Finding a Shared Historical Narrative

Part of the Kluge Prize Series from the Library of Congress, this event featured a discussion of the nation’s founding documents and the principles upon which they were founded. The Kluge Prize was awarded to Danielle Allen (Safra Center for Ethics, Harvard University) who cochaired the Academy’s bipartisan Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship that produced the report Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century. 

On May 13, panelists explored the tension between celebrating what is good about the U.S. and its history while addressing the exploitation and inequality that are also part of the American legacy.

This was the third and final event in the Kluge series, entitled “Our Common Purpose—A Campaign for Civic Strength at the Library of Congress.” Each event examined the implications and implementation of recommendations from Our Common Purpose. Events also included Using Civic Media to Build A Better Society on March 11 and How Political Institutions Shape Outcomes and How We Might Reform Them on April 15. 

Image is from “Our Common Purpose” featuring the Juneteenth flag with one star. Artist: Rodrigo Corral.