizens, to make good on America’s full potential.

3. Message for the Culture

Not only was there leadership with tech advancement, but there was also a message for the culture in the civil rights movement. To hold strong on our freedoms and expand the circle of equity & inclusion we have to be engaged at the ballot box. We gotta turnout for the vote in the same way we wanna ‘turn-up’ at the club or in the stands at an event. Moreover, there’re different lanes we can choose from to level-up our civic engagement game. The civil rights movement was a kinda 4-lane highway where folks would advocate, agitate, negotiate or motivate. SAIC does some of that by weaving through roots & culture.

4. Teamwork for the Players

Any organization that pulls off a major feat is often a model in teamwork. As the saying goes…there’s no ‘I’ in T.E.A.M. because ‘together everyone achieves more’. The added-value isn’t simply linear but moreso monumental. In football, teamwork is built around offense, defense and special team. But there’s also a rhythm/chemistry and team history that get weaved into the organization’s culture. SAIC’s approach to civic engagement and teamwork brings 3Rs: roots to the culture, rhythm to the civic action and realness to the message. This way we can win big for campus, company, community and country.

In the recently released biopic film “Maxine’s Baby”, Tyler Perry shared how he was a loner as a young boy. He’d hide in his house cellar to avoid the emotional abuse he experienced. But then he had an ‘aha’ moment from watching the Oprah Winfrey Show about keeping a journal. This opened up his mind to bigger goals and larger dreams. Sometimes this website reads like a journal too. It’s really a snapshot of SAIC’s vision for the assignment/journey, leadership for the movement, message for the culture and teamwork for the players. And when different colors and cultures come together, beautiful people say yes!

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

Tracks: Sia – Together – https://youtu.be/vnfGni4_RlI?si=PsbQn-YEl3Vrt_x_

Rihanna – Say Yes – https://youtu.be/XZBk7LZGpJk?si=jjJvMtj6x_Woad2c

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Moving Towards Our Civic Destiny: 4 Ways to Take Action on the Block or Make a Difference in Your Hometown

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 before Halloween, while Black Friday media ads were running right after.

This marketplace dilemma could be viewed as a cultural snapshot of the unfolding of America’s story. Consider that the first group of settlers who were British merchants arrived in 1607. They were looking for new markets to trade goods. The first group of pilgrims/puritans landed in New England around 1620. They were yearning for reform and belonging. Thanksgiving took a page from Native Americans’ celebration of harvest that the pilgrims adopted as a celebration of safe passage across the Atlantic. Then, Enlightenment Age sentiments spread across Europe and the New World as America charted its Independence, going from merchants to puritans to patriots. Of-course, while all this was happening, in 1619 the first group of Africans were brought to Virginia, which later led to the transatlantic slave trade.

Over those first three phases in American history (Settlement, Slavery, Independence), America has seen its tug-of-war in ideology around different forms of governing. This includes monarchy, theocracy and democracy. But it’s the latter that’s seemingly under assault from different factions of the other two, which presents a heightened level of concern. Democracy has so far been able to prevail because there were those among the Founding Fathers along with citizens and public officials who were focused on moving towards our civic destiny. Interestingly, the Middle East tension we see is a reflection of the battle between similar forces of monarchy, theocracy and democracy.

If SAIC had to chime-in on the matter, there’d be 4 points of notes for a viable solution:

History:- things didn’t start overnight but have been brewing over many decades of distrust.
Hate-sight:- while insight might bring self-awareness, hate-sight can lead to group awareness.
Humanity:- the idea of ‘inalienable rights’ is made real in basic human needs for survival.
Hope:- with hope there’s a sense for tomorrow. Without hope there’s little feeling for tomorrow.

These reference points might be useful for resolving ongoing conflict there or elsewhere. They might also be a catalyst for change in the next phase of America’s unfolding story. We’ve got some issues too that if allowed to fester, could become the kinda incessant stalemate or social imprint we see with overseas instability. Think about how large bills in American currency have a watermark to distinguish the real from the fake. The internal image is superimposed within the bill. Similarly, America (or for that matter other countries too) have a social imprint based on its history and legacy, that’s superimposed into the culture.

It’s why SAIC’s efforts with civics is about delivering content and programming that help shed light on roots & culture. In addition, we’re engaging with those who wanna make a difference in Education and Community, Democracy and Public Good, maybe even Entrepreneurship and American Dream. This collaborative approach spans Government, Business, Education and Community with those who’re onboard with moving towards our civic destiny. So while election activities are tied to civic participation, our overall civic engagement should involve:

1. Voting

An important way of having our voices heard happens at the ballot box. We choose from candidates running for office at various levels of government. Voting as a civic right represents the most basic form of service as citizens. It’s a way to show-up in the process. Moreover, voting as a franchise is a collective stand on who we think best represents our values and wishes. Throughout history, the chance to vote has been used as a wedge issue against certain groups. This is a problem even in modern day America where fear and false narratives are used to deceive, distract or disenfranchise those groups.

2. Crafting

Imagine if before a game, a team’s coach presents a narrative that if they lose it’s because there was point-shaving happening in the game. We wouldn’t think highly of that coach. Well, since the last presidential election, that’s basically what we’ve seen. There are those pushing a narrative that has become its own conspiracy. Instead, what we should be doing as citizens is crafting a vision or a set of options such that whether our candidate wins or loses, we’re still in a position to win as ‘we the people’. SAIC has such a strategy built around the ‘MVP Club – Many Valuable Parents for the Win’.

3. Vibing

As holiday celebrations ramp-up around Diwali, Thanksgiving or Christmas, there’s something about the parades or football games that we enjoy. Maybe it’s watching the battle of the bands at halftime, or the pageantry of the bands at the Thanksgiving Parade. They get to vibing on the field or up the block while strutting their stuff. The different groups of horns, drums and percussions bring a ‘common sound’ that puts us in a groove or the holiday spirit. What’s it gonna take as citizens on vibing across government, education, business and community? It’s strutting our stuff in a direction that builds on common ground.

4. Impacting

There’re athletes who are drafted and others who’re walk-ons. Drafted athletes get much of the mainstream attention for their track record of performance, whether on offense, defense or special team. Walk-on athletes aren’t initially seen as a ‘prime choice’ but after a while they find ways to impact the game. SAIC might be understood in a similar way. We’re not necessarily viewed as coming from the stock of celebrity, corporate exec, cable media personality or industry official. But as founder, the approach of yours truly has been about impacting the civics game with offense or defense like a special team player.

So how do we get past ideological tug-of-war brewing in America? Well, SAIC came out of a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. This allows us to build civics content and programming for a new & improved version of America’s social imprint. Moreover, we affirm the idea that voting isn’t the only form of civic engagement. It’s also gonna require crafting, vibing and impacting efforts that take action on the block to make a difference in your hometown. We can move past any stalemate, building on common ground and shared purpose that flows like water.
For more on impacting Education & Community, Democracy & Public Good or Entrepreneurship & American Dream, chime-in at the Civics & Community Forum Series or “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life. Checkout the Signup Center below.

Tracks: Alicia Keys – Like Water – https://youtu.be/wSLtwTzlMGs?si=k0VH_n4-dJrkc5cS

Skip Marley – Life – https://youtu.be/0h_VHiQmnR4?si=yVUSX_8qPSk8IT9-

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 the Taylor Swift Travis Kelce buzz. However, NFL honchos wanna keep their focus on pro football as a brand.

Brand Satisfaction Guarantee

How ‘bout some other issues on the front burner? With local races and the Presidential election’s pre-season of debates and campaign events getting ramped-up, there’s simmering anxiety across hometown America. As a country, it feels like we’re in a daze. The ‘fog of war’ overseas in Ukraine, ‘fog of culture war’ here at home and fog of government shutdown drama. While that stuff’s been getting all the media coverage, we wanna keep our focus on America the Republic as the brand.

From surveying the landscape, it seems there’s a decreasing sense of ‘public good’ that’s hurting us as a society. We see it affecting businesses closing locations due to concerns in safety and theft. We see it with public officials who’re more interested in being social media stars than serving the public good. Clearly, if we lose sight of America the brand and move away from ‘democracy & public good’, it could be to our peril or demise as a nation, and here’s why.

After the events of 9/11/01, a commission laid out recommendations along two tracks:

Criminal accountability for those responsible.
A National Response Operation to address air travel safety & security.

Many involved in the World Trade Center (WTC) attack ended up in confinement or incarceration. What we know today as the TSA was a national response. Officials determined that safety and security in air travel was beneficial to all. The TSA now functions as a standard ‘public good’ for airports at home and abroad. Fast forward 20 years to 1/6/21 and we’ve got a similar dilemma. But is there a National Response Operation to support democracy and public good as a standard at home and abroad?

For some perspective, those of us who’re immigrants left our country for opportunity and the American Dream. We didn’t leave to then watch the sinking of democracy, spreading of demagoguery or killing the soul of the nation. If it was important to have a national response around safety & security after 9/11, it’s equally important after 1/6 to have a similar push in Democracy & Public Good. Can’t just leave it to a Presidential speech. It’ll take all of us across government, education and community by how we make a difference as ‘we the people’ towards:

1. Country

Throughout our history, there’ve been moments of challenge due to wars, tragedies, natural disasters and political strife. But we live in a time now where there’s an undercurrent of grievance that, like a software bug, can get in the way of functioning properly as a family, organization, community or country. Are we gonna fix problems or just patch edges? Recently, 13 Presidential Foundations took a stand for country with a heads-up warning. They span decades of political leadership across party affiliations. They’ve called on citizens and elected officials to stand-down on divisiveness and stand-up on democracy.

2. Constitution

The first order of business as a nation was the Constitution. It serves as a linchpin keeping things together as the world turns. It helps us manage the interrelatedness of different parts of government function. This would make sense to Benjamin Banneker, a noted player from black history who published almanacs and was on the survey team that founded Washington DC. According to his family member, he felt “the interrelatedness of things in life is the world’s greatest truth”. In terms of government, that speaks to the Constitution. It’s also why a key to SAIC is connecting the dots across history, civics and culture.

3. Citizenship

There’s an expression which says, “you live life forward and understand it backward.” In a sense, culture helps us live life forward, history helps us live life backward. So how about civics? Well, it helps us raise our game as residents and citizens. In other words, civics is the practice by which we live life forward and understand it backward as a nation. But these days, some just want to have power, not bring solutions. They look past public good and do things that give the illusion of public service or citizenship. It just looks and smells bad which reflects poor ‘social hygiene’. A higher level of citizenship is best for social hygiene.

4. Common Purpose

Die-hard fans know sports bring out the happiness in us. Oprah learned something similar from chats with her Talk Show audience over 25 years. They said that happiness was their #1 pursuit. Maybe the founders were on to something when they coined ‘Life, Liberty & Happiness’ as an important national ideal and pursuit. So, what if we did a reset in how we approached happiness as a common purpose in America? We may gain new appreciation for being “land of the free and home of the brave.” Add-in how SAIC’s work tied to a common purpose also means being ‘voice of the times and model of the dream.”

So, is it settled news that Kelce and Swift are an item? Maybe they wanna keep folks guessing. Similarly, is it settled whether we have democracy on lock? If we’re still guessing, then maybe we gotta deliver more public good and make a difference as ‘we the people’. These days there’re folks in some circles who operate more out of sabotage than collaboration. While politics is sometimes based on how you play the game as a power grab, civics is how you raise your game as a public good. If you’re wondering “What Now America”, let’s have public good on deck, to live-up to our ideals of greatness and American Dream.

“What Now America!” To find out more about ‘Democracy & Public Good’ or the Civics & Community Forum Series or how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Signup Center below.

Tracks: Babyface and Trisha Yearwood – Change the World – https://youtu.be/SjUFRhARAHs?si=Eqi8cPkK9B95FWk_

Libianca – People – https://youtu.be/rJWdfDPZ9Ck?si=LTajS0wN_fokg8di

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The Road Less Traveled in Social Impact: A ‘Retail Civics’ Guide to Tamp-Down the Miseducation in America

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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 this summer by a U.S. Track & Field athlete who said: “I’m not back, I’m better”! After some time off the radar due to a suspension, she has stormed back to live up to those words. That’s the energy of someone making their own personal discovery.

What if we approached the school year, sports season and life’s work calendar in a similar way? It might help by looking at where there’s room for improvement. For starters, according to the Nation’s Report Card, Eighth Grade U.S. History scores hit its lowest point since 1994. Furthermore, civics scores have declined as well. Interestingly, a polling company found that the idea of ‘a civics comeback’ in America has bipartisan support. Many of those polled think civics is more important now than it was five years ago.

From a social issues standpoint, we’ve already had horrific news in Jacksonville of hate driven by racist ideology. According to a previous Dept of Homeland Security assessment, the #1 threat facing our country is white nationalism and domestic terrorism. But what we sometimes overlook as a nation is the #1 challenge we face: the miseducation of ‘we the people’. We see it in some candidates for public office who offer slick talking-points that are high on buzzwords and low on substance. They’re using ‘retail politics’ to impress the public for their vote, not necessarily to advance the public good. Plus, symptoms of a deeper ‘sickness’ as a nation are in not preventing resentment/grievance from becoming unhinged.

History reveals where there’s miseducation it allows for hiding the cruelty of the past to then justify the cruelty/hypocrisy of the present. This connects with a segment of ‘we the people’ that’s often unprepared on how to handle grievance. Thus, miseducation is used as a strategy for mobilizing or monetizing around a victim mentality. Such a mindset leads to missed opportunities at best and madness at worst. We saw it with the civil war then and ongoing culture war battles now. It’s even playing out today where rallying a group of citizens to attack the tenets of democracy and institutions of a republic is naively viewed the same as protesting around social justice and getting arrested. Now, if you’ve been watching across the globe, a similar pattern exists in countries dealing with tribe/ethnic grievance and anti-democratic forces.

With those observations made, SAIC’s deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks is focused on ‘Retail Civics’. Whether through the Civics and Community Forum series or other exciting civics-based programs, we’re taking the road less traveled in social impact to help tamp-down the miseducation in America. We see miseducation occurring through omission (distorting black history), intimidation (hate, bias, threats), disinformation (spreading false narratives) and exploitation (turning facts into foolery and foolery into ‘facts’). So SAIC’s efforts to forge synergy around democracy & public good, entrepreneurship & American dream are guided by our:

1. True Colors

There’s a whole setup process for streaming TV vs cable TV. Similarly, there’s a whole setup for how to ‘See America In Color’. You’ve gotta make the switch from a stream of ‘white light’ where the picture might be a grainy mix of black/white/gray, to three streams of colored light for a new & improved picture. With some social adjustments, you’ll have ‘true colors’ combining American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. By connecting the dots across history, civics and culture, you’ll have a crisper picture of the issues. SAIC’s ‘streaming model’ helps to show our true colors as a nation.

2. Engagement

Before getting married, couples often go through an engagement period. This signals their intentions on taking a big step in commitment. It can also be a time for working out the ‘kinks’ before tying the knot. With SAIC, we’ve been working out the kinks on our intentions for taking a big step of commitment to democracy & public good, entrepreneurship & American dream. Our Civic engagement is inspired by ‘vows’ in SAIC’s Declaration of Emergence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all are created equal, and are endowed with basic values, civic ideals and inner assets to live our best life”.

3. Mobilization

What would cause a bunch of folks to storm a store to ‘smash and grab?’ Is it a different kind of grievance, misplaced purpose or another example of miseducation? Moreover, what would cause someone you grew up with, to become a ‘lone wolf’ neo-Nazi killer of black people? What’s the mobilizing thrust behind these actions? It’s likely a matter of what’s feeding their minds. Well, those who’re willing to take the road less traveled will be mobilized around a common bond, shared identity and larger purpose. As a nation our mobilization can be one of choosing public good over ‘power play’ to see better days.

4. Story

America’s story is simple yet wrapped in struggle. Folks left European lands for a better life. They arrived in Jamestown or on Plymouth Rock after viewing it from afar as a shining ‘city on a hill’. Generations followed a similar path to freedom while others brought here forcefully had to fight for theirs. From these journeys are stories of grace, guts and glory. Even with isms & schisms that rear their ugly head, there’s often a silver lining or light at the end of the tunnel. SAIC’s intentions around democracy & public good, entrepreneurship & American dream will have its own story across the miles and down to the last mile.

Founding founder James Madison said, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance: And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” In other words, knowledge is power, not ignorance. So America, wanna fix problems through civics, or exploit them through politics? We can’t look the other way of easier access to bullets and harder access to ballots or books. A civics comeback is showing our true colors, being mobilized by public good and turning grievance into a better story. Let’s squash miseducation and feel like a million-dollar success!

To find out more about ‘America from 0 to 250’ and the Civics & Community Forum Series or how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Signup Center below.

Tracks: Lil Durk Ft J. Cole – All My Life – https://youtu.be/8DP9T2piyJ8?si=A6HGzLN8ZYUvwEQm

Whitney Houston – Million Dollar Bill – https://youtu.be/wNIcVTmUSOU?si=-eEK3tJPhKMCi7He

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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 a hot topic of discussion at the conventions might have been around Black History curriculum.

With media attention on Florida these days, many remember past events including the ‘Groveland Boys’ case back in 1949, where four black boys were falsely accused of raping a white woman and beating-down her husband. There was a time the state was like the lynching capital of the deep south, which also included Mississippi and the death of Emmett Till on August 28, 1955. That event further enraged folks which led to Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama on December 5, 1955. A few years later saw the March on Washington and Dr. King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on August 28, 1963.

While the US women’s national team hopes to make history, other folks want to re-write or ‘sugarcoat’ history. There’s a difference in how we experience history. What we’re watching in soccer is lived history. We’re able to see events and celebrate moments of guts and glory. Then there’s learned history where we look back on the past and work to not repeat the same mistakes. Plus, we reflect on moments of valor and vision around American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks as examples of service, commitment and excellence. That’s one aspect of the value of SAIC as a social-edge campaign/platform, to bring a better picture of civic/social issues for a high level of citizenship.

Furthermore, SAIC offers a game-changing reason for being a better citizen in the same way that Dr. King and the civil rights movement gave us a history-making reason for being a better nation. Ever wondered why America has always been a magnet for citizens from the world over? In short, folks wanna be part of a legacy story, to have a real engaging story of their own. So, what’s it gonna take to ‘crack the code’ for a movement in public good, entrepreneurship and the American Dream? Maybe we can pull-in ‘lived history’ from a Gen Zer who’s good at solving the Rubik’s cube by having colors in formation.

Or maybe we can pull-in some ‘learned history’ taken from Dr. King’s ‘mountaintop speech’ where he said, “The nation is sick. There is trouble in the land, confusion all around”. These days we’re dealing with culture wars around history & books. Tragedies around fentanyl & mental health. Trafficking of disinformation & hate. Concerns with democracy & divisions. By re-imagining Dr. King’s words, SAIC believes “America’s got a fever because it’s fighting something”. This ‘new & improved’ view of things is gonna help us ‘crack the code’ for a new level of civic engagement in America as:

1. An Idea (Freedom & Equality)

The country was born during a period of enlightenment in the world. The founders saw the chance for a new beginning in the idea of freedom and equality. We can all relate to having an idea that takes root in our psyche. The founders planted that idea like a seed in the soil. The hope was for the seed to take root and bear fruit in civic ideals, simple values and inner assets. But a ‘disease’ (as seen with crops) infected the hearts, minds and souls of the those who turned slavery into a people-as-property enterprise. That original distortion re-infects us at times like an infestation attacking the ‘stalk of America’.

2. A Dream (Self-Determination)

Not only did the founders have an idea they also had a dream of self-determination, of maybe even going from ‘rags to riches’. We saw a recent example of that in the story of Michael Jeffery of D.C. who lost his jobs at a Waffle House and a clothing company during the pandemic. He ended up living in a tent under a bridge for two years. Fast-forward the story, we learn Jeffery went back to get his high school diploma and became valedictorian of his graduating class. He’s now enrolled in college for legal studies. He has a dream of self-determination in saying “Who thought I’d be studying legal studies, right? There was no hope in this tent, but I found it, so you can see how far I’ve came and how far I will get.”

3. An Experiment (Democratic Republic)

America wanted to move away from the control strings of a monarchy. Folks no longer wanted to be beholden to a King. The founders launched an experiment as a democratic republic. That was confirmed by Benjamin Franklin at the end of the Constitutional Convention when he was asked by a bystander, “what do we have, a monarchy or republic?” His response, “A republic, if you can keep it”. With a milestone anniversary of our Declaration of Independence on the horizon in a few years, let’s hope we can report back to Franklin on how “America from 0 to 250 has kept our republic intact”.

4. An Alliance (Original States)

The revolutionary war had many battles. We came out of that period with a ‘startup’ effort in advocacy and synergy. Folks worked on building ‘A New America’ in going from colonies to states. Even with the initial ‘civic battles’ among the founders that saw rifts between the federalists and anti-federalists, they still put some cornerstone things in place, like founding documents, federalist papers, ‘E Pluribus Unum’ mantra, movement of a people. The new alliance has had its black-eye moments of slavery, trail of tears, Jim Crow, Japanese internment camps. So, let’s ensure lived history benefits from learned history.

With the 60^th anniversary of Dr King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech upon us, we can apply learned history. King’s words from another time remind us “there’s no greater danger in all the world than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity”. If we were to re-imagine those words, he might say, “America, where is your soul? Show me your soul”. What’s the answer that might best describe who we are as a nation? Well, from hometown to hometown, let’s kickstart a new phase around advocacy/synergy in public good and democracy, entrepreneurship and American Dream. Should we wait for you?

Tracks: Lalah Hathaway ft Robert Glasper – Show Me Your Soul – https://youtu.be/CCrtk3z_CrM

Tems – Wait for You – https://youtu.be/Qa1IaUywiO8

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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

Doc Cunningham
Da Island Guy
“Sounding Off Social”

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 a 6-3 vote. The pendulum swing in emotions was like going from elation to frustration in one swoop.

Not much time or editorial room here to get into the weeds on the rise and fall of Affirmative Action. Just know that there’s lots of personal experience from yours truly with the matter. Those who’ve been following the rise of SAIC know it was born out of a series of national news stories that led to a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. Add to that my own immigrant life story and I’d summarize things as follows:

The fact it took 232 years for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as a black female to be on the Supreme Court proves the ‘why’ for Affirmative Action. Unfortunately, it took so long because America sees black women first by race, then by gender. BTW, did you read her powerful dissent?
Affirmative Action should be understood as a remedy for disadvantages of past history, and as a guardrail with ‘checks & balances’ that ensure present and future balancing of advantages.
A broad view of 14^th Amendment clauses is: “those who’ve historically been disenfranchised should have equal protection so their rights aren’t denied or dreams deferred.”
If we get rid of race as a colorblind factor, does that mean we’ve gotten rid of ‘race supremacy’ or ‘white signaling’ as a color-complex dilemma that’s existed throughout America’s history?

Some folks tend to say race is not a factor in socio-economic disparities. They use that mindset as an excuse to then say there’s no need to have race be a factor in the remedy. But even beyond those key points, Affirmative Action is to black history as Immigration is to American history. In other words, in the same way that the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965 made it possible for many like me to come to America (my first visit in 1979), Affirmative Action made it possible for more of us to have the chance to make bigger contributions to America. What’s wrong with that?

Just think, without those two policies you’d probably not be hearing about See America In Color, a social-edge campaign/platform that connects the dots across hot-button issues. So what does it all mean? How does this affect the college campus, job openings, promotion chances or a new season of America? Well funny you should ask. We can take a page from history to help chart the next phase in America’s story. With folks popping bottles as fireworks light-up the skies on Independence Day, let’s zoom-in on some of the ‘field work’ that it’s gonna take to make waves from coast to coast.

By highlighting certain lessons from the past, we know there were those whose focus was on expanding “Life, Liberty and Happiness” ideals. In some respects, they exemplified the ‘movement of a people’. In addition, as time went by some understood that “when America tries to forge more inclusion by extending rights to new groups, others tend to have anxiety and there’s a kinda ‘backlash response’ to reverse progress.” So SAIC’s “J.A.M With Us” rollout (join a movement), like the abolitionist and civil rights periods before, or similar movements of the past, is about how we:

1. Instruct the Times

Two phrases infused the civil rights movement: (1) We Shall Overcome (2) I Have a Dream. The first was a rallying cry to keep fighting for job opportunities, voting rights, social justice, better housing. The second taken from Dr. King’s March on Washington speech which focused on economic evangelism, social activism and hope over skepticism. The slogans helped to instruct the times such that we’d meet the moment and not miss the mark as a nation. SAIC’s ‘Mojo in America’ slogan (make our journeys one) serves a similar purpose. It connects Independence Day on-paper to our better days in practice.

2. Disrupt the Game

America is indebted to the ‘Black to America’ story, not in an arrogant way, but historical way. That’s what Dr. King might have meant about a ‘promissory note’ returned as insufficient funds. Plus, the Affirmative Action ruling could be seen as trying to balance sibling squabbles or rivalry. One (white) child feels the other (black) child gets the attention. Parents try to give children equal opportunity, not necessarily same route. Sometimes, they’ll have to put their foot down or recognize if a child’s dealing with issues of self-love, self-identity, self-image. So America, sometimes a movement is a way to put our foot down and disrupt the game (while calling out issues of hate & bias, etc).

3. Inform the People

Just like there’re dueling sides to sibling squabbles, there’re dueling sides to the culture wars we’re currently seeing. One side seems to want to confuse or inflame the people. The other side wants to inform and inspire the people. One side is about ‘government of the people, by the people and for the people’. The other side is about government of the ego, by the ego and for the ego. Some say education is the dividing line between race and class issues. Well, SAIC believes civics is the dividing line between conspiracy and democracy, between ‘Old America’ and ‘Mojo in America’.

4. Empower the Nation & World

Affirmative Action was ruled as unconstitutional. What gets overlooked is it was designed as a constitutional remedy to America’s past of slavery, sharecropping, segregation, etc. Furthermore, a few years ago the Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act by removing sections that required federal government pre-clearance before making changes to state voting laws. We saw what happened in many state legislatures adding more restrictive laws. From the time of our founding, we learn that the movement of a people is often about empowering the nation through better governance and perfecting the Union.

So, did the Court’s ruling instruct the times or miss the moment? Their decision is gonna be studied for years to come. Meantime, what we can do is disrupt the game where some use race as a wedge-issue in political campaigns but object to the use of race as an edge-issue to level the playing field. Bob Marley once sang about the ‘movement of a people.’ Well, how ‘bout focusing on how we inform the people in ways that hone knowledge and boost self-love, not distort the truth? They say success is a journey, not a destination. Let’s get moving in the ‘hood, ‘burbs & countryside on ‘field work’ for a new season of America!

Tracks: Nupah – Self Love – https://youtu.be/uveBMpCfgAU

H.E.R. – Journey – https://youtu.be/bTWftRNdU3w

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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

Doc Cunningham
Da Island Guy
“Sounding Off Social”

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 morning. But there they were basking in the glory of going to the next level.

Those weren’t the only results celebrated. We know American Idol crowned its 21^st winner in 18 year-old Iam Tongi of Hawaiian heritage. The Scripps Spelling Bee had a new winner in 14 year-old Dev Shah of South Asian descent. Then there’s the Disney movie The Little Mermaid and 23 year-old Halle Bailey pulling-in major box office dollars. It’s the first time that role was played by an African American. Some thought the movie would only rake-in around $10 million during opening weekend. Instead, it earned over $100 million during initial release and $300+ million worldwide to-date.

While those are breakout results, there’re other numbers we gotta breakdown. When it comes to civic/social issues we know about 30%-40% of the population don’t vote. There’s 20%-30% of the electorate that’s caught up in grievance based on distrust in government. We’re six months into 2023 and there’ve been just about as many mass shootings as the number of days in the year so far. Plus, each day there’re 100-120 tragic firearm-related incidents. The combination of news-making events around violence, hate & bias, culture wars, disinformation, etc, often involves folks ages 15-30. Culturally speaking we have exhilaration and frustration as a contrast of life in America.

We’ve seen a similar playbook before, but in the tech space. When the personal computer first arrived on the scene, there was exhilaration for what it offered, but also frustration in using it. Folks complained that the commands were hard to remember, or it could only do one thing at a time, or that it took too long to respond with results. Tech leaders heard those ‘cries of concern’ and came up with a new & improved platform that would be a user-friendly, point & click, multi-dimensional tool. They built it with a graphical user interface. We also saw this ‘change model’ repeat itself when smart phones took over from push-button devices.

SAIC went through a similar process of discover, remedy and recovery. This was inspired by a series of national news stories between 2012 to 2015 which led to a deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. It provided a level of discovery around civic/social issues. Then, lessons from the tech world were looped-in to create a campaign/platform in civic engagement, social change and community life so folks would have a better handle of hot-button issues by how they ‘see America in color’, not just in black & white. The initial research work got turned into ‘field work’, designed to impact a new season of America as a #HometownStrong Community Model that’s:

1. Educational

The basic education route is the traditional track from pre-school to post-secondary. There were times when many in the population had limited educational opportunity. The value of education is in expanding knowledge. This helps to reduced ignorance. Where there’s ignorance the void is sometimes filled with grievance or incompetence or intolerance. SAIC isn’t only about closing those gaps in the normal/formal education track, but also delivering breakthroughs in learning. A breakthrough in learning is more than just having the knowledge. It’s about the wits that lead to inspired learning and game-changing results.

2. Social

A growing part of K-12 education is social & emotional learning. This means complementing ‘book smarts’ curriculum with ‘inner smarts’ group instruction. In the professional world it might be understood as having ‘hard skills and soft skills’. Well, SAIC’s #HometownStrong Community Model has a similar approach for achieving a higher level of citizenship. Plus, it helps to answer the question, how do we become stronger citizens with a greater sense of the public good? It’s why the platform delivers content services and upbeat programs that connect the dots across history, civics and culture.

3. Developmental

Most pro sports leagues have a ‘farm club’ or developmental squad. Athletes can flush-out their game skills before going to the next level or even the big leagues. But where do citizens go to flush-out some of their knowledge and expertise in the issues? SAIC’s #HometownStrong Community Model spreads know-how and show-how on being a stronger citizen. This way we’re not easily swayed by disinformation or fooled into being disenfranchised. An engaged electorate means a vibrant democracy. A vibrant democracy means folks understand lines-of-service across public officials and everyday citizens.

4. Multi-Cultural

A key factor for computers and smart phones gaining wider consumer acceptance was in being multi-functional. A computer allows the user to have various windows open with different tasks happening in foreground and background. With smart phones you can talk, text, stream and surf almost at the same time. SAIC as a campaign/platform is multi-dimensional and multi-cultural too. The content services and upbeat programs are built around roots & culture, hopes & dreams, civics & demographics. In combining key threads from history, it’s like the RGB (red, green, blue) of color TV for the nice picture we see.

What can we learn from social/tech changes of the past? Well, tech leaders brought the courage and ‘smarts’ to move things from outdated to updated. They listened to the cries and complaints of the consumer. In addition, public officials and social activists added compassion and conviction to the formula in responding to cries in the wilderness from the community. So, with a new season of America on the horizon, we can make waves from coast to coast for going to the next level as a nation by applying the lessons and legacy of our journey. We’ll get to live more, love more and learn more!

Tracks: Sevana – Lowe Mi – https://youtu.be/GAd3JQ1V-10

Cat Burns – Live More & Love More – https://youtu.be/D_iDN-sck64

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Wanna J.A.M. With Us? On June 14^th, 7pm ET, let’s mix-it-up on “America from 0 to 250”! With Hip-Hop turning 50, Dr King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech turning 60, Juneteenth turning 158 and America soon turning 250, we’re “sounding-off social, shaking-up culture.”

Chime-in on pop culture and social change with special guests. Early-bird signup, be among the first 20 and qualify to win latest book from Dr. Liz Henry. Hey friends, fam & gamechangers are you ready? Signup now!

Pre-register here:
Short Link: https://bit.ly/3N8SCBo
Long Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtce-uqjItG9IER8slu07OPWQOFUSDnfim
Promo video: https://youtu.be/uKQSvhiUwVQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing info about joining the ‘JAM’ session.

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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

Doc Cunningham
Da Island Guy
“Sounding Off Social”

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 athletes have spent years doing gym workouts and skills drills in the backyard, at the park and for many, in high school through college. The Draft often celebrates the hometown effect of ‘field work’ as a springboard to the next level.

There’s another ‘draft’ that happened back-in-the-day among those who wanted a New America. They first drafted versions of some key documents and later went on a journey of drafting colonies to become states. There’s a common thread to the original civic Draft, and what we saw in the recent sports Drafts. It’s about bringing fresh energy, talent and mojo to the game for a new season of the league. What if we could do the same to help forge a new season of America? Maybe we can spur some fresh energy among public officials and hometown players who’d bring new mojo to America’s civic landscape.

In recent weeks we’ve had breaking news stories across the country of protests, violent tragedies and disinformation. There’s underlying tension in the social/political space around culture, race and ‘woke’. Flashback to the 80s and concerns were about a ‘generation on drugs’. Now we have a ‘generation on edge’ in a nation of simmering division and extremism. Harvard Kennedy School’s recent Gen Z poll shows many continue to wrestle with anxiety/fears around the issues. The poll director believes young people are yearning for a chance to see the country come together behind an idea or ideal (e.g. like happened during our founding, or the civil rights movement, or shortly after 9-11).

**Social Insult or Social Impulse (heartbeat)?**

Realizing how we got here from our founding to a somewhat shaky standing on these topics, might take going under the hood of American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. It was out of past frustration and being fed-up that led to creating SAIC years ago. That’s what continues to inspire emerging efforts to Make Our Journeys One, #MojoInAmerica. From SAIC’s deep dive in history we were left with some takeaways:

America’s founding ideals were meant to foster democracy as a civilized society.
America after the Revolution came by “writing it into existence and speaking it into relevance”.
America can modernize by creating a shift in citizenship and leadership as a ‘MOJO Nation’.

Beyond drafting the founding documents, think of George Washington’s speech to Revolutionary Army officers in Newburgh NY. Or Abraham Lincoln’s speech at Gettysburg. Or Martin Luther King’s letter from the Birmingham jail. SAIC is using those events as inspiration for its ‘A New America’ Talk series.

Plus, we took a page from the civic model of America’s startup and the tech model of going from black & white to color TV. The tech model repeated itself in PCs going from DOS to Windows and mobile phones from ‘flip to smart’. These shifts moved us as consumers from frustration to savvy solution. In the same way, we’re engaging citizens in going from grievance to public good, frustration to savvy solution, Gen Z tension to MOJO nation. This means applying:

1. Tracks of Law

Ever wondered why many politicians are lawyers by training? It’s prob one of the oldest professions where the first thing we did as a country was to draft founding documents which became tracks of law. The Constitution is a basis for many federal laws. Then there’s the Bill of Rights which overlaps federal and state laws. Local laws are often observed as ordinances. In history, tracks of law have been important as public policy. SAIC plans to work with state legislators and those in state government on civic solutions that go beyond the classroom to gain support from the boardroom and community.

2. Tools of Civics

There’re different ways to being an engaged citizen. The rollout of SAIC’s Civics & Community Events/Workshops will make that plain. An important factor in our approach is that we deliver content such that citizens get to ‘breath new life’, they feel a greater sense of belonging and they experience a breakthrough. For example, the idea of #HometownStrong comebacks combines a sense of belonging and the chance for breakthrough. It allows other demographic groups beyond black & white (e.g. AAPI, Latinx, LGBTQ, etc.) to experience breakthroughs based on the history of their group’s fight for justice.

3. Techniques of Change

America’s history has been on a change continuum. It’s similar to leagues, teams and new players. Each league welcomes new players to the whole squad. They get to ‘come on board’ with the team’s strategy, schedule and culture. Then after a while they make the highlight reel. Our founding as a nation was about having a New America in democracy and dreams. Since then, we’ve gone through fits & starts towards perfecting our Union. The change continuum included protests, civil rights initiatives and new laws. So ‘We the People’ gotta apply techniques of change for a new season of America to make the highlight reel.

4. Takeaways of Impact

The Bill of Rights were meant to balance federal power with state/individual power, rights with responsibility. The First Amendment comes before the Second Amendment because the ‘right to exist’ comes before the ‘right to strap’. But things got twisted/distorted over time to where we have senseless tragedies due to ideology over vision for humanity. Similarly, some use the word ‘woke’ as a social insult while others see it as a positive social impulse to not be asleep on issues (the term ‘Yankee’ went through such twists/turns in history too). It seems some wanna have ‘the right’ without sacrificing for the greater good.

At times it feels like we need ‘heaven down here’ and humanity up there for a reboot/reset. Maybe JFK’s 1962 Commencement Address at Yale had it right in saying “Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” To enjoy the glory in a new season of America with fresh energy, excitement & mojo, it takes tracks of law, tools of civics, techniques of change and takeaways of impact. We’ll shift from backward-looking action to forward-looking vision as a nation.

To find out more about the Civics & Community Forum Series and how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Signup Center below.

Tracks: Mickey Guyton – Heaven Down Here – https://youtu.be/ZvR-L9IsH9M

H.E.R. – Glory – https://youtu.be/Ly41ckKMDms

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**SAIC’s ‘JAM With Us’ Flyer & QR Code**

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 based on where things are today, we’re all breathing a sigh of relief!

There’s a real sense that Covid-19 has ushered in a ‘new normal’ in how we work and live. Moreover, there’s been another set of factors continuing to emerge in how we go about work, play and the everyday as a nation. It’s around the growing sentiment of division and elements in disinformation that raised their ugly head. These have triggered a set of concerns tied to the health of our democracy.

What can we learn from the pandemic we just lived through? Are there similar strategies for how we might minimize the tension and potential damage to the health of the Union? Well, ride with See America In Color on a trip back in time, starting in the Spring of 1787. Then, the Founding Fathers met to hash-out the Constitution. Some months later they headed out to the colonies. With the help of key federal colleagues, they brought the message of ‘A New America’. This would catch-on with governors, commissioners, local leaders and ‘We the People’ to get the Constitution approved by the States.

Some saw the Framers as bringing ‘a breath of fresh air’ while others spoke out on the issue of slavery. In a sense, there was a ‘breath of civics air’ in the process of asking the question “what kind of America would you like to see and live in?” It seems we’re at a similar juncture, needing to move past today’s Civic Revolution of isms & schism, ‘lost cause’, bias & hate, culture wars, mass violence, etc… towards a new America. That’s what SAIC’s Civics and Community Forum Series will deliver, by taking a page from the past where ‘We the People’ chart a course to get us from here to there or somewhere near.

Over the three years, Covid-19 caused immense pain, disruption and upwards of 7 million deaths worldwide. So, what if we could use lessons from American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks to instead influence millions of our fellow citizens here and abroad towards positive change? Interestingly, we’ve got three years leading up to America’s 250^th anniversary in 2026 to regain our footing post-Covid and re-establish our center of gravity as a nation founded on the Declaration of Independence. We can get there based on how we roll with:

1. Ideals over Ideology

The most basic ideals center around life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This means having the chance to become the best we can be individually and collectively. Individually, we’ve gotta work on selfless, not just self-press. Collectively, we gotta work on living up to what Lincoln called our “better angels”. This requires a kinda collective conscience not based on ideology but on equality. Ideology tends to limit one’s ability to see people as equals while a collective conscience allows us to capitalize on our shared authority. In other words, you’ve got gifts/talents, he’s got some, she’s got some, we all got some.

2. Aspirational over Political

Going back through time, aspirational goals in our nation have been challenged by political moves in some circles. George Washington hinted at this in his farewell address before leaving office. He warned about having political parties because they’d be influenced by ‘factions’ in public voices. Think back from Presidents Andrew Jackson (Indian Removal Act) to Andrew Johnson (Reverse Reconstruction) and what jumps out are times when America’s aspirational efforts in ‘greater public good’ were challenged by political moves of ‘greater power grab’. Maybe that’s some of what we’re seeing play out today.

3. Beloved over Mafioso

There’s something else that seems as a ‘contrast in conscience’. Think about the efforts of Lincoln and others on ending slavery and the work of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement on ending segregation. That side of the fence saw each other as Dr. King liked to call a ‘beloved community.’ The other side of the fence came across like folks with a ‘mafioso mentality’. One side often tries to bring light to darkness while the other side seems bent on darkening darkness (if there’s such a thing). One side models excellence while the other side sees extremes as its model. Which side of the fence are you on?

4. Synergy Over Infamy

With all the antagonists on social/cable media, consider this history note. There’s an unholy streak that keeps getting resurrected in America. In our early founding, while European Enlightenment caused the ills of slavery there to be seen as degrading, slavery in the U.S. found new life and was elevated/promoted. We’ve seen the streak go from that original form of ‘lost cause’, be reborn during the civil war as a ‘confederacy streak’ to now being reborn as an ‘insurrectionist streak’. It seems aspirational America is synergistic in working for greater good, while mafioso America is antagonistic and wants to live in infamy.

Heard the latin/pop group Menudo is making a comeback? Not with Ricky Martin but a new set of actors. Also, the “I Love NY” campaign’s getting a makeover to spur greater civic engagement. Others say they want to “take our country back”. Well, SAIC’s ideal on making a #HometownStrong comeback ties-in with Puritan lawyer/minister John Winthrop whose dream of America was as a “city on a hill”. And to Lincoln’s vision for America as the “last best hope of earth”. So, join us as we rally around “the next best thing in MOJO” to Make Our Journeys One. An America where everybody gets to reach, jump or dance!

Tracks: Erica Campbell – Positive – https://youtu.be/_XBGhhdEuzA

Brooks & Dunn – Only in America – https://youtu.be/GN1iI-DaJNw

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**‘MOJO Moves’ – Make Our Journeys One!**

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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 having crowd-sourced data confused with proprietary info.

ChatGPT as it’s called, is part of a new platform in ‘artificial intelligence.’ It can write a term paper or even a resumé when given certain prompts. How glorious that might sound when it comes to working smarter, not just harder. We’ve given similar thought with SAIC on helping folks make more sense of history, civics and culture. How can we pack ‘ai’ (added intelligence) to have a better handle of the issues? We describe that feature as “smart civics, better picture”.

Recently, there’s been growing ‘anti energy’ brewing in America that’s anti-semitic, anti-black, anti-Asian, sometimes anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ, etc, basically anti-DEI. It’s why we’ve introduced the concept of DEI + ‘Smart Civics’ within SAIC’s delivery of social content and civic empowerment. This way folks can achieve a higher level of synergy across demographic groups, and a higher level of citizenship across socio-economic groups. We’re also spreading the word on the Civics & Community Series which includes “A New America” Talk. This combination helps bring SAIC to the people and make it more up-close and personal.

Think about “smart civics, better picture” like your cell phone. That handheld device has helped make technology fun, networking fresh and life a bit more feel-good. There’re grandparents in my family (and yours too) who’re iPhone savvy in texting and streaming. With the cell phone, we’re able to network with others via direct message and a few clicks. The device has created a feel-good sense in how we interact with one another (without the trolling of course). In a practical sense, SAIC’s smart civics opens the door for educators to show up like emancipators, giving students more reasons to soar; administrators to step-up more like collaborators than just managers and citizens to be on point like movers & shakers.

So in using ChatGPT you can wish upon an idea, and get an ‘intelligent system’ response on various possibilities. In the case of SAIC you can wish upon a star in civics and community and get a connect-the-dots response based on how we make history fun, civics fresh and culture feel-good. This might also help with having a lit approach towards “A New America” of social-edge issues over wedge issues. What does that wish upon a star look like when SAIC gets prompted?

1. Dream for Country

Many arrive on U.S. soil looking for better opportunities. In the early days, the dream was for having a piece of land. African Americans held on to that dream after being promised “40 acres and a mule”. Then the dream evolved to home ownership. More folks wanted to have their own verandah view. Nowadays it seems the dream is found in the virtual space, where many have websites of their biz while others consider actually going into space. Dr. King once said, “I have a dream that’s rooted in the American Dream”. As part of his dream for country he might use civics to advance edge-issues over wedge issues.

2. Balm for Community

We’re just in the first few months of the year, having seen many incidents of gun violence and tragedy. From California to Michigan to points south there’s been situations where people are asking why. Then add-in how some will spread misinformation about these events, and it further becomes the kind of pain that’s not welcomed. In scripture, the term “balm in Gilead” is used as a symbol of applying a medicinal (or spiritual) solution to experience inner relief and healing. Well, SAIC’s “A New America” Talk offers a ‘social uplift’ solution as a ‘balm for community’ to bring relief and healing around civic/social issues.

3. Hope for Family

Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills shared an update on his condition since his life & death injury. Team officials are monitoring his recovery as they’ll have to decide on his potential return to the game. In responding to a reporter’s question he said “I have a long journey ahead. A journey full of unknowns and a journey full of milestones. But it’s a lot easier to face your fears when you know your purpose”. Well, the gospel according to SAIC and our “JAM With Us” (join a movement) initiative is tied to ‘Dream for Country, Hope for Family’ with more #MojoInAmerica to ‘make our journeys one’.

4. Hand for Legacy

This month many returned to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to commemorate the 58^th anniversary of Bloody Sunday. That’s where the late John Lewis was injured during a dust-up with riot police at the protest march. In his autobiography Lewis tells the story of growing up in Alabama and living through severe thunderstorms. On one occasion a dark cloud came along with very high winds. The house was on shaky ground so a group of them stood together holding hands so their weight would keep the house grounded. SAIC’s hand for legacy includes folks joining hands to secure our democracy and the next generation.

Just remember, as part of our country’s founding, we turned grievance into a foundation (Declaration of Independence) and compromise into a cornerstone (Bill of Rights). These days we have to ask, what does it profit a country if we gain all the power and all the citizen firepower, but lose our citizens senselessly or lose the soul of the nation? So whether in the city, suburb or on a country road we can still have a dream for country, balm for community, hope for family and hand for legacy. But folks, we can’t get caught up in the ‘anti energy’ or keep waiting on the world to change.

To find out more about the Civics & Community Series and how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center below.

Tracks: John Mayer – Waiting on the World to Change – https://youtu.be/oBIxScJ5rlY

ConkahGood – Country Road – https://youtu.be/NeSpx7vZifc

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 passion, skill, mojo and thrill. Add-in the halftime performance with a pop culture flava and you’ve got yourself a party!

But there’s something else being overlooked about the two Americas. We saw glimpses in the overwhelming response to Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills after his scary on-field tackle. A few weeks before that was the incident of a New England Patriots fan getting hassled and shouted-at by a Raiders fan, even though the Raiders were winning. The contrast in those two situations was simply one of goodwill vs grievance. Why’s that important? Well, it might point us to lessons from SAIC’s deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks, that line-up with the Kerner Commission report from the ‘60s about the two Americas.

After a series of social uprisings back then, the commission was created to try and uncover the root causes. They concluded there were two Americas: one of social inequity and the other of upward mobility. Government policies and local programs have made closing those gaps a priority. In some areas though things still seem to fall short. Almost 40 years ago, one of the political campaign slogans from the aftermath was known as “Morning in America”. This was meant to inspire a sense of optimism for bouncing back from high inflation, social unrest and other related issues/challenges.

But SAIC’s deep dive revealed some hard truths that have contributed to this ‘Split-screen America’. It’s kinda like some of the back-and-forth we see in today’s salty partisan climate. These factors seem to hinder how we move beyond social divides based on the following:

The American journey has always had an altruistic (selfless) side to its story, while battling a despotic (strong-armed) side that’s a divisive force in how things play out (e.g. Civil Rights Act vs Indian Removal Act or Fugitive Slave Act or Chinese Exclusion Act).
There’s always been an aspect of our social fabric where a segment of white America isn’t willing to grow from diverse ethnic experiences, moreso than black or other Americans who aren’t willing to grow from others’ experiences. (e.g. Lost Cause, KKK, White Nationalism)
There’s a constant dilemma we face around public service and civics where one’s political leaning or a group’s fundraising might get in the way of collaborating and empowering (e.g. culture war squabbles).
Oftentimes it seems with civic/social issues that America doesn’t really want a solution, just a fix. A fix gets you by til next time. A solution gets you from root cause to resolution (e.g. Immigration, Police/Community Reform, Universal Background Check).

Basically, there are two Americas where one side believes in the greater good while the other side fumes over grievances that are personal, racial, political/criminal.

As we watch news reports about our current times of inflation, hate & bias, culture wars and more, SAIC’s “J.A.M. With Us” initiative (join a movement) has an upbeat message of “Mojo in America” to make our journeys one (mojo) as we bounce back from Covid. The strategy involves partnering across education, biz, public service and community. This includes those among the “hottest Field of Dreams in America” so that we all have a better handle of hot-button issues, whether cross country or cross cultural. The SAIC programs in civic engagement, social change and community life not only help with breaking the mold and bridging the gap, but also with grinding out the ‘ABC Life’ (American Dream, Biz, Culture). Think about how there are four or five main food groups that provide us with life’s important nutrients. Well, SAIC has its core ‘roots & culture’ content groups along with key nutrients to help folks grow in:

1. Media Literacy

These days we’re bombarded with messages from traditional media, cable news and social media. It’s a lot to ask in trying to figure-out what’s true vs conspiracy. Some come at news from the left, others from the right. Imagine if you had to guess if a person is trustworthy based on whether they’re left-handed or right-handed? No matter what, some basic things should still be centered or true-to-form. That’s where we are in media. The key is knowing no matter which side you’re on, they’re selling some mix of information, ideology, inspirational or institutional content. So, you just gotta stay centered and true-to-form yourself.

2. Smart Civics

There’re three basic colors in your TV: red, green and blue (RGB). They combine for the beautiful picture we see. SAIC takes a page from that technology by combining American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks for a better picture of civic/social issues. Plus, we add ‘smarts’ to the mix just like in consumer devices. It’s how folks get to ‘connect the dots’ across history, civics and culture. This turns-on the ‘lightbulb of truth’ for the issues so you’re not deceived by those who’re grifting. It’s like when a store’s security tag turns-on the lightbulb or buzzer to stop shoplifting. That’s smarts!

3. Social Skills/Competency

There’s a growing segment of the public attacking “wokeness”. They’re trying to put a spin or redefine the issues. A flashback in history reveals this isn’t new. Back then it was in how blacks were called the N-word as a form of anti-blackness to demean and dehumanize. Consider folks pushing anti-woke as a cover for anti-black to distract from black achievement and civic empowerment. SAIC helps build social skills/competency by reminding us that if you eliminate one of the three RGB colors, that’s gonna severely affect the picture on the TV set. Similarly, an anti-DEI or anti-Black History move in education or biz will badly affect the picture citizens have of civic/social issues.

4. Culture Cloud

Ever had an alert on your device that takes you to the cloud? It could be a link to a picture from a past event or vacation trip. These days in sports it’s all about what the analytics from ‘the cloud’ reveal on the possible success of certain plays or teams. The cloud brings “faster innovation, flexible resources and economies of scale” to enhance our experiences. SAIC offers a similar benefit in civics that might be thought of as the ‘culture cloud’. Whether in civics education or civic engagement, we deliver content that enhances our experiences out of love for country and the culture.

So, we’re still living in two Americas. Some roll with those on the ‘Field of Dreams’ side of synergy and creativity. Others are found on the ‘Field of Grievances’ side of chaos and cruelty. Let’s get with SAIC and the hottest Field of Dreams in America to live our best life in career and community, whether cross country or cross cultural. Gotta step-up in media literacy, smart civics, social skills/competency and culture cloud. These will feed your civic teams & dreams not out of fear or to inflame more culture wars. But to inform social divides and inspire greater public good for this land that we’ll forever care.

To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center below. Also, in the spirit of Black History Month, visit SAIC’s Facebook page for commentary on the Tyre Nichols brutal beating in my own “Confessions as a Black Man” here https://facebook.com/seeamericaincolor.

Tracks: Sean Paul ft. Damian Marley and Nicky Jam – No Fear – https://youtu.be/PG999pOsXzI

Aerosmith – Dream On – https://youtu.be/NeSpx7vZifc

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The New Year Do-Over Checklist: Paging Those In Town & Country Who’re Ready to Do America Some Good

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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 up there in the running too. We again saw why sports means so much in culture.

For one it was the ‘Happy New Year’ vibe we got leading up to the Ball Drop. Then there was the breakout performance and the bond among players after a score. But it might also be seen in the fullest expression of mojo, where there’s a magical moment that rises to the occasion. This feeling doesn’t have to be limited to sports or ‘new year’ festivities. Why, because M.O.J.O. is also about how we “make our journeys one”. That’s what we see on the field among players of different ages, backgrounds and sneaker stripes. So what if we could bring fresh mojo to America in 2023?

Well, in SAIC’s flashback to America’s early days we find some clues on where to start. The Founding Fathers had the initial role of convincing 13 independent colonies to become the first 13 United States. In part, the strategy was built around a mission and a motto. The Declaration of Independence served as the mission statement, while “E Pluribus Unum” (Out of Many, One) served as the motto. These two elements were important because the founders had the task of getting buy-in from citizens and public officials on how we “make our journeys one”. SAIC sees a similar chance now with the ‘new year’ do-over checklist as its resolution focus.

If the Founding Fathers traveled across the prairies and had a do-over, what might they do differently or better, based on what we know today? Well, let’s go to the video highlights of history and remind ourselves from whence we came. If we start by looking at some basic facts from Revolution to Emancipation and beyond, we’re reminded that:

The merchants arrived from Europe pursuing freedom in biz trade (i.e. free trade).
The pilgrims followed close behind pursuing freedom of beliefs (i.e. Puritan religious expression).
African-Americans brought here as slaves have persistently pursued the freedom of becoming (i.e. freedom from oppression/suppression).

The common theme here is freedom, which can mean different things in the eyes of the beholder. Some examples from current news stories include America’s support of the fight for freedom by the people of Ukraine in their ongoing revolution against Russia. Another is the history-making documentary release on Netflix capturing the life & times of Harry and Meghan to “free themselves” from the British Monarchy. And of course, a story where sports and politics intersected, was the release of Brittney Griner from Russian detention. These events remind us that the greatest natural, human and personal resource is freedom.

So how might we put that resource to work to do America some good and save us some headache? Let’s unleash the full strength of “We the People” and full stock of American biz across every state, village and block. To get there, SAIC’s “J.A.M. With Us”* initiative (join a movement) is about creating “more mojo moments” by how we “make our journeys one”. In addition, like when we’re shopping around for insurance we might get some savings as a bundle, let’s consider how we package the “freedom bundle” to insure:

1. Equality – Human Rights

The Declaration of Independence is built on the notion of equality and “inalienable rights” endowed by the Creator. The struggle for human rights throughout history revolves around whether people see ‘others’ through the eyes of ‘curiosity or cruelty’. It’s one reason why the Christopher Columbus narrative presents a few problems from a deeper dive in history. Some historians contend that what started out as an explorer driven by curiosity became an exploiter driven by cruelty, later evolving into the slave trade. That ‘curiosity vs cruelty’ dilemma raises its ugly head even today in political campaigns and social issues.

2. Opportunity – Human Choice

America’s quest for freedom is built on the idea of self-determination. That’s just a fancy way of saying individual choice. The merchants leaving Europe in pursuit of free trade was their choice. The pilgrims leaving their home country for new religious expression was their choice. In the case of African-Americans though, the initial arrival wasn’t a matter of individual choice, but imposed on them. So public policy efforts that do America some good aren’t just about free trade, free speech, freedom of worship or assembly. They’re really about the opportunity of self-determination through freedom of choice.

3. Essence – Human Assets

We also show up in life with human assets. These internal factors of mind, body and spirit help to define our essence in Purpose, Passion and Calling. Calling contributes to how we make the Creator look good; Purpose is in how we serve some earthly good; Passion is how you ‘do you’ that folks might say “wow, she’s good”. Plus, how we do America some good might mean tapping into SAIC’s Declaration of Emergence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all are created equal and are endowed by the Creator with certain basic rights, civic ideals and human assets to live our best life.”

4. Achievement – Human Imagination

Past presidents worked to inspire human imagination. In a time of economic depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt said “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” In a time of civil unrest John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country”. It was Rev Dr. Otis Moss Jr, a lieutenant of Dr King during the civil rights movement who said “Every generation is limited by what it knows”. So, let’s stretch our imagination past fear, complacency and ignorance by putting ourselves in a better position to deal with hot-button issues in hate, culture wars and misinformation.

During the ‘60s there were Freedom Rides to break the back of segregation and discrimination as well as Freedom Schools in education and empowerment. We have the chance of a do-over in the next “freedom stretch” from when the founding fathers got started to the civil rights movement got going. SAIC’s mission and motto in “Sounding Off Social, Shaking Up Culture” are driven by key elements of history and civics to impact culture. Think of how water brings life and is a cleaning agent. Well, SAIC tries to bring 2-parts history and 1-part civics to clean-up our grasp of the issues and achieve “more mojo moments” in life. So, paging those who’re ready to do America some good, which includes protecting our democracy.

*To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center with flyers and QR codes below. Learn more about the Field of Dreams 2023, K-12 Social Challenge Contests and College Breakout Day.

Tracks: Tems – Free Mind – https://youtu.be/e8GzTXRAJ30

Kacey Musgraves – Keep Lookin’ Up – https://youtu.be/bRizfxp_KxE

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Where Do We Go From Here? Let’s Get Real Clear on Moving Dreams & Culture into Next Gear!

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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, their crew). But eventually they worked things out with a new generation of players and protocols.

If that sounds familiar, well Wakanda isn’t too far off from what’s happening in America today. We just went through midterm and runoff elections where the results point to dustups and shakeups. Before the elections there was internal tension among citizens around the potential threat to democracy. We’ve already seen changes in party leadership, and we’re poised for more intrigue around the process of choosing the new Speaker of the House.

For some perspective on what needs to happen next in America, let’s pull-in George Washington and Dr King. Washington went through a similar period of regrouping back in his day. It involved a reset around vision and a reboot around leadership. In Washington’s farewell address after his second term, he shared insights, somewhat summarized below, that we might chew on as follows:

Be steadfast in holding the Union together, with the Constitution as your guide.
Be careful of allowing factions in political parties or public impulses to disrupt liberty and tranquility.
Be mindful of those driven by power & control in a single individual as opposed to a common purpose.
Be robust in the business of functional government and public opinion, such that they’re both enlightened.

The concern about factions in political parties, whether based on wealth, ideology or populism kinda ring true today. His message to the country then seems equally on point now, considering the many skirmishes we’ve seen in what SAIC describes as today’s Civic Revolution (isms & schisms, political lost cause, hate & bias, culture wars). It’s just a new version of social battles, like happened around the American Revolution.

Now, Dr. King also took time to share how the country and the culture could regroup in the next phase of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1967, King took a month’s long getaway to Jamaica and spent some secluded time penning his thoughts. He later published a book entitled, “Where Do We Go From Here?” He highlighted accomplishments of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He also addressed the Black Power movement within the context of the broader history of civil rights struggles. King and Washington left us the challenge of moving dreams, country and culture into next gear.

When you tie-in their message with SAIC’s deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story, and #HometownStrong comebacks, you realize that we’re at a pivotal moment too. We might need to reset around vision and reboot around leadership that brings a better sense of purpose, belonging, significance and influence, as happened in Wakanda nation. Dr King stressed then that America had a choice between nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation, between learning to live as brothers or perish together as fools. So, if we wanna deal with the four corners of the culture wars, the choices we gotta make today are between:

1. Legacy or Lie-gacy – “Heroification”

One corner of the culture wars is that of ‘heroification’. This is the idea Washington mentioned of being mindful of those driven by power & control in a single individual as opposed to a common purpose. That has been a problem ever since our founding but has become more damning lately. It’s what can cause some to confuse choosing between legacy vs lie-gacy. Back in the early days, there was a popular painting that showed Native Americans attacking the homes of European settlers. The truth was really the opposite, but the narrative later became baked-in. That’s how lie-gacy can lead to distortion and division.

2. Legislation or Lawsuits – “Disinformation”

Another corner of the culture wars is disinformation. It’s one thing to not know, it’s whole ‘nother thing to know better but still lead folks into quicksand. These days we see it happening when public officials spend more time filing lawsuits than proposing legislation. Before the recent midterm elections, there were 100+ lawsuits filed in the courts. Folks will say one thing in the public space but can’t back it up when in court. The problem is with using the system against itself by filing a lawsuit that might look legit but isn’t on legal grounds. Then some in the public are left in a state of confusion and distrust.

3. Chaos or Community – “Polarization”

We saw polarization after the civil war. An example from Reconstruction was when public figures used the phrase “carpetbaggers and scalawags” to describe others. The term ‘carpetbagger’ was used to describe whites from the north who travelled south to support blacks (a carpetbag was a type of cheap suitcase). The derogatory term ‘scalawag’ was used by those in one political party to describe folks in the other party. We’ve gotta watchout today for the terms ‘anti woke or woke mob’ being used that might polarize or politicize. How folks describe the ‘other’ gives clues on whether they wanna side with chaos or community.

4. Hate or Hope – “Demonization”

There’re those we look-up to as role models. In them we see something to aspire to or gives us hope. If the opposite of ‘heroification’ is demonization, what’s the opposite of role model? Maybe that’s reflected in those who might turn grievance into vengeance, based on hate. We’ve seen attacks on Native Americans, African-Americans, Latinx, Asian and more recently LGBTQ Americans. That’s why current anti-semitic fervor against Jewish Americans isn’t a good look and even dangerous. Dr King called this out in his book where he said “Anti-semitism often gets exploited by those whose appetite for attention exceeds their attachment to truth and responsibility.”

To deal with the culture wars by moving dreams, country and culture into next gear, checkout the movie to learn what Princess Shuri did at a pivotal moment in Wakanda nation. They were able to reset around vision, reboot around leadership and regroup around the ‘why’ for Wakanda. Washington and King might remind us that America loses its way when it loses touch with its ‘why’. As individual citizen or home country, our ‘why’ makes us special. So if you’re ready to do bigger and better things in the community and in life, be like Shuri, who at a key turning point asked the question to her crew, “Are You Clear?”

To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” (join a movement) in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center with flyers and QR codes below. Learn more about the Field of Dreams 2023, K-12 Social Challenge Contests and College Breakout Day.

Tracks: Lizzo – Special – https://youtu.be/0ypvxb3MaO4

Beyoncé – Bigger – https://youtu.be/JED5wEKc3Lc

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The Corner Store Debate: A Window into What’s Poppin’ in America and Why Some are So Polarized

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding Off Social

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 or street debate at the corner store.

What’s been in news coverage lately are stories of antisemitic remarks and digital banners, threats of political violence and the buyout of Twitter by Elon Musk. There’s concern that the platform might become a free speech runaway train without accountability. What folks are talking about will often give us a sense for what’s poppin’ in America socially and commercially. But the convo might not always give enough of the backstory for why some are so polarized. This takes having a window into the soul of America.

When See America In Color (SAIC) was launched, it came out of national news stories that caused a deep dive to better understand the issues. This involved combining American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. With Thanksgiving season on the minds of retailers, let’s go as far back as the arrival of the Puritans on Massachusetts Bay. Before their arrival we had merchants who landed on Virgina Bay. The Puritans had a sense of community, while the merchants were about commercial activity. It seems we’ve always had a push & pull of community vs commerce.

This has played out in ways that led to the American Revolution (Boston Tea Party), the Three-Fifths Clause (Second-class in the Constitution), Civil War (Institution of Slavery), Segregation (Jim Crow laws) and so on. The backstory shows the struggle between community and commerce has been an ever-present theme throughout America’s journey. Now, there’s nothing wrong with driving commerce. The problem arises when commerce is pursued at the expense of demeaning, dehumanizing and demonizing others. These days we’re at a point where personal attacks on ‘the other’ has become the latest effort to gin-up clickbait commercialism, which has some folks going down the road that divides and polarizes.

The standard ways we become divided include disinformation/ideology, hypocrisy of differences, injustice & inequality. But there’s something that stands out from our history that might serve as a counter-narrative as well as a kinda checks & balance. It’s in how we can use back-in-the-day lessons to create a shift in citizenship and leadership, like three founding fathers did in writing the Federalist Papers. That’s why SAIC recently celebrated National Civics Day to serve as a rallying point for a new push in civic engagement and public good in America. We’re taking things even further with a new:

1. Civic Ideal – “To The Mountaintop”

As far back as the puritans, America was described as a “city on a hill.” That term has been referenced by many presidential candidates from JFK to Obama. Even Reagan put his spin on it by describing America as a “shining city on a hill.” However, Dr. King came at it slightly different in his last public speech where he said, “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” What if that became a new civic ideal for getting us as a community to the mountaintop in market value and civic voice? We’d find ways to better leverage resources, share mutual uplift and collaborate in skillset to enjoy the promised land.

2. Culture Motto – “Out of Many, In Town & Country”

After America’s founding, the country’s leaders and other public figures thought it was important to come up with a unifying message or slogan. The Latin term E Pluribus Unum, meaning “One from Many”, became the basis for that mantra to help with the colonies having a feeling of togetherness. How might we apply that example to today’s cultural climate? Well, SAIC believes “Out of Many, In Town & Country” might capture the feeling of togetherness we need today. It so happens that in my hometown, one can travel on state highway Rt-27 and go from town to suburb to exurb to rural within a 20-25 mile stretch.

3. Renewed Purpose – “Producing America’s Finest Hour”

Think about the media intensive world these days of broadcast, cable and streaming. There’s so much programming to choose from that our heads spin. Not enough free time in the day to get it all in. Most folks involved in show production would want to make sure they’re bringing the best programming possible. Some seem to prefer going down the road of best in hate, lies and deception, while others take the path of best in hope, laughs and passion. But what if the broader approach we take as a nation is the idea of “producing America’s finest hour”? That might help to deliver a renewed sense of purpose.

4. Breakout Movement – “Here to Level-up the Nation”

Throughout history we’ve had breakout movements during different periods. The KKK for example was a breakout movement of intimidation and fear. The ‘lost cause’ movement came out of the Confederates losing the civil war against union soldiers. The civil rights movement was in response to the Jim Crow era. But the current anti-democratic breakout movement seems to defy logic and deny truth. The real breakout movement needed today is one that’s here to level-up the nation. Even with our faults and frailties since founding, the original breakout movement was about moving towards a more perfect union.

So the fact that pro athletes and other celebrities are pouring-on money into Major League Pickleball gives us a clue about the commercial appeal. They also know that a sense of community can only be maintained by having opportunity and inclusivity as part of the gameplan. It’s a combination that can lift me up, lift you up, lift us up. If only we could spread this message for the public good of community and commerce, like ten cane rows deep? We’d get to the mountaintop, out of many in town & country by producing America’s finest hour to level-up the nation.

To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center with flyers and QR codes below. Learn more about the K-12 Social Challenge Contests and College Breakout Day.

Tracks: Rihanna – Lift Me Up – https://youtu.be/Mx_OexsUI2M

Protoje Ft Jorja Smith – Ten Cane Row – https://youtu.be/xcjfpDN0xyE

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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

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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 don’t seem impressed.

Without sounding like a tech-head, two things might jump out at you. The cameras have a new ‘high-powered eye’ designed to let in more light. That means more ways to take pics in different room settings. Then there’s the enhance color clarity for photos. The sharpness is said to be impressive. That’s not unlike what See America In Color (SAIC) is all about. It lets in more light on American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. When you see things in enhanced color, it’s like having a high-powered eye for hot-button issues.

If we were to hone-in on SAIC’s Fall rollout, there’re features like the Social Challenge Contests (Essay, Arts, Tech) for K-12 as well as the “Civic Life, Club Scene” program for college settings. There’s also the National Civics Day event that’s about shining a spotlight and living civic excellence. National Civics Day celebrates the importance of civics education. It also commemorates when the Federalist Papers were first published in the newspapers on October 27, 1787. These Papers were instrumental in educating citizens and convincing the colonies to ratify the Constitution. Moreover, SAIC realizes there’s always been ‘the dream’ of America. Dr King understood that in his speech at the March on Washington. He was basically saying, you can’t expect us to be ‘siding with America’ but left out of the dream.

Some politicize the Federalist Papers or use them for ideological cheap shots. But really, they were like cliff notes of the Convention or release notes of the Constitution. The founding fathers wanted to create a shift in citizenship and leadership because we were going from British subjects to Americans, from colonies to the United States of America. They had to make a choice of ‘siding with America’ between loyalist vs patriot, monarchy vs republic. Throughout our history the choice has evolved where you had to pick a side between slavery vs emancipation, secession vs union. These days it seems the choice is about party vs country, kicking the can down the road vs up the road.

If the ‘siding with America’ strategy worked with creating a shift in citizenship and leadership after the American Revolution, what if we apply the takeaways from that to help us move beyond today’s Civic Revolution of isms & schisms, lost cause, hate & bias, culture wars? It’s true, sometimes politics around town stinks. Even at the job, school or family setting, it can get in the way of progress. Growing up in a household with parents who were both public servants, there were stories that didn’t make sense then but sure do now. Creating a shift means not just looking at your position in terms of controlling power but purpose power. It might also mean having a handle on civic ideals which serve as culture links around:

1. Diversity

There wasn’t much of a sense for diversity during America’s early days. Back then it was a kinda old school way of looking at the world in black & white. That’s why SAIC is about creating a shift to see America in color. The concept takes a page from the difference between a black & white TV and a color TV. One blasts a stream of ‘white light’ with varying intensity to give different shades of black, white and gray. The other blasts three streams of colored light to give the amazing picture we see on our color TV set. Diversity is a new & improved way to see America in its full color spectrum and splendor.

2. Democracy

During the abolitionist movement, there was a two-part strategy in search of freedom. One was to end slavery, the other was to advance democracy. That dilemma is an ongoing struggle in America’s story. Blacks weren’t seen as fully human which caused oppression and suppression of their rights. Even after emancipation there’s been the constant struggle around the right to vote. These days the struggle takes on new forms but it’s kinda the same game. The larger concern though is whether some want to open the door to undemocratic rule where power is in the hands of those who don’t want to see diversity thrive.

3. Unity

Usually, when a company is formed or initiative launched, there’s a tag-line for the product, service or movement. With SAIC’s “J.A.M. With Us” campaign (join a movement), we’re “sounding-off social, shaking-up culture.” Well, at the start of America there was a slogan/motto then too. They needed something that helped to re-enforce the idea of going from separate colonies to being the United States around the Constitution. E Pluribus Unum, “Out of Many, One” became that motto. Scrolling through history we’ll find times when the United States of America was united by an ideal, motto or movement.

4. Civic Duty & Civility

In writing the Federalist Papers, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay were trying to convince the colonies to come onboard. They might have also wanted to set an example of civic duty and civility. They were skilled enough as public officials, whether elected or nominated, but civic minded enough to be creating a shift in citizenship and leadership. It’s a reminder that we gotta pick a side between civility vs cruelty, between civic duty vs ‘sabotage duty’. While some are about grifting their supporters or doing political stunts, others are working to level-up the culture where every vote counts.

If tech companies are always beefing-up their product line, why would public officials want to be dumbing-down the culture? After the Revolution, Benjamin Franklin was asked by an onlooker, “What did you all just achieve at the Convention?” His response was “A Republic, if we can keep it.” It’s the second part of his response that highlights the struggle. SAIC’s National Civics Day event is about creating a shift in citizenship and leadership, honoring public service workers and regular citizens with #CitizenStrong recognition. We’re down with that so get with the program and be among the chosen ones.

To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the Sign-up Center with flyers and QR codes below. Learn more about the National Civics Day event, K-12 ‘Social Challenge Contests’ and the ‘Civic Life, Club Scene’ programs.

Tracks: Raiche – Pick a Side – https://youtu.be/kU_3fs2Cva4

Jon Baptiste – We Are – https://youtu.be/xcjfpDN0xyE

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**“Civic Life, Club Scene” Flyer & QR Code**

Featured

Major Turn in How We Roll as ‘We the People’: Gotta ‘Color Your World’ to Rock the Game on Today’s Issues

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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 streaming viewership has surpassed cable and broadcast TV for the first time ever.

Meanwhile, back on the block, there’re other battles brewing. We’ve seen reports about the CDC reset to better handle Covid rebound; the push by Serena Williams to evolve in her tennis career; Apple rolling-out new device features in the tech world; the U.S. and China in a standoff on space exploration; the PGA tour pitted against an upstart golf enterprise. But the battle that has the eye of See America In Color (SAIC) is one tied to the Civic Revolution.

In a nutshell, it’s a battle for “the true nature and real nurture as a nation”; between our worst instincts/fears and #AmericaLiveUp. It’s a faceoff between the i’s (injustice, ideology, insurrection) versus the we’s (as in ‘We the People’). From SAIC’s deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks, we can apply key lessons from the civil rights movement for how we handle the issues of our day. Remember, Dr King made a shift based on his Calling to the movement after a series of tragic events (Emmett Till, Medgar Evers, Jimmie Lee Jackson). Today we gotta make a similar shift after tragedies in Buffalo, Uvalde and Highland Park. We’re at a major turning point in how we roll as a nation. So, let’s create a shift in citizenship and leadership by how you ‘color your world’.

Just think about improvements in consumer products/services over the years which made things better by how you ‘color your world.’ The list includes:

Buying coloring books for infants to boost early child development (each generation).
Going from black & white to color TV (in the early 60s).
Changing tennis balls from black/white to yellow (around the early 70’s).
Enjoying sports play-by-play and analysis described as ‘color commentary’ (80s and beyond).

That’s why SAIC is excited about doing the same in this time of Civic Revolution. The ‘J.A.M. With Us and Make Things C.L.I.C.K.’ initiative brings new ways to respond to anti-diversity forces that wanna rattle local officials and anti-democracy incidents treated as if it’s just ‘another day at the office.’ What if you could ‘color your world’ as it relates to these and other events? You’d have a much better picture of hot-button issues by how you ‘see America in color’ and not just in black & white. We can then rock the game in how we respond to moments of:

1. Isms & Schisms

For starters, we’d know whether folks are about a power ‘grab & hold’ or empowering ‘We the People’. The pre-amble to the Constitution might give reason to believe we should focus on the question of ‘What is your power’? The isms and schisms we often deal with are a matter of whether power is used as a ‘weapon of harm or tool of love.’ So, when you think about anti efforts on racism, sexism, homophobia and other isms and schisms we see, it’s a matter of what’s love got to do with it. In other words, SAIC expands the view of ‘We the People’ to engage more hope, change and a circle of love in the convo.

2. Lost Cause

After the civil war there was a phase of rehashing the results of the war. Many in the South felt they’d lose the ‘southern way of life’ because the franchise of slavery would be no more. Sounds familiar? There’s a kinda ‘lost cause’ these days that keeps rehashing past election results, along with the belief that demographic changes threaten their way of life. We see the effects in how some young white men respond to the idea of ‘replacement’. It’s almost like a ‘purpose disconnect’ in hearts & minds. Let’s replace ‘lost cause’ ideology or emotion, with a greater sense of purpose when you ‘color your world.’

3. Bias & Hate

A recent news report brought attention to Anti-Semitic flyers found in Jersey shore towns. Some seem to think their purpose in life is to demean/degrade others. History shows blacks were treated as second class, women were viewed as subservient and Native Americans as underclass or uncivilized. But when you ‘color your world’ with SAIC, you’ll level-up like Ralph Waldo Emerson who said “Treat a man (woman) as he is, and he will remain as he is. Treat a man as he could be, and he will become what he should be.” Or like German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who said “The strength of a person’s spirit would then be measured by how much ‘truth’ he could tolerate, or more precisely, to what extent he needs to have it diluted, disguised, sweetened, muted, falsified.”

4. Culture Wars

Then there’re those waiting on the next conspiracy theory to drop and help spread it. The choice for us as ’We the People’ is whether we’re about gaslighting or enlightening the culture. Dr King knew the difference between the two. That’s why he embraced a non-violent approach learned from Gandhi. That became an X-factor in the success of the civil rights movement. Some folks choose to be ‘bomb throwers’ and plead ignorance about the potential for chaos and drama. And others are ‘nugget sharers’ where civic life inspires culture kick (C.L.I.C.K.). One group is about gaslighting, the other about enlightening.

With consumer products, we’re used to making shifts for a ‘new & improved’ way of doing things. Think mobile technology from OG to 5G, color TVs from No-K to 4K. We wouldn’t want them backdated but instead updated. To prevail in the Civic Revolution, we gotta create a shift in citizenship and leadership that moves us from an outdated to an updated way of seeing the issues of our day. Whether it’s the isms and schisms or culture wars, we can do our part as ‘We the People’ even among friends & family. So ‘JAM With Us’ and ‘color your world’ to get past the madness, ‘cause we were born for this moment!

To find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” in civic engagement, social change and community life, checkout the flyers and QR codes below. Sign-up or learn more about the K-12 ‘Social Challenge Contests’ and the ‘Civic Life, Club Scene’ programs.

Tracks: Protoje Ft Jesse Royal – Family – https://youtu.be/258_PV8K634

The Score – Born for This – https://youtu.be/EP_CDtyV41g

Sign-up Center

**“Civic Life, Club Scene” Flyer and QR Code**

Featured

4 Things to Unite us as a Nation: Taking a page from America’s Journey of ‘Hope & Change’ That’s Hard to Deny

Doc Cunningham
“Da Island Guy”
Sounding-Off Social

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 that seems to hit home.

There’s a kinda ‘grow on you’ appeal it has with fans that brings them together. Maybe that’s a factor in how she deals as an artist. It’s certainly one of the ways See America In Color (SAIC) approaches its work as a social-edge campaign/platform. It’s in how we breakdown civic/social issues from our deep dive in American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks. This new brand in civic engagement, social change and community life streams a better picture of hot-button issues by how we ‘see America in color’ not just in black & white.

Consider two other news stories that got a different kind of buzz. The first is that NASA announced a three-part plan to return to the moon. We’ve been there before so maybe it will offer new hope in what’s possible. Then there’s the alarming story of lake Mead, a major water supply source for western states that’s running lower in capacity. The concern is something’s gotta change in how we address climate issues before our supply lines run dry. So yes, there’s a hope & change feel in all those stories.

Set aside Bey’s album or that the ‘hope & change’ slogan has been used before in a political campaign, and look closer at what we found from our deep dive when we asked the question, “what makes the United States of America, united?” The short answer is there’s a hope & change theme that runs throughout history. One thread has united many people around diversity. But there’s another thread that some latched-on to of ‘hate & chaos’ with those united around the notion of supremacy. So, one thread’s about stepping up our civic game, the other about rolling back the clock for reasons that are lame.

If Beyonce’s new project title means anything, we can have a civic renaissance of sorts by taking a page from America’s longstanding journey of hope & change that’s hard to deny. Some of this might mean America getting comfortable in its own skin. The challenge is whether folks are gonna spot what Dr King once called a “cancerous disease of disunity” that’s spreading from skin-to-skin in some quarters. Can SAIC be like a therapy treatment to stomp-out that spread or develop a kinda ‘unity scale’ that helps us gauge the chance of bridging divides in our nation? The answer might point to:

1. Economics

When the early settlers landed in the U.S. they were looking for new markets to expand their biz interests in selling more goods. Money was a driving force in their quest for hope & change. While there’s nothing wrong in those aims, the problem became having to choose between good economics and bad economics. The struggle with slavery and treating others as second-class was part of the problem. SAIC’s brand of civic economics is where we ‘lead in color.’ This creates new market value in roots & culture, like how growing a biz depends on serving/expanding your customer base.

2. Mission/Purpose

The next round of settlers known as pilgrims were fleeing religious persecution and ventured on a mission filled with peril. Their hope & change theme was built on a sense of purpose with new spiritual expression and personal meaning. We’ve seen throughout history how trials and triumphs in revolution, abolition and desegregation have brought a similar push. That’s because money without purpose is like sight without vision. We fall short of our full potential being rich in wealth but poor in meaning. Our civic and historical icons might say a sense of mission/purpose helps us to ‘love in color.’

3. Dreams

The ‘March on Washington’ is best known for Dr King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. But as he said, that wasn’t simply about his dream. It was about his dream being rooted in the American dream. The Civil Rights Movement had its own hope & change theme of moving past the Jim Crow era of separate-class to the modern era of best-in-class. SAIC’s new push helps us to ‘dream in color.’ So those who’ve taken a leap of faith whether to emigrate to the U.S., pull-up roots and move to another state, leave a job, start a biz or launch an impact project (e.g. SAIC), are all hoping to have their slice of the American Dream.

4. Empowerment

Most people want to use their skills to make a living and use their life to make a difference. That’s one hope & change theme with empowerment. Another misplaced example involves those who want to make racism fashionable as a band of misfits. Maybe comedian Whitney Cummings gives us something to chew on in saying “the freshest, edgiest thing to do is to be positive and hopeful and find the silver lining because that’s what no one is doing.” Might seem corny but it’s true when you think about the excitement and success of Title IX from watching the WNBA all-star game. Empowerment helps us to ‘jam in color.’

Dr King shared key hope & change points in his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on economic evangelism, social activism and hope over skepticism. This might have new meaning with all the recession talk these days. Since our nation’s founding to the present time, the idea of diversity has come a long way from “keeping it white with a plot of plantation life” to what we have today. We’ve made it this far by not letting certain forces break our soul. Wanna pull-up and set sail on a journey of hope & change? Then “J.A.M. With Us” on sounding-off social and shaking-up culture around economics, purpose, dreams and empowerment.

See our Upcoming Events below to find out more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” or learn more about the K-12 Social Challenge Contests.

Tracks: Beyoncé – Break My Soul – https://youtu.be/iz1rIp1-b-Y

Koffee – Pull Up – https://youtu.be/rvp9E12E4hQ

Upcoming Events

Scan the QR Codes below to “J.A.M. With Us” or learn more about the K-12 Social Challenge Contests or register for the DMV ‘BOSS’ Forum.

DMV BOSS Forum
8/29/22, 6:30pm ET
Civic Engagement, Social Change, Community Life!

Featured

Independence Day Rewind for the Culture: Let’s Make Things Plain So Folks Aren’t Played the Fool Anymore!

Doc Cunningham
Sounding-Off Social

There goes the neighborhood! So what comes to mind? Well, might depend on whether you’re Gen X, Y, Z or top the generation gap. In one case it’s the title of a 1992 movie based in a NJ neighborhood. The plot is of a secret prison escape to find hidden money buried under a house. But for other folks the phrase is a throwback to times of ‘white flight’ around perceived fear of blacks moving into a neighborhood. With Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson now on the Supreme Court, those on the wrong side of history might be thinking (or even saying)…there goes the country!

Meantime, news reports of Supreme Court rulings, January 6^th Congressional hearings, Mexico border human smuggling, white supremacists marching and a July 4^th parade mass shooting as well as protests for another black male tragedy in policing, got folks calling-up Marvin Gaye, “What’s goin’ on?” The short answer is America’s unfolding the next phase of its journey. Flashback to the days of our founding in the village, right through today in the ‘hood. Like a good plot in a movie or hook for a song, See America In Color (SAIC) has a revealing thread from American history, the ‘Black to America’ story and #HometownStrong comebacks.

Author Isabel Wilkerson reminded us that this past July 4^th was significant because America has been without slavery (1619 to 1865 = 246 years) for as long as its been an independent nation (1776 to 2022). Plus, we know the ideals from the Declaration of Independence were about advancing freedoms and self-determination. That makes sense when compared to the “Checklist of Our Liberties”:

Inalienable (Unalienable) Rights: That which is there like air and should be universally available (e.g. life, liberty, pursuit of happiness)
Constitutional Rights: That which sets us apart as a Republic (elections, representation, best life)
Democratic Rights: That which allows us to participate in the general affairs of the country (voting, serving, supporting)
Consensus Rights: That which is a prevailing view, expectation or practice (e.g. around choice, pride, community)

But the thread that connects these liberties with the ideals seems to keep getting knotted-up or otherwise unraveled from the fabric of America. Two reasons might help explain why, using examples from sports and tech. There’s the concept in pro sports called “Delay of Game”. It’s when a player tries to slow-down the progress of the other team. The penalty in basketball draws a technical foul while in hockey it’s sitting-out a player for two minutes in the penalty box. Some feel America is guilty of “Delay of Game” when it comes to rights, liberty and justice for all. Who’s ready to callout those times deserving of a technical foul or sitting-out a political player in the penalty box?

If that’s not enough to make the point, how ‘bout the tech case of applying a filter to pictures on your phone. This changes the look and feel of the image. In a sense, America’s journey has had different factors affecting its image which include oppression, discrimination, segregation, etc. One of the main problems comes from a ‘White Supremacy’ filter that distorts not just the image folks see or reflect, but also the chance to fully embrace those words from our founding document of “all are created equal.”

So as an Independence Day rewind for the culture, let’s make things plain so folks aren’t getting played anymore. A 50,000 ft view uses the high ideals we strive for as ‘we the people’ for perfecting our union. The longshot view takes us through the push and pull running its course over the 18^th, 19^th, 20^th and 21^st centuries. You might even look at things not just from an American history perspective but also with a New World history point of view. This helps to see clearly based on the:

1. Age of Revolution (Constitutional Convention)

This was the jump-off for America’s startup. The founding fathers came together around the Declaration of Independence as a new nation. No more relying on Britain to determine our taxation, representation and the fate of future generations. But a system design and operating manual was needed, which led them to drafting the Constitution and supporting documents. Much of the work that came from the Constitutional Convention has continued to guide how we function as a republic. But there’s always been an undercurrent pulling folks from shores into deeper/choppy waters with repeating stories of survival.

2. Age of Emancipation (13^th, 14^th, 15^th)

Since our founding it took almost 100 years (1776 to 1865) before emancipation from slavery came to be in the writing of Lincoln’s proclamation. Moreover, Juneteenth reminds us that even then, there was a further two and a half years delay in word getting to slaves in Galveston Texas. Other benefits of freedoms came with the 13^th, 14^th and 15^th Amendments. Those were key for releasing folks from feelings of bondage, servitude and second-class status. The gains didn’t depend on just a presidential proclamation but also on civic engagement and political involvement.

3. Age of Integration (’64, ’65, ’68)

As often happens with major social/political shifts, the Supreme Court played a role in going from emancipation to integration. Some say the Brown vs Board of Education ruling was pivotal to moving from the “separate but equal” doctrine of segregation. This led to three important public policy milestones: Civil Right Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. These were key to ‘opening up America’ for business and opportunity for all its citizens. But some believe the possible gains helped to spur a backlash to the civil rights movement which we see playing out in many ways today.

4. Age of Deconstruction (Civics Convention)

There’re couple ways to look at our current times. One is folks trying to deconstruct the American experiment to better understand its inner working. This is like what happens as a kid when you get tired of playing with a toy, so curiosity has you pulling it apart to then put it back together. Another way to see it is people wanting to blow-up the whole thing. They’re looking to deconstruct America in a problematic way, to then put it back, but with a filter that favors power and control. Maybe a Civics Convention today could be a nod to the Constitutional Convention from our past? Wanna pull-off new public policy milestones?

To get a real sense for the checklist of our liberties like Reproductive Rights, Second Amendment Rights, etc, let’s follow the See America In Color thread. It brings a better picture of social issues with less political filter and more history, civics and culture. If that doesn’t work for you then try a line from the movie Independence Day. To meet the challenges facing our democracy we gotta keep “fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice, [we will not vanish without a fight. We’re going to live on!]”. Just think, maybe someday we can be all that we need to live that good life.

To learn more about how you can “J.A.M. With Us” for social change and community life, checkout info below and signup link.

Tracks: One Republic – Someday – https://youtu.be/vNfgVjZF8_4

Mickey Guyton – Black Like Me – https://youtu.be/zPH9hgKSai8