In 2026, America celebrates 250 years. Let’s make sure to listen to the voices of Kansans.

A child waves an American flag during a Fourth of July celebration with frontline workers and military families, Sunday, July 4, 2021, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chandler West)

America 250 is here.

This will be the greatest year for artistic expression in our nation’s history, in part due to America 250’s celebration. For those who may not know, America 250  is a nonpartisan initiative to engage every American in marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The U.S. semiquincentennial will be a nationwide commemorations of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by our founding fathers in 1776. The main event will occur on the official birthday of the United States, July 4, 2026. 

America 250 originated in 2016, during the Obama administration. H.R. 4875, the “United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016,” was introduced on March 23, 2016, by Rep. Pat Meehan of Pennsylvania. Section 2 of the bill states that the historic events preceding the anniversary “(1) are of major significance in the development of the national heritage of the United States of individual liberty, representative government, and the attainment of equal and inalienable rights; and (2) have had a profound influence throughout the world.”

A portion of the statute that speaks to me is 130 STAT. 688 (E)(iii): “The implications of the Seimiquincentennial for present and future generations.”

I hope these celebrations are more than nostalgia. There is space for honest dialogue regarding the future of our country. What are we aspiring to be in the second quarter of our millennium? What visions do we have for future generations of new Americans? What have we learned?

I don’t anticipate major programming from America 250 to address the hard truths of our past under the Trump administration. I find this a missed opportunity to reckon with and acknowledge our storied history of striving for equity and freedom for all. Every social justice movement has brought us to America 250. No omission or revisionist retelling of our nation’s history will change our stories, our legacy of progress. 

Programming is already underway in Kansas, which keeps me hopeful about what the semiquincentennial can offer us. The State Library of Kansas has curated the Kansas 250 Bookshelf, which highlights Kansas’s literary achievements and history. Monthly, the bookshelf will share themed reading lists, live reading events. and offer programming ideas.

January begins with the theme “The Road to Statehood,” and February’s theme is “Love Your Community.” I hope Kansans take the time to engage with the literary works listed in the bookshelf. We are a state full of writers: incredibly talented, nationally renowned writers.

There will be stories, songs and artwork that won’t get shared nationally about this country and the hardships we have overcome to reach America 250. We are going to share them anyway. Art and artists have existed since time immemorial. Like the Cuevas de las Manos, we have collectively left our mark on time, on our own terms, whether or not we are acknowledged or observed.  

At the core of America 250 for me is the celebration of our inalienable rights, such as the First Amendment, which includes artistic expression as far as I am concerned.

So I ask artists at the local, regional, and national level to continue to record, report, reckon, redefine, reimagine, repair, rebel, reconstruct and reconcile with all parts of our history. Artists will do their part to ensure we do not repeat the parts of our past that were harmful to us through vigilance, bearing witness and archiving collective memories that cannot be erased. Artists will lead the way into this nation’s future. I only ask that you pay attention. 

Huascar Medina is a poet, writer, and performer who lives in Topeka. Through its opinion section, the Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.