00:00 - And like you and I couldn't be more excited to be here with you for today's

00:03 - event as your emcee for this incredible weekend of important discussions.

00:08 - And of course, celebrate wins.

00:11 - For those of you who could not attend last night's reception,

00:14 - I will be your guide throughout this weekend's events.

00:17 - Today, we are so grateful and honored to be joined by esteemed guest

00:21 - state leaders and experts, all of whom are committed

00:25 - to shaping how we commemorate our nation's 250th anniversary.

00:32 - This is an exciting opportunity for all of us to learn from each other,

00:36 - to share ideas and contribute to meaningful conversation actions

00:40 - that will shape the future.

00:43 - And we want you to know

00:45 - that we encourage you all to stay engaged if you need to stretch your legs,

00:49 - If you need to get a coffee, please do so and help yourself.

00:54 - And I'm really thrilled to be a part of this event with you all.

00:57 - All right.

00:57 - So before we dive in, I really just want to take a moment

01:00 - so we can fully appreciate of the significance of where we are.

01:04 - The National Constitution Center is not just a stunning venue.

01:09 - It's a living museum dedicated to telling the story of the U.S.

01:14 - Constitution and its ongoing impact on our lives.

01:18 - Being here in this historic space is a reminder of the enduring importance

01:24 - of the work we're doing and the legacy that we're helping to shape.

01:29 - We graciously thank the National Constitution Center

01:32 - for hosting us in this remarkable space, a place where the past

01:36 - and future of democracy all come together.

01:41 - Now, it is my honor to introduce Patrick J.

01:45 - Burns, president and CEO of Metro Philly Management

01:49 - and the esteemed chairman of the America to a commission that the stage is yours.

02:05 - Well, good morning, everyone.

02:10 - I'm sorry.

02:12 - It's truly an honor

02:14 - to draw you again today to dive into the heart of America

02:18 - to 50 national convening of states and partners.

02:22 - Yesterday's evening, we celebrate the beginning

02:24 - of this historic journey together.

02:26 - Today, we continue with this critical work

02:30 - of shaping how we will commemorate America's 250 anniversary

02:34 - right here in the birthplace of America.

02:38 - This morning, General Sessions designed to bring together

02:40 - some of the brightest minds from across the country

02:44 - to share the insights, the experiences and the innovative ideas

02:50 - of how we as states, communities are there to honor

02:54 - the monumental milestones of this historic event.

02:58 - 2026.

03:00 - We have an incredible lineup of speakers and panels

03:03 - that will challenge us to think about not only how we tell our story,

03:08 - but how we include every voice and every narrative.

03:13 - Our discussions today will give us a rare opportunity

03:16 - to reflect on where we come from while looking forward.

03:21 - These panels, featuring national leaders,

03:24 - experts and fellow Pennsylvanians,

03:26 - and will explore the diverse perspectives

03:29 - and how we celebrate this anniversary.

03:32 - This is a pivotal moment.

03:34 - The ideas at your table influence not just how we remember our history,

03:39 - but how we shape our future.

03:42 - So I encourage you to engage fully.

03:44 - Share your thoughts, take part in the meaningful conversations

03:48 - throughout the day.

03:50 - And again, thank you for being here

03:52 - for your commitment to this important work and this historic journey.

03:56 - Thank you again.

04:07 - Thank you, Patrick.

04:08 - Of course, your words have definitely set the perfect tone for today's discussion.

04:13 - We really appreciate your insight and, of course, your leadership

04:15 - as we kick off this important day.

04:17 - And now I would like to ask all of you to rise

04:21 - as we move into a very special part of the program

04:27 - to kick off this important session.

04:29 - We will have the presentation of colors

04:32 - by the first troupe, Philadelphia City Calvary.

04:36 - This group founded on November 17, 1774.

04:40 - The troupe remains in continuous service as part of the Pennsylvania Army

04:44 - National Guard.

04:45 - Troopers have served with distinction in every major military

04:49 - conflict from the American Revolution to present day.

04:53 - Today, the troupe serves as Troop,

04:55 - a first Squadron 104th Calvary, 28th Infantry Division, Pennsylvania, Army

05:01 - National Guard since 911, the troupe has deployed six times to Iraq,

05:07 - Egypt, Bosnia, Kuwait, and has recently returned

05:12 - from their joint readiness Training center at Fort Johnson.

05:16 - In addition, they have been called upon for state active duty

05:20 - for civil unrest

05:24 - in the area

05:26 - they raised

06:02 - three

06:17 - and following the first troop, Philadelphia City, Calvary,

06:21 - the Pledge of Allegiance led by Miss Pennsylvania Page

06:24 - Weinstein and the Miss Pennsylvania teen Ariana Spurling.

06:29 - Finally, while enjoy the national anthem

06:32 - performed by Marquita Danzy from Cheney University,

06:44 - I pledge allegiance

06:45 - to the flag of the United States of America

06:49 - and to the Republic for which it stands

06:53 - one nation under God, indivisible,

06:56 - with liberty and justice for all.

07:12 - say, can you see

07:19 - by the dawn's

07:23 - early light

07:27 - what so proudly

07:32 - we hailed

07:35 - at the two hour light

07:38 - that's gleaming.

07:41 - Whose broad stripes and bright star

07:48 - eyes through the pair

07:51 - were the spice war.

07:57 - The ramparts we watched

08:03 - were so gallantly streaming,

08:10 - however,

08:13 - yet red glare,

08:17 - the bombs bursting in air,

08:24 - gave food

08:27 - through the night

08:31 - that our flag was still

08:35 - there. Had.

08:39 - say does that star

08:44 - spangled fe in their head

08:51 - way even wore the flag in

09:00 - their free

09:04 - and their home of their gray east.

10:17 - Thank you so much to our incredible presenters.

10:20 - If we can give them a round of applause.

10:28 - And please take a seat.

10:31 - It is now my honor to introduce you to someone

10:36 - whose passion for Pennsylvania

10:38 - and its future are really inspiring.

10:42 - Cassandra Coleman became the youngest mayor in the country

10:46 - while still in college, and today she serves as the executive director

10:50 - of the Pennsylvania Commission for the United States.

10:53 - Semi Quincentennial.

10:56 - Cassandra's leadership is key in

10:58 - ensuring that every corner of our Commonwealth is represented

11:03 - as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation.

11:08 - Please join me in welcoming Cassandra

11:11 - Coleman.

11:22 - Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Ryan.

11:25 - So this weekend is truly a gathering like no other.

11:29 - It's not every day that we have the privilege of gathering

11:33 - such a broad spectrum of voices and perspectives in one room.

11:37 - Among us are representatives of 30

11:40 - states, 43 Pennsylvania counties,

11:44 - and over 250 in-state partners,

11:48 - all united by a shared mission.

11:51 - We are here not just to celebrate,

11:54 - but to engage in meaningful dialog,

11:57 - exchange ideas, and forge new connections

12:01 - that will define how history remembers

12:04 - the 250th anniversary of our nation.

12:08 - This gathering marks a pivotal moment

12:11 - as we prepare to ring in our nation's momentous occasion

12:15 - with the tenacity, excitement and honor that this milestone truly deserves.

12:20 - I want to take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude to our speakers

12:25 - and our panelists for their presence today and throughout this weekend.

12:30 - We have been incredibly fortunate to welcome such a distinguished group

12:35 - of experts, leaders and visionaries who will generously share their knowledge,

12:40 - their insights and their passion with us.

12:44 - Leaders like Pennsylvania, former Governors Mark Schweiker, Ed Rendell

12:48 - and Tom Wolf who've whose legacies have left a mark on Pennsylvania.

12:54 - We're also honored to have Pennsylvania leaders like United States

12:57 - Senator Bob Casey, Auditor General Tim Defour, and Pennsylvania State Treasurer

13:02 - Stacey Garrity, whose steadfast commitment to public service have benefited

13:08 - countless Pennsylvania fans and Americans alike.

13:11 - And additionally, we are privileged to host esteemed

13:15 - speakers who have traveled from other states like Greg Emery,

13:19 - Rhode Island's secretary of state, and Kim

13:22 - Driscoll, lieutenant governor of Massachusetts,

13:25 - along with Nancy Hollister, the former lieutenant governor of Ohio,

13:30 - who will bring valuable perspectives from their states and their regions.

13:35 - The list of our remarkable speakers goes on,

13:39 - but what unites them all is their unwavering pride and passion

13:43 - for our country, both in honoring the past 250 years,

13:48 - but more importantly, shaping the next 250.

13:52 - And to all of our attendees today.

13:54 - Your presence is equally valued and celebrated.

13:57 - You come from all walks of life, representing various sectors, industries

14:02 - and communities and states, each bringing

14:05 - a unique perspective to this gathering.

14:09 - This weekend is the perfect opportunity

14:12 - not only to meet new people from across the country,

14:15 - but also to engage in conversations that can challenge and inspire.

14:21 - It's a chance to collaborate, to blend your ideas with those of others.

14:27 - The connections you make here today and this weekend could lead to

14:31 - partnerships that drive our country forward into the next chapter.

14:35 - As we embark on these sessions and these discussions over this weekend.

14:40 - I encourage each of you to take full advantage of this unique,

14:43 - historic gathering.

14:45 - Whether you're here to learn, to share, to grow,

14:49 - to know that your contributions are invaluable here.

14:53 - I would like to thank you again for being here.

14:55 - And let me leave you with this.

14:57 - What we do here today and over the course of this gathering, our discussions,

15:02 - our work for the 250th celebration

15:05 - will result in a lasting legacy.

15:08 - We are not just reflecting on history, we are creating it.

15:13 - Let's do so with pride and admiration for what has been accomplished

15:18 - and again, more importantly, for what will be achieved.

15:22 - Thank you.

15:31 - And thank you,

15:32 - Cassandra, of course, for your passion and your leadership.

15:35 - Now it is time to dive into our first panel

15:38 - discussion of the day 250th across the nation.

15:42 - For this discussion, I would now like to invite all of our participants

15:47 - and our presenting panel sponsor to the stage if you all can come up

15:53 - and as they make their way up.

15:55 - Let me share a little bit of exactly what this session will cover.

16:00 - In this session, representatives from four different states will share

16:05 - their unique plans and approaches for celebrating

16:08 - the 250th anniversary.

16:11 - You'll hear diverse perspectives on how their communities plan to honor

16:15 - that historic milestone, offering valuable insights on state led initiatives.

16:20 - We're really excited to learn from all of their innovative

16:23 - ideas and regional approaches.

16:26 - Before we get started, I would like to extend a special

16:30 - thank you to our presenting panel sponsor, OnePlus

16:33 - Strategies, for supporting this important conversation.

16:38 - Now it is my pleasure to introduce today's panel.

16:41 - MODERATOR and speakers leading this session will be Niall Standage.

16:46 - Whitehouse Common, Common, Common.

16:49 - I can't even say the word today.

16:52 - There we go.

16:53 - For some reason, it's too much caffeine, right?

16:55 - Who works for the helm?

16:57 - Our distinguished panelist today also include the Honorable Bob Casey,

17:02 - United States Senator from Pennsylvania, The Honorable Greg Amores,

17:07 - Secretary of State from Rhode Island and Chair of Rhode Island to 50.

17:12 - The Honorable Tim Driscoll, Lieutenant Governor

17:15 - of Massachusetts and Chair of Massachusetts to 50

17:20 - and the Honorable Nancy Hollister,

17:23 - former lieutenant governor of Ohio.

17:26 - These leaders bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse perspectives

17:30 - on how their states are planning to commemorate this milestone.

17:33 - And I'm excited for all of us to learn more about their experiences.

17:37 - Now I'm going to turn it over to you to lead this discussion.

17:40 - Thank you, everybody.

17:43 - Thank you.

17:48 - Thank you for I am thanks to all of you for being here.

17:51 - And of course, thanks to our distinguished panel.

17:55 - First of all, I should pay tribute to the organizers

17:58 - because I know they want this event to be inclusive.

18:02 - So inclusive, they got an Irish guy to moderate a panel about America.

18:07 - That wasn't that wasn't the cases of Scranton's every special request,

18:10 - I should say, but actually an organizer.

18:14 - Listen, I'm so moderated a few events in my time,

18:17 - and one principle that has always stood by me is nobody shows up

18:21 - at events desperate to hear what the moderator thinks about anything.

18:25 - So I want to leap into this as fast as possible.

18:29 - We do have a very impressive panel.

18:32 - This is not intended at all to be a political discussion, much more about

18:36 - how we strengthen the ties that that bring

18:43 - unity or civility to the nation.

18:48 - And the plan is to go,

18:49 - you know, to to provide some sense of how things are across the nation.

18:54 - So I just thought a good place to start since so much

18:57 - of the news tends to be so bleak,

18:59 - is the opposite than to ask the panelists what what gives you hope?

19:04 - About

19:05 - for in your own state about strengthening those loose ties that bind.

19:10 - And why don't we just start off going straight across the bridge

19:13 - uncovering everyone.

19:14 - I'm Jim Driscoll. I'm the lieutenant governor in Massachusetts.

19:17 - So pleased to be with all of you.

19:18 - What a beautiful time to be in Philadelphia.

19:20 - And I thank you, Cassandra.

19:22 - Last night was beautiful, really full of energy.

19:25 - And I think today will be as well. So I'll get us started.

19:28 - We actually just had our formal kickoff to our 2/50 just last week.

19:32 - Paul Revere writing down Beacon Street, hollering,

19:36 - The regulars are coming, the regulars are coming.

19:38 - So we are really excited about being able to tell our history.

19:43 - And I think what what gives me hope is just seeing the number of people

19:47 - who are coming together.

19:48 - Such pride in where we live in the history that we have.

19:52 - We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to history,

19:55 - just like Philadelphia.

19:57 - And to be able to stand up and talk about Democratic values and what's that mean?

20:01 - And bringing people together.

20:02 - There were tourists who were visiting Boston.

20:04 - There were international visitors around.

20:06 - There were students.

20:07 - There were re-enactors.

20:09 - You know, the folks who know

20:10 - and lived their history throughout our 351 cities and towns.

20:14 - I think this is a real opportunity to unite the things that we care about

20:19 - and are seeing the the hope, the optimism, the readiness for for 2026

20:24 - and all that comes with it certainly brought a smile to my face.

20:27 - And I think as we get closer to that date, the momentum is building

20:31 - and the opportunity to really showcase.

20:33 - There's a lot to showcase what makes the special.

20:34 - There's a lot of things that are hard.

20:36 - This is one place that I think

20:37 - there's a lot of unity in how we can come together within our states to build it.

20:41 - It's certainly an honor to be a part of that.

20:43 - Thank you, Lieutenant Governor. Thank you.

20:46 - Go ahead.

20:47 - The former lieutenant governor, Nancy Hollister, we should say.

20:50 - Oftentimes in big events, people talk about the biggest achievement.

20:55 - And Nancy's bill.

20:56 - Here is the former lieutenant governor, but was actually the first female governor

21:01 - in Ohio.

21:02 - Yes. Yes. All right. Go ahead.

21:09 - Are you Mike?

21:10 - Yes. I hope you can hear me.

21:12 - I have been properly miked up.

21:14 - Nancy Hollister from the great state of Ohio.

21:17 - And and we are absolutely honored and delighted to be with you

21:22 - and this gathering to feel the energy and the excitement.

21:26 - Our 250 commission started in 22 and been working very diligently.

21:32 - And I can honestly say that when this all began, it was like,

21:36 - what are we going to do?

21:37 - How do you reach out and touch people?

21:40 - Because everyone in this room is connected in some way.

21:44 - My maiden name was Patton,

21:46 - and I have lots of ancestors on the East Coast and in Ohio.

21:51 - So how do you touch people?

21:53 - You know what it's all about.

21:55 - How do we reach out to folks and communities

21:59 - to bring people together to say, this is who we are,

22:03 - this is where we're going and this is what we're going to do?

22:07 - So I knew in Ohio, as a product of the next chapter

22:12 - of the growing new country and the Northwest Territory

22:16 - and the first state to emerge from that territory.

22:20 - We are looking at all kinds of programs, from tree planting to acknowledging

22:25 - Revolutionary War veterans to community

22:29 - picnics to flags for them to fly.

22:32 - Anything we can do to talk to people,

22:36 - to get them excited about history.

22:39 - Because to be honest with you, sometimes

22:42 - those of us who are not involved history don't understand.

22:45 - When people look at you and go, Really?

22:49 - Yes. You need to be proud of who we are.

22:53 - And I think we are very, very excited to be underway.

22:57 - Thank you.

22:58 - Senator Casey.

23:00 - Well, now, thanks so much.

23:01 - And I'm really honored to be part of this discussion today.

23:04 - We want to thank the National Constitution Center,

23:08 - American, too.

23:09 - This is a big weekend for them.

23:12 - Cassandra Coleman has been working on this and her team for a long time.

23:16 - And we're honored you're here.

23:18 - It's a great day for Philadelphia,

23:20 - for our commonwealth, and even for the country.

23:23 - And I could just give you my sense of where I hope

23:26 - we can head as a nation when it comes to this celebration.

23:32 - We have some time now between this moment

23:35 - and 2026, but I think in large measure it will help us

23:40 - in our constant journey to perfect our union.

23:44 - We're always on that journey to try to make this a more perfect union,

23:48 - and this will be a catalyst

23:51 - for that, among other steps that we take.

23:55 - But I think for for Pennsylvania, we have

23:58 - we have some bragging rights, I think, in more ways than one.

24:03 - I know that Governor Wolf, Governor Schweiker, who were here with us,

24:07 - we're honored by their presence and Governor Rendell coming in right now.

24:11 - We take great pride in

24:14 - the Commonwealth's

24:15 - history and the Commonwealth's contribution to the success of the nation,

24:20 - America to 50 EPA has

24:23 - a number of programs to do just that.

24:26 - When you consider what it's going to do, not just to celebrate our nation's history

24:31 - and how how we're kind of all started here in Pennsylvania,

24:36 - but also what it means for the next generation.

24:38 - So we not only celebrate the history

24:41 - in each and every county, and I'll talk more about that a little later.

24:45 - But we also have an opportunity to inspire the future

24:49 - to get young people interested in that history so they

24:52 - prepare themselves to be the next leaders, whether it's the Keystone

24:56 - Classrooms Initiative or whether it's the Liberty trees or the

25:00 - the efforts that are under undertaken in each and every county.

25:04 - We're grateful to be part of this as Pennsylvanians, but also as Americans.

25:10 - Thank you, Senator.

25:11 - Secretary of State.

25:12 - Thank you.

25:13 - I'm Greg Emery. Rhode Island Secretary of State.

25:15 - The smallest state with the biggest secretary of state.

25:20 - We are we are proud of our history as well.

25:24 - In Rhode Island, the state that sparked the American Revolution

25:27 - with the Gatsby incident and all due respect to our friends in Massachusetts,

25:31 - you know, we burned the ship and killed the tried to kill the captain.

25:35 - We did not toss.

25:36 - We did not toss chests of British East India t overboard.

25:42 - So so I spent

25:44 - I spent nearly 30 years as United States

25:47 - Advanced Placement History teacher in a public school in Rhode Island.

25:50 - And so we were really committed

25:54 - in our office and with our I to 50

25:58 - to bring our history to the classrooms.

26:01 - And thus far, I have visited 62 classrooms.

26:04 - And that doesn't sound like a lot

26:06 - in 62 high schools, but we only have 71 high schools in Rhode Island.

26:09 - So we're getting around pretty well.

26:13 - And and our plan is to introduce

26:16 - our history piece by piece in short lessons.

26:20 - And the lesson we have been teaching is the history of voting rights in America.

26:24 - And I think that expresses the continued progress that we have seen

26:29 - toward, as the senator mentioned, a more perfect union that will shift gears

26:34 - and we will do a close

26:35 - read of the Declaration of Independence with these students as well,

26:39 - because we know that they they can all connect

26:42 - to the overarching themes in the Declaration of Independence.

26:45 - We know that every American can connect to a love of liberty,

26:49 - the pursuit of happiness.

26:50 - We know that, that we can all celebrate these self-evident

26:54 - truths, including the fact that we are all created equal.

26:57 - So our efforts around engaging young people, as Senator Casey

27:01 - mentioned, are at the forefront of our effort.

27:04 - But we also know that things that bring Americans together, like

27:08 - military service service to the community, are areas where we'll focus.

27:13 - And I am an optimist.

27:15 - I think there is much, much more that brings us together than divides us.

27:19 - In fact, on the walk here.

27:21 - I notice the sign at Liberty Park that said food, beer, unity.

27:25 - Well, amen.

27:27 - And so

27:28 - so our our our efforts are around bringing folks together.

27:31 - And we're optimistic.

27:33 - We want to share our tremendous history

27:35 - with our own citizens, but also with the nation.

27:38 - Back in 1976, where my mom stuck

27:41 - a tricorn hat on me and put me in the local parade.

27:44 - I will not forgive her for that.

27:47 - We were celebrating Rhode Island, kind of focused on Nathaniel Green.

27:51 - General Nathaniel Green.

27:53 - Our focus is going to be on the first Rhode Island Regiment,

27:55 - the first integrated regiment in American military history where indigenous Rhode

28:00 - Islanders and black Rhode Islanders served with distinction on the battlefield.

28:03 - And so we're trying to to do this in a way that brings everyone together.

28:08 - Thank you, Secretary of State.

28:10 - And just sticking with the topic of young people

28:14 - and you have that long experience as a teacher and visiting the classrooms.

28:18 - I gather Senator Casey did did teach for one year

28:22 - that correct after law school does not define himself as a teacher

28:25 - because he has the decades of experience but has some experience on that Are you

28:31 - will go the opposite direction, starting with the secretary of state this time.

28:34 - Are you optimistic about young people's

28:39 - hunger, too, to be educated about American history

28:43 - and to be fully engaged with those sort of civic issues?

28:47 - I am.

28:47 - We have been well-received and that's that's unique at this time

28:52 - and place to be accepted into public school classrooms

28:55 - at a time where there is controversy around

28:57 - what's going on in public school classrooms.

28:59 - But we've been accepted in every community.

29:01 - Our Republican strongholds.

29:03 - Our Democratic strongholds, because this is a lesson of American history.

29:06 - What we see from these students is a desire to learn more,

29:10 - but most importantly, to connect our past with their future.

29:14 - And that

29:15 - and that is really what we attempt to do, is connect them with their history,

29:19 - because we all have shared history and we can all make that connection.

29:22 - Just last week, we partnered with the Federal Court

29:26 - to swear in new citizens

29:28 - at Roger Williams National Memorial.

29:31 - And we are going to endeavor to do more of that, to connect the history

29:35 - of the nation to the history of the newest Americans.

29:39 - And students really connect to things like that.

29:42 - And we have seen that throughout.

29:44 - We also have created this student liaison program where we have students

29:48 - from every high school in Rhode Island.

29:50 - Joining us, monthly meeting folks in state government

29:53 - and advocacy leaders of nonprofits.

29:57 - They come together, they get to interact with these folks

29:59 - and learn about what can be.

30:01 - And I think that's a that's that's part of our mission.

30:04 - But it's also part of our our A250 mission.

30:08 - Thank you, sir.

30:09 - Senator Casey, you want to talk some more

30:10 - about that, about the idea of young people you talked about inspiring the future.

30:14 - How does one do that?

30:15 - Do you feel optimistic about our collective capacity to do that?

30:21 - I don't think there's any

30:21 - question that young people have a curiosity about our history.

30:25 - And the good news for them is they have more more opportunities,

30:29 - more resources, more tools to avail themselves of that history.

30:35 - This building is an edifice,

30:38 - a monument to that history in the celebration of what?

30:43 - What?

30:43 - What the Constitution means, what it what it has to mean for our country.

30:47 - And how young people can come here

30:48 - and learn about it in ways that aren't just the conventional ways of reading.

30:53 - Reading about it in a book, as we learned.

30:55 - So I don't think there's any question that young people have that that yearning

31:00 - and that desire, but they also have more opportunities to learn that history.

31:05 - I think that this celebration

31:08 - that we're in the midst of right now

31:10 - allows us to do this in in a very localized fashion.

31:15 - And that helps that that helps reach young people.

31:18 - And in our case, in every one of our 67 counties,

31:22 - I've noticed that

31:24 - at least in my time as a public official, when you go to each county,

31:27 - there's a there's a there's not just a story in every county,

31:31 - but there's a culture here and a pride and a

31:36 - and a uniqueness really, to every county in our state.

31:39 - So we've got to make sure that we continue as as Americans just to have done really

31:46 - well, I think, in a very localized fashion,

31:49 - to celebrate the history in that.

31:51 - And that precisely a localized manner so that young people in that community

31:56 - can attach themselves to that and and learn not just about the history, but

32:01 - how they can then be part of the future of their their own local community.

32:05 - Perfect.

32:07 - I before I come to

32:09 - Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and Lieutenant Governor Hollister,

32:13 - it is, I think, advantageous sometimes to to

32:16 - take advantage of the full range of experiences our panelists have.

32:20 - And I mentioned flippantly, but also seriously the importance

32:23 - that the organizers see here in having a very inclusive celebration.

32:27 - And so that gets the point about,

32:29 - you know, communities that may have felt historically marginalized.

32:33 - And those communities can sometimes be very, very different.

32:37 - But I'm wondering if we can find common threads between them now.

32:41 - Lieutenant Governor Driscoll has done a lot

32:43 - on the LGBTQ issues, and that obviously is a community

32:49 - that has faced discrimination historically.

32:52 - But also former Governor Hollister,

32:55 - before ascending to that rule,

32:58 - was in charge of a previous governor's

33:01 - office to reaching out to Appalachian communities.

33:04 - And I just felt that those two instances are both communities

33:08 - that are marginalized historically.

33:10 - But there may be some common threads. So

33:13 - listen, Governor Driscoll, do you want to take that?

33:15 - Sure, sure.

33:16 - Thank you so much.

33:17 - So prior to serving this role as lieutenant governor,

33:19 - I was the mayor in Salem, Massachusetts, for 17 years.

33:23 - An amazing community, not so good to women in 1692.

33:27 - But I've come a long way from that.

33:29 - And in that role, had the occasion to really frankly, stand up

33:32 - to hatred and bias and trying to build a really more inclusive community.

33:36 - And part of that is tied to what happened in 1692.

33:39 - The witch trials were about people who are ostracized, who were victims.

33:43 - And I think it left quite a hangover in our community

33:45 - that we're going to stand up for everybody.

33:47 - We're going to call it out when that happens.

33:49 - And tying into our history for the 250th,

33:52 - I mean, all people are created equal means all people.

33:55 - And there's an opportunity for us when you have the good fortune

33:58 - to be in a leadership role, to celebrate these American values.

34:02 - And so as we think about the 250th, what are the stories that aren't told?

34:06 - Who are the people who were left behind?

34:08 - I mean, there are ordinary citizens

34:09 - who are fighting farmers and merchants and cabinet makers.

34:13 - There were politicians.

34:15 - There were people who said, let's do something

34:17 - that's going to lead to a better life.

34:19 - Let's find a way to be self-governing.

34:21 - Let's find a way to be fair.

34:22 - And we can certainly wrestle with fairness and justice.

34:25 - And what's that look like over the last 250 years

34:28 - and still struggle with that, quite frankly.

34:31 - But when I think about the opportunity this presents

34:34 - to bring people together, to celebrate all to unify us, and frankly,

34:38 - it's one of the best things I love about local government is that it's nonpartisan.

34:42 - There's no Democrat or Republican pothole, Right?

34:44 - It's a pothole. He's got to get it fixed.

34:46 - And it tends to lead to better accountability, better listening

34:50 - and really driving consensus as we think about the 250th

34:53 - and the progress that we've made in the work yet to do.

34:56 - I think there's an opportunity to tell the stories about the things

34:58 - that we care about, how they're tied to our values

35:01 - and ensure that every community feels represented, even those where we've

35:05 - struggled to have good representation over the last 250 years.

35:09 - And in listening to your remarks, I think one of my ancestors

35:12 - may have been involved

35:13 - in some of those events in Massachusetts all those years ago.

35:17 - However,

35:18 - I live in Marietta,

35:20 - Ohio, which was the first settlement in the Northwest Territory.

35:24 - I'm the mother of five and the grandmother of four

35:27 - and teaching children and working in Appalachia.

35:31 - We had 29 counties in Ohio and working with the Federal Appalachian

35:36 - Regional Commission.

35:37 - One of the most unique things about the Appalachian

35:41 - population in this country is they have a history.

35:45 - They know where they came from.

35:48 - They know who they are, whether it's through their faith, through their music,

35:53 - through their quilting, through their activities.

35:57 - They understand their presence.

35:59 - They celebrate that presence.

36:02 - You hear a lot of negative.

36:05 - But I saw an incredible amount of positive also.

36:09 - These are folks who will participate,

36:13 - who will listen, who do believe in history

36:18 - and in culture, and they can be very, very excited about it.

36:22 - And I know the folks from southeastern Ohio extraordinarily

36:25 - proud of who they are.

36:27 - But when you look at touching children, whether that's K through 12,

36:31 - whatever, and the younger, the better

36:34 - in in my estimation, when I look at some of the programs

36:38 - that Ohio 250 is doing with the fourth grade passport

36:43 - where every child in the fourth grade in the state of Ohio,

36:47 - when accompanied by an adult, can visit all museums

36:52 - Ohio history connection can be involved and experience all these things.

36:57 - We need to focus on the classroom.

36:59 - Are you talking about your local history?

37:01 - Because that leads to the national history.

37:04 - And I think that that encouraged is really, really important.

37:08 - I know we also have a program called I Civics, which is fabulous,

37:13 - and it is geared toward a teaching tool to really, really like it.

37:18 - So I think it's all there is just a matter of everybody

37:22 - coming together and say, you are incredibly important.

37:26 - And this is why I agree.

37:28 - It's incredibly important.

37:29 - This is actually really interesting.

37:30 - So let's stick with this thread for a second.

37:33 - Senator Casey, the idea of, you know, bringing in communities

37:38 - or people who may have felt previously marginalized

37:41 - or discriminated against, what are your general thoughts on that?

37:46 - Well, in our state, there's plenty of examples of that

37:49 - where we we have to make sure, as we're telling the story,

37:52 - that we're honest about how people were left out of our history.

37:57 - I've been thinking about here in Philadelphia.

37:59 - I mean, as much as we have to continually remind the next generation

38:03 - of the contributions of someone who was with us in recent history,

38:08 - in the last 50 years, Martin Luther King, as much as we have

38:12 - to continue to reintroduce him in a sense, to new generations.

38:17 - We also have to reach back even further to those who were engaged

38:21 - in the struggle for civil rights or voting rights

38:24 - in in in the 1800s.

38:27 - For example, here in Philadelphia, right outside of

38:31 - city hall, there's a

38:32 - there's a statue that was erected a number of years ago to Octavius Catto,

38:37 - who lost his life advocating for voting rights for black Americans.

38:43 - In fact, he was killed on Election Day in I think it was 18

38:47 - year wrong, but 18 1870s.

38:51 - So there are a lot of a lot of young people,

38:54 - a lot of a lot of people my age who who don't know that story.

38:58 - And we have to continually remind people

39:00 - about that struggle and make that part of the story we tell.

39:05 - Because if we leave that out, obviously we're going to be leaving out

39:10 - not only the history that that's an accurate history,

39:13 - but we're also going to leave out opportunities, I think, to inspire

39:17 - young people to do more to take on the fight.

39:20 - And it's been my experience, especially the last number of years,

39:24 - whenever we've gotten something done that's been significant

39:28 - and bipartisan in Washington, it's often been spurred by or

39:34 - or and

39:36 - triggered by the actions of young people.

39:39 - Think of one example we passed in 2022, a bipartisan bill that addressed

39:45 - gun violence not in a comprehensive way, but we made some progress.

39:50 - That bill would have been impossible without the work of young people

39:55 - over the course of a number of years demanding that something happen.

40:00 - And it finally did.

40:01 - It wasn't enough, in my judgment, but it was a breakthrough.

40:05 - And that was

40:07 - that was a moment when I think I realize the power

40:11 - that young people can can bring to these conversations and also making

40:16 - sure that young people are part of telling the full story of of American history.

40:22 - Secretary of State Just on the topic of marginalized communities.

40:25 - Sure. Sure.

40:26 - I mentioned the first Rhode Island Regiment

40:27 - because we hope to make them ever present in the R.I.

40:31 - 250 discussion.

40:33 - But our R.I.

40:34 - 250 commission is made up of of members of the Narragansett nation.

40:40 - The Wampanoag Nation,

40:42 - civil rights

40:43 - leaders in Rhode Island who were in the civil

40:46 - rights fights of the late 1950s and early 1960s

40:50 - and the discussion at our table, our large commission table,

40:54 - always revolves around making sure everyone's story is told.

40:58 - And we painstakingly created the introductory video,

41:02 - which which is rich in Rhode Island history, of course,

41:05 - But it also celebrates some nominal moments in Rhode

41:09 - Island history, including the celebration of the signing

41:13 - of the act that created Juneteenth as a as a Rhode Island state holiday.

41:17 - A holiday.

41:18 - It features the first pride parade in Providence, Rhode Island.

41:23 - So so there are many references

41:26 - in that video and in our curriculum around the

41:29 - the state to the efforts and contributions of our indigenous peoples.

41:33 - So so that's that's a purposeful effort to bring to Rhode Islanders.

41:38 - And we're bringing that video to Rhode Islanders.

41:40 - It's about 2 minutes long

41:42 - and we are showing it in our classroom visits and it will appear

41:45 - on the jumbo screen at our University of Rhode Island football games.

41:49 - Providence College basketball games.

41:51 - And it will it will force people to reflect on our entire history

41:55 - rather than a micro focus on what Rhode Islanders had been focused on

42:00 - in the bicentennial celebration, which was the Gatsby incident.

42:04 - Really important. Nathaniel Green Really important.

42:07 - This video includes acknowledgment that Rhode Island

42:11 - was the economic epicenter of the slave trade and and forces

42:15 - that conversation around that march toward a more perfect union.

42:19 - So it's incredibly important that this be a commemoration,

42:23 - a celebration and a discussion of stories that have been largely untold.

42:28 - Know this has been a fascinating discussion.

42:30 - We're almost out of time.

42:31 - But I did want to get one more topic in

42:34 - because we have a panel of elected politicians and a political journalist.

42:38 - But of course, the story of America is like vastly wider than that.

42:43 - And and there are all sorts of things that that can be important,

42:47 - I think, in fostering identity and shared identity,

42:51 - and that can include the arts, culture, sports,

42:56 - a whole lot of other things that are not expressly political.

42:59 - And I just wondered what our what our panelists thought about that,

43:02 - the potential in those areas to do things that bring us together.

43:06 - So we'll go from Lieutenant Governor Driscoll.

43:09 - Sure. Thanks so much.

43:10 - You know, I think this is a huge opportunity

43:12 - for collaboration across state lines.

43:14 - We're obviously going to lift up all of our communities, all those stories,

43:17 - the amazing historical, significant things that took place

43:20 - that many of us may not know about.

43:22 - But I think of sports and art as a way that we celebrate together.

43:25 - We mourn our losses, we celebrate our wins and the red Sox and Yankees

43:29 - will never overcome their rivalry.

43:31 - I'm pretty sure about that.

43:32 - But for the 250th, we're working with the state of New York

43:35 - on General Knox's journey from New York to Boston.

43:38 - What that can mean, telling that story.

43:41 - So the opportunity to sort of showcase our sports, celebrate together.

43:47 - But also have that opportunity to hold hands, lock, lock up or lock hands

43:52 - to, you know, share journeys and paths where our history ties and collaborates.

43:56 - I think we're trying to find those locations

43:59 - and lift that up a little bit as we move forward with 250.

44:02 - Now, one of the things that I've seen in Ohio

44:05 - that the commission has started in earnest is a barn painting

44:10 - and murals with historical figures,

44:13 - not only historical figures, but folks now.

44:17 - And they draw a lot of attention because you've got this incredible,

44:21 - vast color photograph that says,

44:24 - okay, let's think about this and the artistry of that work.

44:28 - And I think that's really, really important.

44:31 - And bringing together all sorts of local art shows

44:35 - and celebrating folks, and obviously through athletics,

44:39 - we intend to take the spirit of this celebration everywhere

44:44 - with a flag, with whatever you were doing.

44:48 - This is who we are about and this is where we're going.

44:51 - And contests with local communities

44:56 - to celebrate their history through art and music.

45:02 - I think

45:02 - the point the lieutenant governor made about about sports as a place

45:06 - where we can come together is an important one because we're we're yearning

45:10 - at this moment for opportunities like that, where there is

45:14 - common ground, there is a place to land together.

45:17 - Sports are one of them.

45:18 - I think, you know,

45:19 - we start so many events as we did today with the national anthem,

45:23 - the Pledge of Allegiance, that that is a place where

45:27 - we can come together as a nation.

45:29 - And I also think we have to remind ourselves

45:32 - that part of part of this celebration

45:38 - is and isn't simply about about history.

45:42 - It's also, as Cassandra and others made reference to a kind of a

45:47 - a forecast or a or a pathway to to what the future can be.

45:52 - And the good news for us as a nation is, even though we are still perfecting

45:56 - our union, we weren't we're in a sense we were born on a note of optimism.

46:02 - Benjamin Franklin, not too far from here,

46:05 - was was heard to say when he was asked about, you know, what he felt about

46:10 - what had been born with the Constitution, he had a great line about

46:17 - which was recorded at the time.

46:18 - He said Now at length, I have the happiness to know

46:21 - that it is a rising and not a setting sun.

46:25 - And he's referring to the carving on the back of the presiding

46:28 - officers chair, which is only half of the sun.

46:31 - And he said because

46:34 - the the debate went up and down and they weren't sure

46:37 - they'd ever have a constitution, he was worried that maybe

46:40 - it was a setting sun instead of a rising sun.

46:44 - But when when the Constitution was born and he emerged from that,

46:48 - those deliberations, he in a sense, kind of

46:52 - pushed our sails forward on an optimistic note.

46:55 - And I think we've got to figure out a way to get back to that and try to capture

46:59 - that optimism that we are a country of of that rising sun.

47:04 - We just have to make sure we take advantage of it.

47:07 - Negative state.

47:09 - Yeah, I think professional sports has done a very good job of bringing us together

47:14 - over many, many in many ways,

47:17 - but particularly around celebrating service.

47:21 - I don't think you can go to an NFL game or an NBA game or a major League

47:26 - Baseball game without at some point a veteran being honored during that game.

47:31 - And what you see is everyone in the stands is standing and applauding.

47:37 - There's appreciation.

47:39 - And we've seen that around first responders.

47:41 - We've seen that around educators.

47:43 - I think there's a real opportunity there to take what already exists

47:46 - in a unifying way around sports and expand that.

47:50 - I want to give a plug to a uniquely Rhode Island event, which is called water Fire,

47:56 - where we basically light 100 little bonfires

48:00 - across the Providence River, followed by vessels

48:05 - usually themed and music that's piped in

48:08 - and tens of thousands of people come to Providence to witness water.

48:11 - Fire and water fire has been incredibly unifying.

48:14 - It's it's art, but it brings everyone together around service.

48:19 - And we've celebrated in water fire

48:21 - nurses and teachers and active military and veterans.

48:25 - And it is it is a place where you do not hear political discussion.

48:29 - You hear discussion around service and appreciation, not only for that

48:34 - for that service, but for the art that everyone is witnessing.

48:37 - So I think there's a great opportunity there.

48:38 - Thank you, Secretary of State.

48:40 - Thank you to all our panelists.

48:42 - I'm really happy because I was losing my awareness

48:45 - of my moderator duties and was just interested in what everyone was saying.

48:48 - So I hope you find it as interesting as I did.

48:51 - I know you have a busy day ahead, so we will make way.

48:54 - But please thank all of our panelists that discussion.

48:58 - Well said.

48:59 - India.

49:24 - That was such a fantastic discussion.

49:27 - Can we have another round of applause for all of our panelists sharing their time?

49:36 - We really appreciate

49:37 - your time, your insights and their innovative ideas.

49:41 - Now, I'm excited to introduce a very special video message

49:45 - from the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution,

49:48 - the Honorable Lonnie Bunch, the third.

49:55 - Hello and welcome to the attendees

49:57 - of the America to 50 PR Workshop.

50:00 - What a grand and glorious day to meet colleagues from around the country

50:04 - and share ideas on how to best commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary.

50:10 - It's an important conversation to have so crucial.

50:13 - And although this milestone is a celebration,

50:16 - a chance to look back and remember, it is also so much more is a memorial

50:22 - for those who struggle and sacrifice along the way

50:25 - for the very real notions of liberty, equality and justice.

50:29 - It's an

50:30 - opportunity for us to think about what this country is,

50:33 - how to build on that wonderful history and what it can become.

50:37 - And it's a challenge for all of us to live up to the principles enshrined

50:41 - in our founding documents.

50:44 - The American story is a diverse tapestry.

50:47 - It's we've fortified by all its threads.

50:50 - America 250 is an opportunity for all of us,

50:53 - whether it's local, state and federal government

50:56 - or cultural traditions like the Smithsonian,

50:59 - to tell an inclusive story about who we are

51:02 - and the strength we gain from embracing the spirit and the legacy

51:05 - of our pluralism and the openness to new ideas.

51:09 - For me, this moment is not only about history

51:12 - lesson, but it's about strides we've made towards becoming

51:15 - the more perfect union envisioned in the Constitution.

51:20 - It's an opportunity to recognize the great strength

51:23 - this nation has been that has faced all of its challenges honestly and fairly.

51:28 - And as we face the challenges ahead, we want to build on that path

51:33 - as we approach this anniversary as a nation.

51:35 - I look forward to hearing the plans from Pennsylvania

51:38 - and the rest of the state commissions.

51:40 - I think our 250th will be a birthday to remember.

51:44 - I thank you all for helping us find the joy in remembering

51:47 - who we once were and pointing us towards who we can become.

51:59 - And now I am thrilled to welcome

52:01 - Pennsylvania's very own treasurer, Stacey Garity, to the stage.

52:06 - Please join me in giving her a warm welcome.

52:16 - Good morning, everyone.

52:19 - Good morning. Thank you, Ryan.

52:21 - It is a true honor to be here with you this morning in Philadelphia.

52:26 - The birthplace of William Penn's holy experiment and American democracy.

52:31 - Now I see a lot of familiar faces,

52:33 - including my friend Bob Casey, that I think is around the corner.

52:37 - My new friend, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Hollister, our former governors,

52:41 - who we're going to hear from in just a few minutes.

52:43 - And what a great panel discussion we just had.

52:45 - It was it was really great, guys.

52:47 - The history in this city is incredible.

52:50 - If you walk less than 10 minutes from here, you'll be an independent,

52:55 - You can in the same place our founders did

52:58 - when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

53:02 - And I'm willing to bet it will give you chills.

53:06 - There is simply no better place

53:09 - to be here right then, right here in Philadelphia,

53:12 - as we prepare for the upcoming 250th anniversary of our country,

53:18 - the greatest country in the world.

53:21 - This is where America began.

53:23 - And this is where the celebration should be.

53:25 - The biggest right

53:27 - to us. Pennsylvania State Treasure.

53:29 - I've had the honor to travel our great commonwealth many times over.

53:34 - And the pride I see for our state and our country here is unmatched.

53:39 - Pennsylvanians are and always have been, the people fueling our nation,

53:44 - our coal mining heritage to the first commercial oil

53:47 - well to our leadership in the natural gas industry today.

53:52 - Through centuries of hard work, our farmers have fed our state,

53:55 - our nation and other countries across the globe.

53:59 - I've been to many events with America to pay and it's fantastic

54:03 - to host so many of our counterparts from across the country here this weekend.

54:09 - Pennsylvania's vast.

54:10 - Now, you wouldn't expect me to say anything else to, you know,

54:13 - that every single one of our 50 states is so important

54:17 - because they're such a thread in the fabric of our American story.

54:22 - Our country's story is.

54:23 - Hundreds of years in the making, and we're not done yet.

54:29 - The American story is growing every day.

54:33 - Each one of us has a unique American experience and a unique voice

54:37 - because our founding fathers believed in freedom.

54:40 - They believed in life, liberty

54:43 - and the pursuit of happiness for all.

54:46 - We have all different backgrounds, and we don't all share

54:49 - the same political perspective.

54:51 - But America is our home and no differences will ever stop us

54:55 - from coming together to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy.

55:00 - The late Supreme Court Justice, Felix Frankfurter, once

55:03 - said, And by the way, isn't that a great name?

55:05 - Justice Frankfurter once said, In a democracy,

55:09 - the highest office is the office of Citizen.

55:13 - That principle is a huge part of what makes America strong

55:17 - as we come together to celebrate our nation's first 250 years.

55:22 - We're also looking forward to our tremendous future

55:26 - in good times and bad times.

55:28 - America shows its strength like no other nation.

55:32 - I am proud be here with all of you.

55:34 - I'm proud to be a Pennsylvanian and I'm proud to be an American.

55:38 - And I can't wait to celebrate our past, our present,

55:42 - and our future during our 250th anniversary in 2026.

55:46 - Thank you for having me. God bless all of you.

55:48 - God bless Pennsylvania and God bless the United States.

55:51 - Thank you.

56:02 - And thanks again, Treasurer Garrity, for your inspiring words.

56:05 - We really appreciate it.

56:06 - Now, we're about to take a fascinating walk through Pennsylvania's history

56:11 - with a panel featuring our state's former governors.

56:16 - Let me invite all of our panel participants

56:19 - and our panel sponsor to the stage.

56:22 - And while they make their way up, let me give you just a little

56:25 - overview of what's to come.

56:28 - This panel brings together

56:31 - three Pennsylvania governors who will share their insights

56:35 - on some of the state's pivotal moments and reflect on their time in office.

56:40 - Each governor will offer a unique perspective on how their leadership

56:45 - shaped Pennsylvania's role in the nation's history.

56:49 - As we celebrate the 250th anniversary,

56:53 - this discussion will give us a rare opportunity to hear firsthand

56:58 - from those who have guided the Commonwealth through so many key eras.

57:03 - Before we would begin, I also would like to extend a special

57:07 - thank you to our sponsor, the Pennsylvania Historical

57:11 - and Museum Commission, and their representative, Haley Halderman,

57:16 - who has helped make this conversation all possible.

57:19 - Haley, the floor is yours.

57:27 - Good morning, everyone.

57:29 - It's great to be here.

57:30 - My name is Haley Halderman and on behalf of the Pennsylvania

57:33 - Historical and Museum Commission, welcome.

57:37 - It's an honor to sponsor this important panel discussion

57:40 - and to be part of this incredible event

57:43 - as the state's official history agency.

57:46 - Agency is dedicated to preserving and sharing

57:51 - the stories that have shaped our commonwealth of the 250th

57:55 - anniversary is a unique moment to reflect on how Pennsylvania's

57:58 - rich and diverse history has contributed to the foundation of our nation.

58:04 - It's also a time for us to ensure that these stories continue

58:08 - to be accessible and inspiring for future generations.

58:12 - Before we hear from our esteemed panel of former governors,

58:16 - I'm pleased to first introduce a special video message from someone

58:20 - who has played a significant role in the history of not just Pennsylvania,

58:24 - but also the United States and continues to be a dedicated public servant.

58:29 - This video comes to us from the Honorable Ridge, Pennsylvania's

58:33 - 43rd governor and the first secretary of homeland security.

58:38 - I'm excited to share his message with all of you.

58:40 - Please enjoy this special greeting from Governor Ridge.

58:45 - Good morning

58:47 - show.

58:48 - And I regret that we cannot be with you today in Philadelphia.

58:52 - We thank you, though, for giving us the opportunity

58:54 - to send greetings from your fellow Pennsylvanians in the opposite corner

58:58 - of our great commonwealth.

59:00 - From Erie, Pennsylvania, 250

59:02 - years ago, our founders sat only blocks from where you are

59:06 - sitting today to discuss the importance of a better future

59:09 - by building on William Penn's holy experiment in self-government.

59:14 - This was the time to create a new path forward.

59:18 - 250 years later.

59:19 - We all have the same opportunity.

59:22 - It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to do just that.

59:28 - As a co-chair for the America 250 IPA

59:31 - with my friends Governors Schweiker Rendell, Corbett, Wolf, and SHAPIRO,

59:36 - we recognize the importance of coming together

59:39 - to underscore this anniversary as nonpartisan.

59:43 - No matter what your party affiliation is.

59:46 - We can agree that we live in the greatest nation in the world,

59:49 - and we are all proud Americans and Pennsylvanians.

59:53 - The Work that

59:54 - all of you are doing is truly commendable.

59:57 - As the 250th planners and partners

59:59 - 498 from across the nation and our Commonwealth,

01:00 - 07.203 you understand the importance of this historic moment in our nation's history

01:00 - 09.572 and our utilizing it to ensure

01:00 - 13.343 that each of your states and individual communities are represented

01:00 - 17.814 and engaged, inspiring Americans nationwide to take part in

01:00 - 21.217 every state across this nation, contribute to the United States history

01:00 - 23.086 in its own way.

01:00 - 25.388 I will forever be grateful to have represented

01:00 - 29.592 the people of Pennsylvania, the birthplace of American democracy,

01:00 - 32.095 and will forever cherish the integral role

01:00 - 35.898 this Commonwealth played in shaping our country.

01:00 - 38.101 I love being your gov,

01:00 - 41.471 as I know all the other governors in attendance did as well.

01:00 - 45.375 Used to say Ridge loves being Gov lets us take this weekend

01:00 - 50.446 to celebrate the ideals of equality, virtue, liberty and independence

01:00 - 52.915 of a government by consent of the governed,

01:00 - 57.720 as well as our unique right and responsibilities as Americans,

01:00 - 59.822 and stay above all the noise and become

01:00 - 03.793 united around this moment in 2026.

01:01 - 06.529 Please enjoy this epic weekend.

01:01 - 09.599 God bless each and every one of you and thank you again

01:01 - 18.141 for all of your work.

01:01 - 21.244 Thank you for that message from Governor Ridge.

01:01 - 26.049 Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the next part of today's session,

01:01 - 30.219 a conversation that will take us through the rich history of Pennsylvania.

01:01 - 34.157 Guided by those who have shaped it firsthand,

01:01 - 36.959 leading this important discussion is our moderator,

01:01 - 39.262 David Thornburg, senior advisor.

01:01 - 43.366 And former president and CEO of the Committee of 70.

01:01 - 44.634 David has long been

01:01 - 48.571 dedicated to good governance and civic engagement in Pennsylvania,

01:01 - 52.475 and we're excited to have him guide us through this conversation.

01:01 - 56.412 And joining David are esteemed panelists.

01:01 - 00.750 Reading their bios alone would take most of our allocated time for the panel.

01:02 - 04.921 So I will simply say a welcome to the Honorable Mark Schweiker,

01:02 - 06.289 the Honorable Edward G.

01:02 - 09.726 Rendell and the Honorable Tom Wolf.

01:02 - 13.863 These leaders have all played critical roles in shaping Pennsylvania's

01:02 - 18.468 recent history, and today they'll share their unique perspectives on the state's

01:02 - 22.004 journey and its contribution to our nation's story.

01:02 - 25.942 As a native Pennsylvanian and a native Pittsburgher, I will once again say

01:02 - 26.676 welcome.

01:02 - 31.114 And particularly from Pittsburgh, I will say thank ins all for coming.

01:02 - 38.221 David, the state of yours.

01:02 - 40.189 Well, thank you so much, Haley.

01:02 - 44.060 It is a great honor to be here today.

01:02 - 47.130 And thank you for your warm introduction as well.

01:02 - 50.633 The in some ways, my ticket to this conversation,

01:02 - 53.603 which again, I'm very honored to be part of,

01:02 - 56.639 is also my ability to channel my father's spirit.

01:02 - 00.109 My dad was a Republican governor of Pennsylvania

01:03 - 04.547 from 1979 to 1987 and served honorably.

01:03 - 08.484 And I think history will remember him for his leadership in the Three

01:03 - 12.321 Mile Island nuclear crisis, which I hope and trust and pray

01:03 - 17.260 that no Pennsylvania governor ever has to go through again.

01:03 - 19.195 My dad would have loved to have been here.

01:03 - 23.466 He died about three years ago and he

01:03 - 26.402 he treasured and valued many things.

01:03 - 31.440 But once we put aside Pittsburgh sports teams and his family,

01:03 - 34.043 he loved the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

01:03 - 38.581 He was a student of history and he loved being governor.

01:03 - 40.550 There's a book out there that says being governor

01:03 - 44.053 is the best job in politics and maybe only on a good day.

01:03 - 45.655 You all would agree.

01:03 - 51.093 But I know how much he enjoyed that and I'm sure all of you did.

01:03 - 54.897 So we're going to have, I hope, a really fascinating

01:03 - 58.534 tour through the highways and byways of Pennsylvania's history.

01:03 - 00.336 And we're going to get to that in a minute.

01:04 - 04.273 But just to kind of set the stage and provide some context,

01:04 - 08.311 I'm going to ask Governor Schweiker to talk about

01:04 - 11.247 this America 258

01:04 - 14.951 effort that's come together over the last several years.

01:04 - 16.485 All the governors have been involved,

01:04 - 20.723 and I know Governor Schweiker has been particularly instrumental in that.

01:04 - 22.425 So, Mark, if you would.

01:04 - 23.826 Thank you so much, Dave.

01:04 - 26.729 Yeah, And I think the presidents of all the governors,

01:04 - 30.333 virtually my friend, our friend Tom Ridge says it all.

01:04 - 34.303 The idea that we're going to be engaged in on the ground,

01:04 - 37.573 so to speak, and here we are at the Constitution Center

01:04 - 42.044 on this historic ground with the Independence Hall after my left

01:04 - 46.883 says it all that we are as determined and motivated as all the good Americans are,

01:04 - 51.320 that we have a fun time in 20 and 26 and think about what we can do in the future.

01:04 - 55.458 But so in that regard, that's that's why we represent

01:04 - 57.660 a second thought, Dave.

01:04 - 00.663 You know, given at least as I sit

01:05 - 04.433 next to my colleague and longtime friend and Governor Ed Rendell,

01:05 - 07.904 former mayor of Philadelphia, I'm a former county commissioner.

01:05 - 10.273 I was a local official.

01:05 - 13.976 And that's to say that really our outlook

01:05 - 18.114 is, is that while the state will be a major force

01:05 - 22.218 in assemblies like this and with assistance

01:05 - 27.857 and technical assistance and funding it, this will be locally defined,

01:05 - 30.159 launched, driven

01:05 - 32.862 by motivated folks like yourself.

01:05 - 36.365 As I look at Chairman Pat Burns and Caz Coleman,

01:05 - 39.402 who were herself at one point

01:05 - 43.506 the youngest female mayor in the country.

01:05 - 45.474 This is easy for us.

01:05 - 48.077 And so as we engage

01:05 - 52.615 other jurisdictions and states, the idea is we think at least

01:05 - 57.353 in Pennsylvania, it's not going to be a central kind of controlled endeavor.

01:05 - 01.090 It's for those leaders

01:06 - 06.395 across our 67 counties and in localities across Pennsylvania.

01:06 - 11.300 We think the richness and making sure we don't miss the cultural

01:06 - 15.071 and historical distinctions of those places are guaranteed.

01:06 - 17.573 In that regard, it's something we all share.

01:06 - 18.541 And finally,

01:06 - 22.979 I have to tip my hat to Tom Wolf, because Tom called some years back

01:06 - 25.614 when he was on the job as Gov and reached out

01:06 - 28.784 to every governor and said, We think there's going to be tremendous

01:06 - 32.822 significance for all former living gods to participate.

01:06 - 34.523 And that's our presence today.

01:06 - 37.093 An important accent, Dave. Well, thank you.

01:06 - 41.964 And I know we all value your collective leadership on this front.

01:06 - 45.334 I've given the the governor's,

01:06 - 49.038 I hope, a fabricated question to reflect upon.

01:06 - 50.373 We're going to get to that in a second.

01:06 - 54.944 But I wanted to set this up by filling in some of you who haven't

01:06 - 57.947 been born and raised in Pennsylvania a little bit of our

01:06 - 03.853 our our historical branding, let's just call it that when I was a kid.

01:07 - 05.788 Our license plates.

01:07 - 09.692 This is before license plates, I think became marketing material.

01:07 - 15.064 Our license plates had on them Pennsylvania, the Keystone State.

01:07 - 18.501 And in all honesty, as an eight year old, nine year old,

01:07 - 22.438 I thought this was incredibly boring, that somehow all we could come up with

01:07 - 27.043 to identify the Commonwealth was was like a construction material.

01:07 - 31.414 And then one day I have a clear memory walking with my dad.

01:07 - 35.584 Pittsburgh is filled with big stone buildings.

01:07 - 40.423 And we walked by maybe some someplace downtown or maybe on the Pitt campus.

01:07 - 42.091 And there was an archway

01:07 - 46.062 and he said, See that little stone up there that holds the arch together?

01:07 - 47.596 That's the keystone.

01:07 - 53.102 And that's why it's so important that we be recognized as the Keystone State.

01:07 - 55.838 And I'm not sure I was

01:07 - 56.338 totally

01:07 - 00.242 won over at that point, but it grows on you.

01:08 - 04.780 And I think what we'd like to hear from our governors today

01:08 - 09.051 is is some reflection on what I'll call Keystone moments

01:08 - 14.223 in Pennsylvania's history, where they're people, places, things.

01:08 - 19.228 Events that happen here in Pennsylvania that are distinctive to Pennsylvania,

01:08 - 22.998 which really reinforce the sense that that Pennsylvania

01:08 - 26.669 holds the nation or even the world together.

01:08 - 28.204 And I'll say one further thing.

01:08 - 29.605 I don't think you can be a

01:08 - 34.076 governor of Pennsylvania and not have an appreciation for history

01:08 - 36.145 because frankly,

01:08 - 38.481 a sense of history is good politics.

01:08 - 41.350 When you go through those 67 counties, each of which

01:08 - 44.353 has its own unique story.

01:08 - 48.190 So these three gentlemen and Governor Ridge and my father

01:08 - 52.995 and I think, again, just about every Pennsylvania governor has that.

01:08 - 53.863 We do have,

01:08 - 57.900 I should point out, a bit of a ringer here and that Governor Wolf has a Ph.D.

01:08 - 01.470 in political history from M.I.T.

01:09 - 07.443 So that earned him the chance to go first in this.

01:09 - 09.445 There's no wrong answers.

01:09 - 13.015 But again, Governor, the question is, looking back

01:09 - 16.352 at Pennsylvania's history, as you've come to appreciate it,

01:09 - 20.856 what again, person, place or thing event stands out to you

01:09 - 23.926 as a keystone moment that really defines

01:09 - 27.429 Pennsylvania in our history.

01:09 - 28.731 Well, there's so many I mean,

01:09 - 32.268 with all due respect to Massachusetts, we used to live in Boston,

01:09 - 37.640 but Philadelphia and Pennsylvania really, I think, were the keys to so many things.

01:09 - 40.976 We were the breadbasket of the original colonies.

01:09 - 47.383 So Philadelphia on Philadelphia, Hamilton themselves, the

01:09 - 50.286 the Philadelphia was the second

01:09 - 54.356 largest city in the British Empire

01:09 - 56.725 at the time of Independence.

01:09 - 57.927 And just look around you here.

01:09 - 59.862 So many things happened.

01:09 - 03.666 Now, I originally from York, Pennsylvania, my wife and I now live in Philadelphia,

01:10 - 08.971 but York, of course, was where the first constitution was drafted inside.

01:10 - 10.973 Look at the look on your face is out there.

01:10 - 13.509 So we couldn't have been the constitution of the state.

01:10 - 16.245 This is the those were the Articles of Confederation

01:10 - 20.816 were actually drafted in, you know, the Constitution in 1787 was here.

01:10 - 24.320 But in looking at the 250th

01:10 - 27.556 anniversary, we're looking at the Declaration of Independence.

01:10 - 30.559 And I think that's what's really important that was here

01:10 - 34.063 and it was reaffirmed in Blood at the Battle of Gettysburg, also

01:10 - 37.600 in Pennsylvania, fourscore and seven years later.

01:10 - 43.005 Those are the things that I think we really need to reflect on and recognize

01:10 - 47.309 as not only central to American history, but the role that Pennsylvania

01:10 - 49.211 played in those central things.

01:10 - 50.512 Excellent.

01:10 - 52.648 Governor Rendell, over to you.

01:10 - 56.652 I know also you are a student of history and a great love for this

01:10 - 58.254 commonwealth. So.

01:10 - 00.789 And Governor Wolf's taking the easy one here.

01:11 - 05.995 We've covered the Constitution and the Declaration and even Gettysburg.

01:11 - 07.029 But but, Governor

01:11 - 11.967 Rendell, what what stands out to you in your sense of Pennsylvania history

01:11 - 16.272 that earns us that that nickname is the Keystone State?

01:11 - 19.875 Well, I think the tack that we were taught

01:11 - 23.812 when we were fledgling politician,

01:11 - 26.382 that is answer the question,

01:11 - 29.685 but then move on to a more important issue,

01:11 - 33.622 which was I think that I would agree with Governor Wolf.

01:11 - 37.159 I mean, when you look at this history of this nation,

01:11 - 40.229 key decisions were made

01:11 - 45.000 in the declaration and the Constitution.

01:11 - 47.903 These are key decisions that affect our lives today.

01:11 - 49.505 No question about it.

01:11 - 53.342 And choices were made, compromises were made.

01:11 - 57.212 It's important to understand what those compromises were,

01:11 - 59.348 how they got those compromises.

01:11 - 02.151 But we have lost the ability to compromise

01:12 - 05.454 in government in Harrisburg and Washington.

01:12 - 08.023 There's no compromise anymore.

01:12 - 09.024 We don't talk to each other.

01:12 - 10.793 I'm a Democratic senators.

01:12 - 15.664 Tell me, I'm afraid to go out to dinner and watch the Republican colleague

01:12 - 18.233 because someone will take a snapshot of us.

01:12 - 20.836 It'll be reported in a local newspaper

01:12 - 24.373 and my base will think I'm consorting with the enemy.

01:12 - 26.308 Well, that's ridiculous.

01:12 - 28.944 And if you look at how we became a nation,

01:12 - 31.613 the compromises that were made were many,

01:12 - 36.352 and some of them were bad compromise, compromise to leave slavery

01:12 - 40.923 out of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, for that matter.

01:12 - 43.258 But some of them were great

01:12 - 44.393 compromise.

01:12 - 48.897 The Bill of Rights is a great example of a compromise effectuated

01:12 - 55.170 through the views of two segments of the legislature at that time

01:12 - 58.474 and produced great results for us and produced a Bill of Rights

01:12 - 01.377 which is the envy of any nation in the world.

01:13 - 07.216 So I think you've got to look at the history of how the declaration

01:13 - 12.788 was forged and how the Constitution came to be understand their importance.

01:13 - 16.024 But I'd like to go back to what I think is the central issue

01:13 - 19.995 of this whole celebration for A250.

01:13 - 23.732 I'm the chairman of Philadelphia to 54, U.S.A.

01:13 - 25.134 to 50.

01:13 - 27.736 We've got to get our citizens

01:13 - 31.473 to learn more about our history, learn more about civics.

01:13 - 35.277 It's our last chance in anybody's lifetime here.

01:13 - 38.213 And our citizens don't know what

01:13 - 38.947 they don't know.

01:13 - 43.652 Why, for example, you're all interested in government.

01:13 - 46.722 I'm making a little test

01:13 - 49.725 for you, and I want us to hear

01:13 - 52.795 what happened 50 years from the day

01:13 - 57.232 the declaration was ratified.

01:13 - 01.003 50 years from July 4th, 1776.

01:14 - 05.207 One important historical date.

01:14 - 06.308 Jefferson.

01:14 - 07.443 Thomas Jefferson.

01:14 - 10.245 John Wayne.

01:14 - 13.081 Within hours of each other.

01:14 - 14.917 How many of you knew that Jefferson

01:14 - 17.953 and Adams died on the same day?

01:14 - 20.422 50 years.

01:14 - 23.992 I mean, we really knew that.

01:14 - 25.127 Yeah.

01:14 - 29.698 Well, the interesting story is that

01:14 - 32.201 Americans celebrated on July 4th,

01:14 - 35.204 even though we became a nation on July 2nd.

01:14 - 37.973 It was just sign and day for it.

01:14 - 41.710 We celebrate July 4th without a lot of gusto

01:14 - 44.213 until 50 years later,

01:14 - 47.950 when Americans knew that Jefferson and Adams, who were rivals,

01:14 - 52.287 they ran against each other for the second presidency

01:14 - 53.222 but became good

01:14 - 57.025 friends in the last two decades of life and corresponded.

01:14 - 01.096 And the Jefferson Adams letters are if you're interested in history

01:15 - 05.767 and how the nation was founded, you should read the Jefferson Adams letter.

01:15 - 11.406 But it was a moving incident.

01:15 - 14.743 Adams died at about 10 a.m.

01:15 - 18.514 on the fourth, and his last words to his family was

01:15 - 21.316 At least it didn't survive.

01:15 - 23.352 Well, that was wrong.

01:15 - 27.456 Jefferson had done an hour before him, but we didn't have any communication

01:15 - 29.992 in those days. So he was wrong.

01:15 - 34.396 But when the nation learned that they both died on July one.

01:15 - 37.466 July 4th became a sacred day.

01:15 - 41.203 And when you think about it, what were the odds?

01:15 - 43.672 What were the odds They were going to live that long?

01:15 - 46.642 What were the odds that they were dying on the same day?

01:15 - 50.979 But we know more about civics, and our kids need to know more about civics.

01:15 - 54.383 When I got to Harrisburg, my wife mentioned

01:15 - 57.386 the Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals Judge,

01:15 - 01.990 and she couldn't get involved in anything controversial, anything political.

01:16 - 05.761 So she took for her sort of portfolio

01:16 - 11.099 is trying to get civics imbued in schools and among our children

01:16 - 13.101 throughout Pennsylvania.

01:16 - 16.838 She'll be the first to admit she only partially succeeded.

01:16 - 18.807 We have a requirement.

01:16 - 22.411 We have a civic center that every school district has,

01:16 - 25.080 but it's optional

01:16 - 27.282 on the district, whether to give it or not.

01:16 - 30.485 And when you give it to of

01:16 - 33.355 students have to pass it to graduate.

01:16 - 34.222 So it's optional.

01:16 - 37.793 And less than a third of the schools were adopted,

01:16 - 42.531 but many came up with the observation.

01:16 - 47.569 It's tough to teach ninth graders something because their views are fixed.

01:16 - 51.006 The things that they enjoy or understood are fixed.

01:16 - 56.979 It's too late to start teaching our children civics in high school.

01:16 - 01.316 So when we got out of office, we decided we'd have one function,

01:17 - 06.755 and it's the Rangel Rangel Institute for Civics and Civics Engagement.

01:17 - 10.459 And we run programs all around the state

01:17 - 13.528 in school districts in every corner of the state.

01:17 - 17.766 And we do projects that we think will find civic awareness.

01:17 - 19.101 And it's amazing.

01:17 - 23.672 We get we target them, the fifth and sixth grader.

01:17 - 27.476 And it's amazing how fifth and sixth graders get excited

01:17 - 31.013 about government and civics weapons

01:17 - 33.682 like the program we have that I like.

01:17 - 37.352 This is we give them question every year,

01:17 - 41.223 a question like, should the Constitution to be changed

01:17 - 44.693 to allow naturalized citizens to run for president?

01:17 - 49.665 And the schools can take the inside of the debate their right.

01:17 - 53.969 And we picked ten best winners out of about 400 applications.

01:17 - 55.737 And the kids are excited.

01:17 - 59.941 And then the ten winners come here to the Constitution Center present

01:18 - 05.580 to a panel, including the judge, myself, and usually one or two other people.

01:18 - 09.384 And we give our awards to top three.

01:18 - 12.954 And it's interesting in that question, I'll never forget,

01:18 - 18.560 should the Constitution be changed to allow

01:18 - 21.096 naturalized citizens to run for president?

01:18 - 24.633 The tapestry side of the argument was it shouldn't be changed.

01:18 - 26.702 It doesn't make any sense to me.

01:18 - 30.839 But there's some language in the comments of the Constitution

01:18 - 33.809 saying that they want to do that because they're afraid of

01:18 - 36.745 someone deliberately trying to become a citizen

01:18 - 41.216 and then gaining office is subverting the United States.

01:18 - 46.354 But one of the schools in their closing, each school gets 10 minutes to present.

01:18 - 48.857 They can do skits. They can do music.

01:18 - 52.294 And there's one school fund singing

01:18 - 56.531 Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen.

01:18 - 59.668 So our kids get it and we should make it mandatory.

01:18 - 05.974 In fact, I've suggested to the Congress that we make civics

01:19 - 09.377 the issue of the 250th celebration.

01:19 - 14.182 We make that our issue that we're going to cause each state

01:19 - 17.919 to teach civics as a separate course.

01:19 - 20.622 How many of you in your schools

01:19 - 24.993 have a refresher course in civics?

01:19 - 27.262 That 5%?

01:19 - 28.196 Yeah.

01:19 - 29.297 Terrible.

01:19 - 32.033 Governor, I can testify to the value of that.

01:19 - 34.803 You were gracious enough to include me as one of the panelists.

01:19 - 39.708 And it is incredibly powerful to see kids, as someone said, make their own history

01:19 - 42.778 and internalize the kinds of lessons

01:19 - 45.881 that we've all come to appreciate about this country.

01:19 - 50.051 So that is a just a wonderful, wonderful They get What's that?

01:19 - 51.686 They get it. They do get it.

01:19 - 52.487 They do get it.

01:19 - 56.158 And will, I think, change the course of their lives.

01:19 - 58.827 Governor Schweiker, that's a hard act to follow.

01:19 - 01.596 Well, but, you know,

01:20 - 01.997 Bucks

01:20 - 05.000 County Guy four give you a geography lesson.

01:20 - 07.202 Just 30 minutes north of here.

01:20 - 09.638 Hey, what's going contingent What what

01:20 - 13.008 Ed just mentioned and

01:20 - 17.179 encouraged you to consider is part of the curriculum

01:20 - 21.183 and the academic mentality in Bucks County,

01:20 - 24.252 where Washington crossed the Delaware

01:20 - 27.088 from Bucks County to New Jersey.

01:20 - 30.091 And I'll answer the Keystone question in a moment.

01:20 - 35.163 But in Bucks County, yet, I assure you the literacy, the fascination is there.

01:20 - 38.133 William Penn's summer home

01:20 - 41.636 just up the Delaware River, which he would traverse

01:20 - 45.207 many times during the summer to summer there.

01:20 - 50.579 Hannah Penn, his spouse, was considered the first top executive

01:20 - 54.916 of Pennsylvania's government, a little known factoid.

01:20 - 59.688 So we read I think it's got a nice head start in Bucks County.

01:20 - 02.757 I'll say the Keystone moment. David,

01:21 - 06.394 all that has been invoked here.

01:21 - 08.830 Was it possible

01:21 - 11.633 that General Washington not pulled off

01:21 - 16.805 the biggest military counter in the history of the country?

01:21 - 21.543 The most significant, maybe not the biggest.

01:21 - 23.979 In six days,

01:21 - 26.248 his soldiers

01:21 - 28.917 could depart and go home.

01:21 - 33.922 Their enlistments were up without any downside.

01:21 - 38.193 Think about General Washington and his motivational capacity.

01:21 - 42.464 Hey, would you stick around?

01:21 - 46.835 Only the future of the republics at stake.

01:21 - 49.404 The revolution.

01:21 - 52.774 We've been pushed all the way back from Long Island.

01:21 - 55.777 Had the skedaddle out of Brooklyn very quickly

01:21 - 59.014 because of the fog that rolled in and we were successful,

01:21 - 03.151 pushed all the way across New Jersey, reached the Delaware

01:22 - 06.621 River, the dividing line between New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

01:22 - 10.892 Washington was smart enough to say, take every boat from the Jersey side

01:22 - 14.763 over to the Pennsylvania side so the British can't chase us.

01:22 - 19.534 And so he wintered in Bucks County,

01:22 - 21.202 but he knew

01:22 - 25.140 the remarkable motivator here he was

01:22 - 28.209 that this was the end,

01:22 - 32.013 the final chapter of this notion,

01:22 - 37.018 this experiment dedicated to personal your personal freedom,

01:22 - 40.989 the ideas already mentioned consent of the governed.

01:22 - 44.492 It was all going to be lost

01:22 - 48.496 in six days had that army departed.

01:22 - 52.133 And on those cold nights, Washington would walk along and say,

01:22 - 56.371 We can do this.

01:22 - 57.539 All of it would not have been

01:22 - 00.542 possible had he not pulled that off.

01:23 - 06.448 And so the day arrives after Christmas

01:23 - 08.616 and he says, let's go.

01:23 - 10.819 And they had planted six weeks earlier.

01:23 - 13.822 And when they begin to traverse the water,

01:23 - 18.093 ice as big as the Durham boats, bigger than those tables.

01:23 - 20.495 And how about this?

01:23 - 21.029 How did they

01:23 - 24.032 entice those horses to go into those boats?

01:23 - 26.067 If you know anything about horses.

01:23 - 32.807 This was a remarkable group of soldiers led by General Washington

01:23 - 37.712 and then route and they're walking mile away and it's zero degrees.

01:23 - 40.849 And then Route 1000 soldiers that come across

01:23 - 44.753 and support their effort at Ewing.

01:23 - 49.024 Yes. To stop and say, sorry, they can't make it.

01:23 - 49.958 Another few miles.

01:23 - 52.660 The sun's coming up.

01:23 - 54.329 Is says that's not going to matter.

01:23 - 54.729 I know.

01:23 - 55.730 I said we're going to do this

01:23 - 58.533 and we're going to attack under the cover of darkness.

01:23 - 59.334 Not going to matter.

01:23 - 03.004 We can do this and they win.

01:24 - 07.008 Truly, as Thomas Paine said, the times that tried

01:24 - 09.844 men's souls.

01:24 - 12.714 This is what happened

01:24 - 15.717 when Washington crossed the Delaware.

01:24 - 18.653 And then we won from there

01:24 - 21.489 and we got stronger and stronger.

01:24 - 24.793 Without that moment, without that achievement.

01:24 - 27.762 Would any of this have been possible?

01:24 - 29.697 And finally,

01:24 - 34.035 we probably would be looking at a British flag.

01:24 - 36.071 Had we not succeeded.

01:24 - 40.408 As I would say, Dave, if there's such a phrase

01:24 - 44.479 as the cast of Keystone moments,

01:24 - 48.116 that brilliance and that victory is

01:24 - 50.452 excellent.

01:24 - 54.556 We've got about 9 minutes by my clock, so we're going to have to do

01:24 - 56.024 this is kind of a lightning round,

01:24 - 00.395 but I want to turn around the conversation and ask you to look forward

01:25 - 03.498 as as governors, all of you

01:25 - 08.002 put time, energy and and

01:25 - 12.574 your talents to work to to build a future Pennsylvania.

01:25 - 17.245 And you did it in various ways, whether it's economic development, arts,

01:25 - 20.215 culture, tourism,

01:25 - 22.984 any of the things that a governor gets to affect.

01:25 - 24.519 So I ask you this

01:25 - 28.256 and again, we've got to do this in kind of lightning round fashion.

01:25 - 31.926 Look forward 50 years, 100 years.

01:25 - 33.128 What is it

01:25 - 36.131 that you would like to be able to say

01:25 - 39.234 that folks would say about Pennsylvania,

01:25 - 44.105 that that that started here, that that is the sort of a future

01:25 - 49.077 keystone moment and we'll go again in order, if we could?

01:25 - 49.410 Governor?

01:25 - 53.815 Wolf, well, I think I would like Pennsylvania

01:25 - 57.952 to be known for for what it has always been known for.

01:25 - 59.621 It is the Keystone State.

01:25 - 03.791 I'd like it to be a continuing center for innovation

01:26 - 11.266 in agriculture in terms of robotics, in terms of life sciences in the east.

01:26 - 14.335 And I'd like it to be a place that is a magnet for people.

01:26 - 17.038 People want to come and live here and work here.

01:26 - 18.540 There was this guy named Ben Franklin.

01:26 - 19.908 We haven't said much about him.

01:26 - 20.608 Where was he from?

01:26 - 24.546 But yeah, it's just just around the block.

01:26 - 28.683 If you kicked him out and we took him in,

01:26 - 30.552 that's that's great.

01:26 - 33.955 Governor Rendell, looking forward, what would be a keystone

01:26 - 37.759 moment that folks would recognize 50 years from now?

01:26 - 41.196 Well, I think Pennsylvania's biggest problem is that

01:26 - 45.533 it has very few big cities, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

01:26 - 52.740 And then we have about ten or 11 cities there between 40,080 or 90,000.

01:26 - 55.109 And most of the

01:26 - 57.545 state is made up of rural areas

01:26 - 00.982 where the county seat might have 12,000 people

01:27 - 05.820 like it's hard in this day and age to have economies.

01:27 - 10.592 Big corporations don't want to be in those type of counties anymore.

01:27 - 14.495 And so are are smaller counties are struggling.

01:27 - 19.601 Philadelphia's struggling, too, but it has more resources to deal with its problem.

01:27 - 23.104 So I would like to see us do something along the lines

01:27 - 27.875 of what Vice President Harris had proposed in our campaign.

01:27 - 31.679 She proposed giving 50,000 loans

01:27 - 35.717 to businesses, to small businesses who are a start up.

01:27 - 36.618 And I think one of the

01:27 - 40.355 problems in our small towns is there's no capital.

01:27 - 42.824 No one can start up a business.

01:27 - 45.326 And if we could,

01:27 - 50.164 assuming that you you get to like, isn't that bad, even still,

01:27 - 55.203 we should put in 20 $25,000 own on top of it

01:27 - 59.073 and urge entrepreneurial young people

01:27 - 03.678 to stay in their own counties and start up their ideas there.

01:28 - 06.581 It can make a difference and it can make a difference.

01:28 - 09.851 We had a fellow who worked for me, Jeff Morozov,

01:28 - 12.920 worked in my Office of Policy and Planning.

01:28 - 16.424 He was 24 years old, just out of school.

01:28 - 18.293 When I hired him.

01:28 - 24.299 He left the state about five or six years later, and he started a business

01:28 - 30.104 that is based on research, and he found a partial cure to blindness.

01:28 - 34.776 He sold his business for about $2 billion,

01:28 - 36.878 and he's sold it

01:28 - 40.448 under the proviso they keep it in Philadelphia.

01:28 - 43.251 He started with two people working with them.

01:28 - 45.820 Their business now is one block

01:28 - 48.823 north west, very safe,

01:28 - 51.492 and it employs 220 people.

01:28 - 54.762 Average salary, over $100,000 a year.

01:28 - 58.766 So we've got to get businesses in the right area that need them.

01:28 - 01.669 And I think small business incentive

01:29 - 05.673 can be very important in the future of not letting our state

01:29 - 10.311 become hollowed out and have some suburbs and cities.

01:29 - 12.413 You can't exist like that.

01:29 - 13.581 Excellent.

01:29 - 15.750 Governor Schweiker, you get the last word.

01:29 - 16.384 Sure, Dave.

01:29 - 22.190 I think and I would marry to an observation by Governor Wolf.

01:29 - 26.794 You know, our state in particularly this region, home

01:29 - 30.565 to some remarkably accomplished medical institutions.

01:29 - 32.900 In the research vein,

01:29 - 35.036 more can be done there, particularly

01:29 - 38.473 what they now refer to as cell biology,

01:29 - 41.309 cell analysis.

01:29 - 43.344 That is the preoccupation

01:29 - 46.314 now among those very smart people.

01:29 - 50.651 I think Governor Shapiro's current model speaks to that.

01:29 - 55.823 And I think the and to marry also Ed's observation in not overlooking

01:29 - 58.760 some of the more rural settings, we're just about all

01:29 - 01.796 have the medical center or a hospital in a virtual sense.

01:30 - 07.902 You can include them when it comes to the to the field testing and that aspect.

01:30 - 10.138 So I think

01:30 - 12.640 looking forward, I think we're already

01:30 - 16.077 we've got some momentum in this regard, but in a foundational sense,

01:30 - 19.881 I think with the support of the the Commonwealth out of Harrisburg,

01:30 - 23.951 so to speak, in in conjunction with these institutions

01:30 - 28.923 and a particular emphasis on those, the scourge of cancer

01:30 - 33.961 can be directly addressed by success in cell analysis and cell biology.

01:30 - 38.366 To some extent it's already underway and has momentum in both places,

01:30 - 39.634 Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

01:30 - 42.637 But I think that's worthy of concentrated effort.

01:30 - 43.838 Wonderful.

01:30 - 47.475 Well, that feels like a good note on which to close, because I think

01:30 - 51.145 in in talking about all the efforts that are going around the country,

01:30 - 56.584 you quickly come to the realization that the history is not a static

01:30 - 58.219 concept, that the

01:30 - 02.156 purpose of history is to is to learn from to be inspired

01:31 - 06.327 by those who have come before us and to build new things.

01:31 - 08.896 And that is the spirit of this country.

01:31 - 11.432 And we like to think that

01:31 - 15.102 we had a pretty significant role along the way

01:31 - 19.073 and hope to in the future to produce those kind of Keystone moments.

01:31 - 23.811 So it may not be the most glamorous nickname for a state,

01:31 - 26.881 but once you think about it, it's very meaningful.

01:31 - 31.285 Please join me in thanking our governors not only for their presence here today,

01:31 - 40.361 but for their ongoing leadership.

01:31 - 56.377 Thank you,

01:31 - 04.819 John,

01:32 - 07.788 and thank you again to our former governors

01:32 - 10.758 for that insightful and really great discussion.

01:32 - 14.228 It's truly an honor to hear firsthand from those who have helped shape

01:32 - 16.731 such a pivotal role in the Commonwealth.

01:32 - 18.866 So thank you again.

01:32 - 20.735 Now, it is my pleasure

01:32 - 26.741 to introduce our next speaker, someone who plays a key role in preserving

01:32 - 30.678 and interpreting our nation's most fundamental principles.

01:32 - 34.448 Please join me in welcoming Jeffrey Rosen, president

01:32 - 38.286 and CEO of the National Constitution Center,

01:32 - 41.389 and our gracious host for today's Sessions.

01:32 - 45.526 Jeffrey is going to share his insights on the enduring importance

01:32 - 57.738 of the Constitution and its relevance today.

01:32 - 00.341 Fellow lovers of American history.

01:33 - 08.249 Welcome to the National Constitution Center.

01:33 - 09.684 I'd like to begin.

01:33 - 11.018 Governor Rendell.

01:33 - 14.155 Governor Rendell, if you could just wait for one sec.

01:33 - 19.060 I'd like to invite all of you to thank the founding father

01:33 - 22.597 of the National Constitution Center, with whom this institution wouldn't exist.

01:33 - 40.948 Governor Ed Rendell.

01:33 - 45.353 Friends, you've had the inspiring experience

01:33 - 49.256 of being in this space all morning.

01:33 - 50.124 I want to begin

01:33 - 53.160 my remarks by inviting you just to pause to reflect

01:33 - 56.931 on the sacred significance of the space you're in.

01:33 - 00.835 And I want you to gaze at the words of the First Amendment,

01:34 - 04.071 which are shining behind me.

01:34 - 08.876 And I want you to read those words.

01:34 - 10.211 And now I want you

01:34 - 14.749 to turn your gaze onto Independence Hall,

01:34 - 19.820 the most constitutionally inspiring space in America

01:34 - 22.923 where the Declaration and the Constitution were drafted

01:34 - 26.794 and just feel the connection between the First Amendment

01:34 - 30.164 and the Declaration and the Constitution.

01:34 - 41.609 The words that made us.

01:34 - 42.743 There's nothing like it

01:34 - 46.414 in America than to be in this space

01:34 - 51.619 and to be inspired by the ideals that created America.

01:34 - 55.189 On the sacred ground where it happened.

01:34 - 58.626 And that's why it's so meaningful to welcome you here

01:34 - 03.564 and to look forward to our work together leading up to America's 250.

01:35 - 07.468 To celebrate and reflect on

01:35 - 09.537 the American idea.

01:35 - 12.173 What is the American idea?

01:35 - 15.242 It's contained in the words of the First Amendment

01:35 - 17.912 and in the Declaration in the Constitution.

01:35 - 21.716 How can we distill those principles?

01:35 - 24.418 The Declaration protects liberty,

01:35 - 27.421 equality and self-government.

01:35 - 30.224 The Constitution protects the separation

01:35 - 33.828 of powers, federalism, and the Bill of Rights.

01:35 - 38.733 And the first words of the beginning of the Bill of Rights are the ones behind me.

01:35 - 43.771 Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion

01:35 - 47.141 or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,

01:35 - 52.313 or bridging the freedom of speech or of the press.

01:35 - 55.149 Those words were summed up for the founders

01:35 - 57.752 and the idea of freedom of conscience.

01:35 - 00.755 The idea that we all have

01:36 - 05.159 rights of conscience that come from God or nature and not from government

01:36 - 08.262 and their unalienable rights, that we can't surrender

01:36 - 11.565 to government to control even if we wanted to.

01:36 - 15.803 And it was freedom of conscience that inspired the Puritans to flee

01:36 - 21.208 religious discrimination in England and have inspired subsequent generations

01:36 - 24.912 of immigrants to come to America

01:36 - 29.583 in search of freedom and liberty.

01:36 - 34.955 So one expression of the American idea is freedom of conscience.

01:36 - 36.023 Lincoln

01:36 - 39.593 talked about the relation between the Declaration of Independence,

01:36 - 42.630 the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,

01:36 - 46.300 and expressed it in another phrase Liberty to all.

01:36 - 49.470 He has this beautiful fragment about how

01:36 - 53.774 the declaration is the

01:36 - 57.011 apple of gold and the Constitution, its frame of silver.

01:36 - 01.749 And he expressed all of those ideals and the idea of liberty to all.

01:37 - 06.620 Emerson expressed the American idea as emancipation.

01:37 - 11.926 The idea that I'm just as good as the.

01:37 - 16.630 And Madison talked about the American ideals self-government

01:37 - 17.932 and insisted that

01:37 - 22.002 personal self-government was necessary for political self-government.

01:37 - 27.374 Friends, it's so exciting and meaningful to be working with you to teach these

01:37 - 31.612 basic principles of the American idea leading up to Americans to 50.

01:37 - 34.648 You can express it in different ways, and Americans have debated

01:37 - 36.250 from the beginning the relationship

01:37 - 40.454 among the ideals of the Declaration, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

01:37 - 44.258 But what a sacred charge we have just to inspire

01:37 - 49.163 Americans to learn about history and to debate it

01:37 - 53.067 and celebrate it and talk about its relevance today.

01:37 - 56.036 It's an honor to welcome you here to this place.

01:37 - 59.473 I hope you'll come back frequently over the coming years

01:37 - 03.677 in 24, 25 and culminating in 26.

01:38 - 08.616 Just to be on this space and to be inspired by its significance.

01:38 - 12.620 But let's always remember that the core of our mission together

01:38 - 16.190 is to teach the principles of the American idea.

01:38 - 20.027 And no one has expressed the urgency of that mission better than John

01:38 - 20.928 Quincy Adams.

01:38 - 25.232 There's this amazing speech that he gave in 1839 to the New York

01:38 - 29.336 Historical Society, and this is how important it was,

01:38 - 33.440 he said, to teach the principles of the Declaration and the Constitution.

01:38 - 36.310 He quoted Deuteronomy and he said, Make

01:38 - 39.847 these principles as front lifts between your eyes.

01:38 - 42.583 Whisper them to your children before you sleep.

01:38 - 46.520 Make them the principles of your political salvation.

01:38 - 48.789 That's how urgent our mission is.

01:38 - 50.524 That's exactly what we're going to do together.

01:38 - 52.059 And I just can't wait

01:38 - 55.562 for all of the light that we're going to spread leading up to America's 250.

01:38 - 57.231 It's now a great honor

01:38 - 00.868 to introduce the landlord of the National Constitution Center.

01:39 - 02.403 This is an inspiring space.

01:39 - 07.074 We're on federal land and we have a benign landlord and a great collaborator

01:39 - 08.642 and great partner.

01:39 - 25.359 And that is Steve Sims, the superintendent of the Independent National Park.

01:39 - 27.361 Thank you so much.

01:39 - 31.699 And thank you, Cassandra and your team for getting us all together

01:39 - 37.538 in the great city of Philadelphia, the birthplace of American independence.

01:39 - 42.676 Good morning and welcome to Independence National Historical Park.

01:39 - 47.047 Your park and the best park in history.

01:39 - 50.551 The renowned historian and author Wallace Stegner

01:39 - 54.254 recognized that national parks are elite.

01:39 - 59.126 He stated, and I quote, National parks are the best idea we ever had.

01:39 - 00.861 Absolutely. American.

01:40 - 02.863 Absolutely democratic.

01:40 - 06.800 They reflect us at our best rather than our worst.

01:40 - 08.102 End quote.

01:40 - 10.571 Now, I would argue that national park sites

01:40 - 15.509 also give us the opportunity to talk about and learn from the complex,

01:40 - 20.147 sometimes controversial parts of the American experience as well.

01:40 - 24.284 Here in Philadelphia, where Independence Hall,

01:40 - 28.188 the birthplace of our nation, is just a few blocks away.

01:40 - 28.789 Here, the

01:40 - 34.495 delegates from 13 separate colonies united in favor of self-government

01:40 - 39.133 and independence from British rule, with the Declaration of Independence

01:40 - 41.935 and the United States Constitution were signed

01:40 - 46.240 where our God given individual rights of life, liberty

01:40 - 50.177 and the pursuit of happiness were first proclaimed.

01:40 - 53.247 The birth of the United States is a story

01:40 - 57.151 of ordinary people who did extraordinary things

01:40 - 00.287 like Benjamin Franklin, convincing the King of France

01:41 - 05.626 to join the American cause, or Thaddeus Casco, the Polish engineer

01:41 - 08.996 who oversaw the construction of fortifications, including those

01:41 - 11.999 at West Point or General George Washington,

01:41 - 16.203 whose leadership at Valley Forge, his bold crossing of the Delaware

01:41 - 21.408 and his siege of Yorktown, secured our country's independence.

01:41 - 23.577 The birth of our nation is also full

01:41 - 26.580 of stories of those who are not well known,

01:41 - 31.085 those who were marginalized, those who weren't considered a full person.

01:41 - 33.854 When our nation was established,

01:41 - 36.256 people such as Owen, a judge

01:41 - 39.226 who was an enslaved maid at the president's house site,

01:41 - 44.498 located at Fifth and Market, or Alice Paul, whose efforts culminated in a rally

01:41 - 49.169 at Independence Square in 1911 for women's suffrage

01:41 - 53.373 and the declaration in House located at Seventh and Market Street.

01:41 - 57.177 You can contemplate the meaning of the Declaration of Independence

01:41 - 00.981 through the eyes of Jefferson's enslaved servant, Robert Hemings.

01:42 - 03.784 That's at Independence National Historical Park.

01:42 - 07.721 Our goal is to ensure that everyone who visits will leave

01:42 - 11.892 with a more complete understanding of the founding of our nation

01:42 - 15.662 to understand that the work of our nation is unfinished,

01:42 - 20.134 and that being an American requires you to be active in your communities

01:42 - 24.638 to fight for freedom and equality for everyone,

01:42 - 27.441 and that by sharing the stories of all Americans,

01:42 - 31.478 we gain a more complete understanding of our past, which helps us

01:42 - 36.650 continue the unfinished work of becoming a more perfect union.

01:42 - 38.252 This park,

01:42 - 41.221 these buildings, landscapes, monuments,

01:42 - 44.224 museum collections, the stories

01:42 - 48.762 provide meaningful opportunities for personal connection.

01:42 - 51.765 For me, my personal connection,

01:42 - 54.368 I thought this was just going to be a great job.

01:42 - 55.936 And it is.

01:42 - 59.206 But it's more than a great job and a place that commemorates

01:42 - 01.241 our revolutionary past.

01:43 - 04.144 My connections to Independence National Historical Park

01:43 - 07.814 are much deeper than just putting on the uniform.

01:43 - 11.852 First, inside Independence Hall, the second Continental Congress

01:43 - 17.457 created the Continental Army on June 14th, 1775.

01:43 - 19.426 I served in the Army.

01:43 - 23.397 Second, General Washington's orders on June 9th, 1778,

01:43 - 25.699 and the Company of Sappers,

01:43 - 29.069 the first School of Engineering, which later moved to West Point

01:43 - 33.006 and eventually established as a military academy.

01:43 - 34.608 That is because you school,

01:43 - 37.344 whose home was located here in Philadelphia, was appointed

01:43 - 41.114 by the Continental Congress to oversee the fortifications of West Point.

01:43 - 45.285 I was also an Army engineer and West Point graduate.

01:43 - 49.223 And lastly, I have an ancestor who served in the Revolutionary War,

01:43 - 53.493 served at the battles of Brandywine, Germantown and Kings Mountain.

01:43 - 56.597 He was also at Valley Forge during the winter encampment

01:43 - 00.133 and served on George Washington's lifeguard.

01:44 - 03.136 For me, this is more than just a job.

01:44 - 07.241 It's a personal connection, and it is my goal

01:44 - 09.543 and the goal of the National Park Service

01:44 - 13.113 to help our visitors find their connections, too.

01:44 - 16.483 To do so requires us to tell complete,

01:44 - 19.253 diverse and inclusive stories,

01:44 - 22.823 to be accessible and to be relevant.

01:44 - 25.892 For the 250th anniversary, we will celebrate,

01:44 - 30.864 commemorate and contemplate our history and our future.

01:44 - 33.400 It will enable us to provide an opportunity for learning

01:44 - 36.770 a more complete story and finding a connection

01:44 - 39.806 in your national park.

01:44 - 43.076 And I'd like to end with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt.

01:44 - 48.248 And he once said, and I quote, We have fallen heirs to the most glorious heritage

01:44 - 52.219 a people ever received, and each one must do his part.

01:44 - 56.890 If we wish to show that the nation is worthy of its good fortune.

01:44 - 58.659 End quote.

01:44 - 08.335 Thank you very much.

01:45 - 09.436 And thank you, Steve,

01:45 - 13.106 for reminding us about the history that surrounds us.

01:45 - 17.978 And now it is my honor to welcome Pennsylvania's auditor General,

01:45 - 34.194 Tim to for

01:45 - 36.496 Brian, I want to thank you for the warm introduction.

01:45 - 39.933 And to those of you visiting our great commonwealth

01:45 - 43.036 and the city of Philadelphia for the very first time.

01:45 - 47.174 I want to say welcome and I can't think of a better place

01:45 - 52.446 for America to pay to hold this national convening of the States

01:45 - 57.684 than a city in a state so rich in history.

01:45 - 59.419 As was stated

01:45 - 03.123 right down the street, you have independence Hall,

01:46 - 07.761 where the documents declaring our independence were written.

01:46 - 12.032 And right next to it you have the Liberty Bell,

01:46 - 15.302 which symbolizes our independence.

01:46 - 18.872 And if you want to continue your journey across the Commonwealth,

01:46 - 22.242 well, gravity's stake

01:46 - 25.312 jump on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, America's

01:46 - 28.482 first super highway,

01:46 - 30.951 and travel 140 miles east.

01:46 - 33.053 To Gettysburg,

01:46 - 35.555 we're over 23,000

01:46 - 40.494 union soldiers and one civilian were either wounded

01:46 - 44.398 or lost their life fighting to hold this thing together

01:46 - 48.402 during the Battle of Gettysburg, during the Civil War

01:46 - 50.036 in Pennsylvania.

01:46 - 54.508 We have so many places that are known to each of us.

01:46 - 59.780 Each with its own unique story,

01:46 - 03.984 but a rich history doesn't in there? No,

01:47 - 08.188 because there are so many places in our great commonwealth

01:47 - 10.357 rich in history

01:47 - 13.727 that are not known to all of us.

01:47 - 18.632 Each with its own unique story,

01:47 - 21.735 like the story of the Denys Farm,

01:47 - 24.371 153 acre farm,

01:47 - 27.874 about 150 miles north of us

01:47 - 31.378 in rural Susquehanna County.

01:47 - 33.046 The farm is owned

01:47 - 35.782 by the same African-American family

01:47 - 39.386 since the late 1700s.

01:47 - 44.057 It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

01:47 - 50.530 It was started by Prince Perkins in 1793

01:47 - 53.200 when he moved his family here

01:47 - 55.402 from Connecticut.

01:47 - 59.039 And he moved there for one reason.

01:47 - 01.441 He wanted to be a landowner.

01:48 - 04.678 You see, Prince Perkins knew

01:48 - 08.682 the key to true independence and freedom

01:48 - 11.751 was to own land,

01:48 - 13.987 and that then

01:48 - 16.756 being a landowner landowner

01:48 - 19.726 was not easy for a black man.

01:48 - 24.197 And that wasn't easy for anybody.

01:48 - 26.700 In 1793,

01:48 - 29.369 our nation was still new.

01:48 - 31.605 The American Revolution

01:48 - 34.508 ended ten years earlier.

01:48 - 36.276 George Washington

01:48 - 40.213 just laid the cornerstone for our nation's capital,

01:48 - 40.914 and the U.S.

01:48 - 46.186 Mint had just circulated its first coin.

01:48 - 48.221 It was during that time

01:48 - 52.526 when the story of Prince Perkins and his granddaughter,

01:48 - 54.995 Angela Perkins, Dennis

01:48 - 58.498 and their family homestead began.

01:48 - 03.236 But Prince Perkins just wasn't a landowner.

01:49 - 08.808 He used his farm to do more than grow crops

01:49 - 11.044 and raise livestock.

01:49 - 13.246 He was an abolitionist.

01:49 - 17.484 His farm served as a station for the Underground Railroad.

01:49 - 22.455 And he did this knowing that the Fugitive Slave slave

01:49 - 26.726 that was signed into law the very year

01:49 - 29.262 that he moved his family there.

01:49 - 31.398 And if caught,

01:49 - 33.667 he could be either killed

01:49 - 35.869 or enslaved themselves.

01:49 - 38.805 But he did it anyway.

01:49 - 41.641 If you go to the farm

01:49 - 44.644 overlooking the hilltop

01:49 - 47.514 is the Perkins den, a cemetery,

01:49 - 50.250 which is the family's cemetery.

01:49 - 52.719 It's the final resting place

01:49 - 56.790 of many of the Perkins Denys descendants,

01:49 - 00.760 along with veterans of the American Revolution.

01:50 - 03.263 The War of 1812

01:50 - 05.899 and the American Civil War.

01:50 - 07.801 It is also believed

01:50 - 10.604 to be the final resting place

01:50 - 13.440 for some of the escaped slaves

01:50 - 17.277 who died along their journey to freedom.

01:50 - 20.714 There's a lot of history to do in this farm.

01:50 - 25.051 It is indeed a very special place.

01:50 - 27.153 It is for that reason.

01:50 - 30.790 In June of 2023,

01:50 - 35.095 the America 258 Commission awarded it

01:50 - 37.764 our first Quincentennial Bell

01:50 - 40.567 to the Guinness Farm.

01:50 - 45.438 The bell is a world to us, to a place that has significant meaning

01:50 - 49.476 and impact to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

01:50 - 52.512 And if he were alive today,

01:50 - 55.515 I'm not sure if Prince Perkins would ever envision

01:50 - 00.120 that an event like this would be occurring

01:51 - 02.789 or that his farm

01:51 - 06.926 would be so rich in history.

01:51 - 08.862 That's why it's up to others

01:51 - 12.932 to keep the legacy of the farm alive

01:51 - 15.969 by telling its story.

01:51 - 18.238 People like Prince Perkins, the Ancestors

01:51 - 20.840 and Dennis farm descendants

01:51 - 25.011 Denise, Dennis, Lonnie Moore and Darrell Gore.

01:51 - 27.080 It's up to them

01:51 - 32.352 to tell and to share their family's story.

01:51 - 37.123 The land where the Dennis farm resides, the telegram.

01:51 - 38.958 And we can all learn

01:51 - 43.663 and be proud of the history that it holds.

01:51 - 45.632 And I recognize

01:51 - 49.135 that the history that I've made in my election

01:51 - 51.538 was the sacrifice of people

01:51 - 55.141 like Prince Perkins and others.

01:51 - 58.611 So the Prince Perkins and others,

01:51 - 02.382 I owe an enormous debt,

01:52 - 05.785 a debt that I can only repay

01:52 - 10.857 by living my life in a way that honors them.

01:52 - 13.126 And ladies and gentlemen,

01:52 - 16.129 that's what America to 50 is about,

01:52 - 18.364 honoring our history

01:52 - 22.769 and those that came before us.

01:52 - 24.471 And when we honor our history,

01:52 - 29.042 we learn about our history, our history and other histories.

01:52 - 34.848 It helps us to understand ourselves.

01:52 - 39.919 And as an ex-officio member of America, too.

01:52 - 41.488 I can tell you

01:52 - 45.592 that's exactly what this weekend is about.

01:52 - 49.863 It's about discovering our history.

01:52 - 52.398 So this weekend,

01:52 - 56.336 let's discover for rediscover

01:52 - 59.405 our own history.

01:52 - 02.175 And let's take that back

01:53 - 05.945 to the communities and to the states

01:53 - 08.148 that we serve.

01:53 - 20.960 Welcome and thank you for being here.

01:53 - 21.494 Thank you.

01:53 - 23.563 Auditor General Reform.

01:53 - 25.999 Now we move on to a panel discussion

01:53 - 29.836 that is especially close to the heart of this anniversary.

01:53 - 33.506 Voices for All for the 250th

01:53 - 38.411 diverse stories, unique communities at this time.

01:53 - 43.850 I would like to invite all of our panel participants and sponsor to the stage.

01:53 - 46.786 And while they come up, I'm just going to share a brief

01:53 - 51.457 overview of what to expect in this important discussion.

01:53 - 54.260 This session brings together representatives

01:53 - 57.730 from four historic organizations to discuss the importance

01:53 - 02.202 of a breadth of embracing diverse perspectives and stories

01:54 - 07.607 as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

01:54 - 12.178 By hearing all voices, we ensure a more complete

01:54 - 17.383 and inclusive understanding of our shared history and how fortunate

01:54 - 21.020 we are to have these experts with us today who can help guide

01:54 - 24.090 that conversation.

01:54 - 27.293 I would also like to give a shout out

01:54 - 30.663 before we begin in a special thank you to George Stark.

01:54 - 34.400 I feel like we're twins today.

01:54 - 38.538 George Stark is the director of external affairs for Kotara Energy.

01:54 - 40.974 He helped bring this conversation to life.

01:54 - 48.381 Please welcome George Nathan Sharp.

01:54 - 48.948 Good morning.

01:54 - 51.017 As you have heard, I am George Stark.

01:54 - 54.554 I'm the director of external affairs at Kotara Energy.

01:54 - 58.524 And for me, it's a pleasure and an honor to be here today,

01:54 - 01.027 especially to take part in this event

01:55 - 05.999 and again, to understand what is rolling out over the next two years.

01:55 - 07.533 At Kotara,

01:55 - 11.638 we focus on the energy of bringing people together

01:55 - 15.541 to make certain we hear their voices for the stories that are untold.

01:55 - 19.212 We want to bring them forward.

01:55 - 23.816 The 250 is that opportunity to do just that.

01:55 - 27.086 This celebration, what is coming is the opportunity

01:55 - 30.990 to bring those folks together with diversity in the strength

01:55 - 35.261 of their voices, the opportunity to reconnect and learn.

01:55 - 37.697 As you have heard,

01:55 - 42.168 as we continue with today and the outline.

01:55 - 47.106 I must say I'm truly pleasured and honored that

01:55 - 51.778 Auditor general would take a time to also mention the Dennis form.

01:55 - 52.879 I know you've been there.

01:55 - 54.580 Several folks have been there.

01:55 - 58.584 If you haven't been there, please make the opportunity.

01:55 - 00.219 As we spoke earlier.

01:56 - 04.157 Denise Dennis and her descendants will be at the dinner this evening.

01:56 - 06.059 Eighth generation.

01:56 - 08.428 Please look for them.

01:56 - 09.629 Find out who they are.

01:56 - 11.531 Talk to them. It's unbelievable.

01:56 - 12.932 Their history.

01:56 - 17.971 We have an opportunity to showcase them today in a video.

01:56 - 20.807 And again, this video will show you

01:56 - 25.345 just what's taking place in historic Pennsylvania specifically.

01:56 - 27.280 And maybe accounting. You don't hear.

01:56 - 27.947 Excuse me?

01:56 - 30.817 You don't hear enough about Susquehanna County.

01:56 - 32.418 That's the opportunity.

01:56 - 36.522 It really shows those that may be unrepresented, those voices

01:56 - 40.760 that were not heard, the stories that you may not be aware of.

01:56 - 44.130 The Dennis Forum remind us that there are countless contributions

01:56 - 46.666 that go into a shared story.

01:56 - 49.102 I'm proud to share this special presentation

01:56 - 00.546 and have the opportunity to watch the video.

01:57 - 02.115 The America

01:57 - 06.786 Semicolon Centennial Bell idea was thought of to be used as an avenue

01:57 - 10.456 to highlight the untold stories here in the Commonwealth,

01:57 - 15.795 but not only highlight how do we recognize and permanently lock into history

01:57 - 20.133 remarkable stories that were sometimes left out of the history books.

01:57 - 24.170 Enter the Dennis Farm

01:57 - 26.539 in 1793.

01:57 - 31.811 Our ancestors, Prince and Judith Perkins, came to this region from Connecticut

01:57 - 35.782 as free people and purchased land.

01:57 - 39.952 The interesting thing about this is that at that time,

01:57 - 45.091 90% of African-Americans were enslaved.

01:57 - 47.994 Only 10% were free.

01:57 - 57.637 But here on this land, everyone was free.

01:57 - 59.305 I can't imagine

01:57 - 02.308 what our ancestors would think about being honored

01:58 - 06.179 with the Commonwealth's first semicolon, Centennial Bell.

01:58 - 11.317 But I have a feeling that they are celebrating today and proud for us

01:58 - 15.555 and pleased that our nation, though, is still imperfect,

01:58 - 20.026 particularly when it comes to race, has made progress.

01:58 - 23.396 Let's proceed in the positive.

01:58 - 27.166 Undaunted, as my ancestors did,

01:58 - 30.236 moving in the light with Lincoln's

01:58 - 34.707 better angels of our nature guiding our way.

01:58 - 38.177 Thank you.

01:58 - 38.678 As the

01:58 - 42.682 oldest African-American owned farm in the country,

01:58 - 47.487 the Denny's farm has served for so many years as a symbol of resilience

01:58 - 51.090 and prosperity throughout Pennsylvania and across the nation.

01:58 - 55.795 May this bill serve as a physical reminder for us all

01:58 - 00.566 to continue the legacy of the Perkins Denny's family

01:59 - 05.972 by fighting for freedom, spreading peace and preserving our environment.

01:59 - 06.839 Find.

01:59 - 14.947 Kamala Harris, Vice president of the United States

01:59 - 16.048 on behalf of America.

01:59 - 16.782 250 m.

01:59 - 19.886 In addition to unveiling the bell, we would like to present to dennis

01:59 - 28.427 farm charitable land trust with $25,000.

01:59 - 31.731 But we but we hold on, hold on.

01:59 - 32.832 We're not done yet.

01:59 - 37.003 I'd like to ask george to come up here a second on behalf of Kotara energy

01:59 - 40.840 and this special day that it is, we will not only see what is happening

01:59 - 44.610 here, we will match the dollars from the Commonwealth.

01:59 - 48.881 Well, I also know that the Dennis Farm has an outstanding grant.

01:59 - 51.684 This money will actually represent

01:59 - 57.223 a $100,000

01:59 - 59.725 year and

01:59 - 03.829 crown my gone

02:00 - 08.968 with four other.

02:00 - 13.706 From sea to

02:00 - 19.312 shining sea

02:00 - 36.896 being,

02:00 - 39.298 as you can tell, it's personal.

02:00 - 42.034 And I hope it becomes personal to you

02:00 - 45.738 because that personal piece will hold it in, you know, stay with you.

02:00 - 49.775 So thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Dennis form.

02:00 - 51.944 Thank you for being here today.

02:00 - 53.746 We have a great panel set up.

02:00 - 55.848 I want to introduce the speakers again.

02:00 - 57.750 Ms.. Jane, it's wonderful to have you here.

02:00 - 02.588 If you don't know, we have a panel that's focused on voices

02:01 - 08.060 for all in the 250th diverse stories and unique communities.

02:01 - 11.497 This panel discussion is going to be led by Dr.

02:01 - 15.534 Jane Clements Campbell, excuse me,

02:01 - 18.471 and she is the CEO of the United States

02:01 - 21.841 History Capital Historical Society.

02:01 - 24.844 We also have on her panel this morning, Dr.

02:01 - 28.981 Noelle Trent, president, CEO of the Museum of the African-American History

02:01 - 31.183 of Boston and Nantucket.

02:01 - 37.256 Scott Stephenson, president and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution.

02:01 - 40.426 Frank Barrows, also the senior advisor

02:01 - 44.497 for the community engagement with the National Parks Service.

02:01 - 45.665 And lastly, Dr.

02:01 - 48.200 Josh Pearlman, senior

02:01 - 52.204 advisor for the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History.

02:01 - 55.007 Jane, it's my opportunity to hand this over to you.

02:01 - 56.208 Thank you so much.

02:01 - 56.976 Thank you, George.

02:01 - 02.715 My pleasure.

02:02 - 05.351 Thank you, George, for your telling

02:02 - 10.089 the story of the Dennis Farm in such a personal way.

02:02 - 12.325 I really stand here before you

02:02 - 15.928 because there's a little bit of a back story.

02:02 - 19.899 Mayor Coleman, this is what happened.

02:02 - 25.371 The lieutenant governor Driscoll was giving a speech in Washington,

02:02 - 31.977 and she said, I want to know who has been mayors in this august body.

02:02 - 36.182 And a group of us stood up and she said, okay, I'm the mayor of Salem,

02:02 - 38.984 you're the mayor of so. And I said, I was the mayor of Cleveland.

02:02 - 40.619 She goes, Ohio.

02:02 - 43.456 I said, Yeah, it's okay.

02:02 - 45.558 So then Cassandra said,

02:02 - 48.527 Now I need you to come to Pennsylvania.

02:02 - 53.132 So that's how that so really you did this.

02:02 - 57.737 But I'm here not in my context as a former elected official,

02:02 - 02.041 but as the CEO of the United States Capitol Historical Society.

02:03 - 03.109 We are the

02:03 - 06.812 congressionally chartered nonprofit charged to tell the story of the Capitol

02:03 - 10.950 and the people who work in it in a manner that inspires informed patriotism.

02:03 - 16.889 And every one of these people on this panel everyday spends their life

02:03 - 22.762 teaching informed patriotism in unique ways.

02:03 - 23.529 We have

02:03 - 28.234 made a decision that we are not going to read their distinguished biographies.

02:03 - 31.237 I would encourage you to find LinkedIn in Google

02:03 - 34.573 or whatever else to get all the particulars.

02:03 - 38.577 But once you listen to them, you will not only want to know

02:03 - 43.082 their biographies, you will want to go and visit their institutions,

02:03 - 46.318 which is really perhaps even more important.

02:03 - 48.454 And what they want.

02:03 - 52.024 So we're doing this in a conversational manner,

02:03 - 55.861 and our charge is to talk about

02:03 - 58.397 how do diverse voices

02:03 - 02.468 get included in the conversation,

02:04 - 06.839 not just about our history, but about our future?

02:04 - 11.977 And so I'm going to have each of these people speak about

02:04 - 15.514 how in their world

02:04 - 20.786 do they intentionally include diverse voices?

02:04 - 24.356 And I got permission from everybody

02:04 - 27.359 to call them by their first names.

02:04 - 31.363 You heard Joy George, give them their proper

02:04 - 32.498 PhDs and all that.

02:04 - 35.968 They're all very well educated, fine, cool people.

02:04 - 38.871 I got permission to call them by their first name.

02:04 - 42.808 So, Frank, how does the National Park Service

02:04 - 45.744 make sure diverse voices are heard?

02:04 - 47.313 Thank you.

02:04 - 50.216 And my colleague Steve Sims talked about

02:04 - 53.819 national Parks being America's best idea.

02:04 - 56.789 The National Park Service is also often

02:04 - 59.492 referred to as America's storyteller.

02:04 - 05.030 And in telling the story of this nation, we have to ensure that all people

02:05 - 08.033 can see themselves in those stories

02:05 - 12.338 and in the sites that we preserve.

02:05 - 14.773 And in doing that,

02:05 - 18.978 we have to constantly ask ourselves, who is included in this story?

02:05 - 20.779 Who is excluded?

02:05 - 23.115 Whose stories have been under told?

02:05 - 25.684 And who has been historically underrepresented in our

02:05 - 30.422 in the telling of our nation's story as represented by our national park sites.

02:05 - 34.527 I'm looking at one of the authentic places that we care for that will be

02:05 - 39.899 an important part of this commemoration right now at Independence Hall.

02:05 - 44.003 And when we interpret our historic resources, we have a recipe

02:05 - 45.137 for how we do that.

02:05 - 49.408 We rely on up to date, peer reviewed scholarship.

02:05 - 52.778 We include multiple perspectives,

02:05 - 56.715 and we provide opportunities for the public

02:05 - 00.486 to draw meaning and relevance to their own lives

02:06 - 03.923 in the way that those stories are presented.

02:06 - 06.592 We don't tell people how to feel.

02:06 - 11.964 We give them the information and allow them to draw their own conclusion.

02:06 - 12.531 So in

02:06 - 16.468 thinking about diverse voices, what that means for us,

02:06 - 19.138 it means that we have to invest heavily

02:06 - 24.376 in researching those under told stories, that we have to engage

02:06 - 27.646 our descendant communities and our tribes,

02:06 - 32.217 sometimes to co-create content, sometimes to get out of the way entirely

02:06 - 37.623 and to provide them space to tell their own stories.

02:06 - 38.290 Thank you.

02:06 - 43.963 Josh, as you look at the history of your Jewish museum,

02:06 - 47.232 how do you

02:06 - 49.368 so once again, thank you

02:06 - 52.338 for having us all as part of this

02:06 - 55.341 fantastic and important discussion.

02:06 - 59.278 I represent the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, which,

02:06 - 02.281 if it was a little later in the fall, you'd be able to see

02:07 - 05.417 two blocks that way.

02:07 - 11.156 And it is from that kind of remarkable location that we explore,

02:07 - 12.725 I think today,

02:07 - 16.462 370 years of Jewish lives

02:07 - 19.898 in this country and on these lands.

02:07 - 23.869 And it's a pretty remarkable place to tell those stories,

02:07 - 27.539 not only because we are steps from Independence Mall

02:07 - 33.512 where a set of documents and ideals were enshrined, which for Jews

02:07 - 37.516 and certainly for the world were revolutionary.

02:07 - 40.919 But we do that from a location where we sit also across the street

02:07 - 45.524 from the Liberty Bell, and some of you may or may not know, but there is a phrase

02:07 - 49.128 around the top of the Liberty Bell, and that comes from Leviticus,

02:07 - 54.199 which talks about proclaim liberty throughout the land and to all thereof.

02:07 - 58.504 And it is to that last piece, to all thereof,

02:07 - 02.875 which is where we, I think, all of us who are involved in interpretation,

02:08 - 06.245 that is where the hard work is done.

02:08 - 09.148 And so we represent a particular

02:08 - 12.618 cultural perspective on the history of American Jews.

02:08 - 15.688 We get to tell the stories from a Jewish perspective about

02:08 - 19.525 how do we get to Independence Hall and what happens next.

02:08 - 23.228 But I think one of the real challenges in representing a culturally specific

02:08 - 27.066 museum is how do you invite anyone

02:08 - 31.937 who might walk through your doors to be engaged in the stories?

02:08 - 34.139 And we do that through multiple different ways.

02:08 - 39.144 Number one, it's recognizing that the stories of American Jews,

02:08 - 43.348 those 370 years, are not a monolithic story.

02:08 - 46.218 Those are stories of many different types of people

02:08 - 50.823 who come from many different places, who brought many different experiences

02:08 - 56.995 and cultural traditions with them and is an essential to highlight all of that.

02:08 - 02.367 And secondarily, and most importantly, tied to that, because of that diversity,

02:09 - 06.505 there are these wonderful, important, inspiring connections

02:09 - 11.777 between the experiences of American Jews and many of our neighbors

02:09 - 15.647 and our communities, our states and our country.

02:09 - 19.551 And so it's uplifting not only the voices

02:09 - 23.689 of people whose stories haven't been told within the Jewish community,

02:09 - 27.726 but it's also about opening the door to a volume of voices

02:09 - 31.430 who may not identify as Jewish, who may come from very different

02:09 - 35.667 backgrounds and traditions, and inviting their narratives,

02:09 - 38.470 their stories and their perspectives

02:09 - 42.641 into this wonderful institution, both on the independent,

02:09 - 48.147 small and in through the programing we do around the country.

02:09 - 49.214 Noelle,

02:09 - 55.053 as the director of the African-American Museum of Boston in Nantucket,

02:09 - 58.557 how do you make sure those voice

02:09 - 01.193 diverse voices are?

02:10 - 05.998 Well, you know, I think what's important to know about

02:10 - 09.101 culturally specific institutions, particularly African-American

02:10 - 11.670 institutions, is that we acknowledge that individuals

02:10 - 14.106 have a multiplicity of identities within them,

02:10 - 17.543 and that having those multiple identities does not negate any of them.

02:10 - 20.212 You can be American and be a descendant of slaves.

02:10 - 21.580 You can be American

02:10 - 25.984 and also be a daughter or an educator or any of these other things.

02:10 - 30.189 If you look at me, you may see a black woman, a museum professional.

02:10 - 34.126 I'm also born in Boston, so Massachusetts born,

02:10 - 37.196 raised in Chester County, P.A.

02:10 - 41.466 So I feel like very comfortable in this room.

02:10 - 46.071 I know there have been quite a few jokes about Massachusetts and Pennsylvania

02:10 - 48.273 will let you get away with it, because I used to make those jokes.

02:10 - 52.044 Do I just need people to know if you come

02:10 - 55.047 up to the lieutenant governor later and try to make another joke?

02:10 - 58.050 And I you,

02:10 - 01.486 me and some of the other Massachusetts contingent have decided that we are

02:11 - 06.158 going to embody the spirit of John Adams and we have her back.

02:11 - 11.830 So I just want to put that out there first.

02:11 - 13.832 But all in all seriousness,

02:11 - 17.603 the story of my institution is absolutely fascinating.

02:11 - 22.474 We were founded in the 1960s, but our story dates back to the 1950s,

02:11 - 26.445 when a woman, Sue Bailey Thurman, arrived in Boston with her husband,

02:11 - 29.982 Howard Thurman, who had become the first African American chaplain

02:11 - 32.985 for Marsh Chapel at Boston University.

02:11 - 37.322 And she was an active preservationist and knew that there was this tremendous

02:11 - 41.326 abolitionist story that's rooted in Boston and was curious as to

02:11 - 45.731 what happened to the homes of black abolitionist Boston's Beacon Hill.

02:11 - 48.767 And she began to do her research and create

02:11 - 52.237 a black heritage trail that still exists today,

02:11 - 56.608 that is interpreted in partnership with the National Park Service.

02:11 - 01.046 She would eventually come across to historic buildings on Beacon Hill's

02:12 - 04.816 northern Slope, and that is the Boston African meeting house.

02:12 - 06.652 And they ables Smith's school.

02:12 - 10.589 The meetinghouse was started in eighth was built in 1806.

02:12 - 14.793 It is the country's oldest existing black church building.

02:12 - 18.363 The church itself was started in 1805 and the basement

02:12 - 22.301 of Faneuil Hall, and it was the African Free Baptist Church.

02:12 - 25.537 And once it was built, there was a lot of fundraising done

02:12 - 29.274 by one particular gentleman who was from West Africa, Cato Gardner,

02:12 - 33.378 who raised over $2,000 in 1806.

02:12 - 37.716 And it became a home for Boston's black community.

02:12 - 40.819 This is where the Massachusetts Colored Association is founded,

02:12 - 44.056 one of the earliest black abolitionist groups.

02:12 - 44.856 And when William Lloyd

02:12 - 48.293 Garrison decides to start the New England Anti-Slavery Society,

02:12 - 49.294 he could go anywhere.

02:12 - 50.395 But that first meeting,

02:12 - 54.533 that organizing meeting happens at the African Meeting House.

02:12 - 58.170 Now, the Able Smith's school is the country's first public school,

02:12 - 01.206 specifically built for black students.

02:13 - 05.143 And on Nantucket, we have the Nantucket African Meeting house

02:13 - 09.414 that was inspired by our Boston location and a home

02:13 - 14.586 that was built by Seneca Boston, a formerly enslaved man in 1774.

02:13 - 18.757 So our mere existence is a demonstrated nation that there are

02:13 - 23.028 multiple voices and perspectives of African of American history

02:13 - 27.566 and that they are not a footnote, but very much infused with our country's

02:13 - 30.635 history, the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

02:13 - 34.106 and the communities of Boston and Nantucket.

02:13 - 38.043 A lot of times people ask me, Well, were there black people in Boston?

02:13 - 40.178 And I have to say, yes, absolutely.

02:13 - 43.448 And we have a wonderful story that dates back hundreds of years.

02:13 - 45.317 And so that's the work that we do.

02:13 - 46.151 And we make sure that

02:13 - 50.222 when people enter our facility that they experience the power of place,

02:13 - 53.759 but they can understand that there are some universal themes directly

02:13 - 58.997 in relationship to issues we're dealing today that date back to this time period

02:13 - 05.437 when this community came together to make a change in this country.

02:14 - 12.511 Scott, you have the you

02:14 - 16.081 so you you only just have to talk about the American Revolution.

02:14 - 18.316 No, no big deal.

02:14 - 21.286 How do you describe that in.

02:14 - 22.454 Yeah, well, it was great.

02:14 - 24.556 The former governor's pen.

02:14 - 28.627 I felt like there was our entire founding fathers up here.

02:14 - 32.464 We were incorporated during Governor Ridge's administration.

02:14 - 36.701 Governor Schweiker provided the first pledge of support from the Commonwealth.

02:14 - 40.505 Governor Rendell, obviously very instrumental in

02:14 - 42.374 getting us out of the ground.

02:14 - 47.446 Governor Wolf, you were there on April 19th, 2017 to to cut the ribbon.

02:14 - 51.983 It was a long journey, twice the length of the Revolutionary War, by the way,

02:14 - 57.722 which was the longest conflict in American history until the Vietnam War.

02:14 - 01.893 And during that time, we had three different sites.

02:15 - 02.928 We had four different

02:15 - 07.866 architectural designs, we had five different architectural plans.

02:15 - 11.937 And the exhibit designers, we had three CEOs.

02:15 - 15.040 There were a lot of times when it seemed like this

02:15 - 18.810 museum was not going to ever actually come to fruition.

02:15 - 21.446 And the advantage of that

02:15 - 25.016 and I'm going to do two shows of hands today, the first or this morning.

02:15 - 28.787 The first one is how many of you think a twice baked taste better than

02:15 - 31.223 a microwave, but

02:15 - 32.924 twice baked, Right.

02:15 - 36.895 We had a long time to sort of the gestation of this project

02:15 - 41.166 and time to really reflect on for the 21st century.

02:15 - 45.637 You know, what is the story of the American Revolution?

02:15 - 48.006 Early on, there was a desire to say we were going

02:15 - 51.009 to tell the complete story of the American Revolution.

02:15 - 52.644 Well, that's kind of audacious.

02:15 - 55.847 You know, we're scrappy and audacious, but you have to

02:15 - 59.117 sort of decide what's that story

02:15 - 59.885 going to be.

02:15 - 02.287 So we had the advantage. We had a wonderful board of scholars.

02:16 - 06.291 We did a lot of community engagement, which is so important, kind of front end

02:16 - 06.892 to evaluate

02:16 - 10.095 motion of how two different communities, you know, want to be reflected.

02:16 - 14.199 What did they think the story of America would be?

02:16 - 18.737 And one of my favorite stories that is about sort of telling you

02:16 - 22.841 a bit of the insight into where we landed was the story of Charles Thompson,

02:16 - 27.279 who was an Irish immigrant to our great commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

02:16 - 30.482 He was the secretary of the first Continental Congress.

02:16 - 33.018 Shout out to Michael Norris and Carpenters Hall

02:16 - 35.453 all the way through the Constitutional Convention.

02:16 - 40.692 So he was in all the rooms where it happened, taking notes the entire time.

02:16 - 44.529 An extraordinary individual, he wrote during his retirement

02:16 - 50.669 era, a thousand page History of the American Revolution.

02:16 - 53.305 Raise your hand if you have read Charles Thompson's

02:16 - 58.243 History of the American Revolution.

02:16 - 59.144 I'm going to call

02:16 - 02.881 you out because he burned the manuscript.

02:17 - 07.819 A lot of writings he realized and reflected on the fact that actually,

02:17 - 12.490 for a young republic, the most fragile of governments, and particularly

02:17 - 16.761 a big, sprawling, large republic that was diverse,

02:17 - 21.399 the founding era knew this was likely to fail.

02:17 - 25.237 History had a role to play in those first generations,

02:17 - 28.306 and that was to actually create a myth

02:17 - 33.378 of unanimity, a myth that all the guys around the table in that building over

02:17 - 36.348 there were flawless

02:17 - 40.719 great intellectual giants and made no mistakes.

02:17 - 43.455 Of course, the cracks started to appear as early

02:17 - 45.857 as the 19th century, certainly in the progressive era.

02:17 - 50.829 So the historiographical traditions about the American Revolution,

02:17 - 54.432 by the 20th century, we'd have, you know, new waves of scholarship

02:17 - 57.802 that had brought more diverse perspectives in by the time

02:17 - 03.041 we got to sort of the gestation period for the museum.

02:18 - 04.242 There was

02:18 - 08.613 sort of this division, and we still feel it today that

02:18 - 11.616 you can either believe in that founding myth and that

02:18 - 14.452 the story of America is only

02:18 - 18.723 a story of great achievements and wonderful

02:18 - 21.760 sort of flawless individuals and great promise.

02:18 - 24.129 Or it is the story of all of these shortcomings

02:18 - 26.298 and terrible errors along the way.

02:18 - 29.734 All of that new scholarship did not necessarily lead to

02:18 - 33.438 you feeling very proud about the American experiment.

02:18 - 36.841 So we thought, how can we build a museum

02:18 - 40.979 that includes all the words that can acknowledge

02:18 - 46.151 all of our shortcomings, but still remain very sort of hopeful, forward thinking.

02:18 - 50.488 And I think one of the keys was recasting the American Revolution

02:18 - 54.726 from a story of a war, because a lot of us say

02:18 - 57.062 Museum of the American Revolution, it does not help

02:18 - 59.998 that we have cannons out front, by the way.

02:19 - 01.666 It is more than a war.

02:19 - 04.936 And of course, another great Philadelphian, Benjamin Rush, on the eve

02:19 - 09.507 of the Constitutional Convention, observed The American war is over.

02:19 - 12.110 But this is not the case with the American Revolution.

02:19 - 15.447 Only the first act of the great drama is over.

02:19 - 18.850 So by casting the American Revolution as an ongoing

02:19 - 22.153 experiment in liberty, equality and self-government,

02:19 - 25.824 you can broaden our ideas about who the founders were.

02:19 - 27.892 You can include people who do not.

02:19 - 30.161 As Lincoln observed in his

02:19 - 33.998 great electric speech, you know, people who have come to these shores

02:19 - 37.635 since the 18th century are American revolutionaries.

02:19 - 43.041 And I think that's been sort of that's been baked into the DNA of the museum.

02:19 - 44.943 I think that

02:19 - 49.514 if you have read if you've visited us, if you've read the

02:19 - 51.983 you know, the reviews, go to TripAdvisor.

02:19 - 52.250 I do.

02:19 - 55.153 Every single day to see what the what the audience is saying.

02:19 - 58.390 I think our greatest review is by Billy Pen here, who called us the

02:19 - 02.327 the new surprisingly woke Museum of the American Revolution,

02:20 - 04.996 which I have a mug with that on it.

02:20 - 07.499 But I think that if

02:20 - 10.902 I can report to you, my final observation is, as we've now had a million

02:20 - 11.736 and a half visitors

02:20 - 15.740 through the museum since we opened, and so we've had a great test audience.

02:20 - 18.643 And for those of you, you know, across the nation

02:20 - 22.213 who are trying to figure out how much can we talk about history?

02:20 - 25.216 Because I think we tend to think of it as a source of division.

02:20 - 30.622 It actually can be a great source of common ground and unity

02:20 - 36.227 when it's presented, when it reflects all of those perspectives.

02:20 - 39.364 And let's do one quick question and then we're going to get to

02:20 - 43.768 the final question, which you all know and I hope you'll enjoy it.

02:20 - 48.540 But Noel, for both for you and Josh, as sort of culturally

02:20 - 54.279 specific institutions, how do you get the message out

02:20 - 59.818 beyond your institution so that those stories are included?

02:20 - 01.486 Noel, why don't you start?

02:21 - 07.358 You know, I think that's the chronic challenge for culturally specific museums,

02:21 - 11.129 especially those that are historically underrepresented groups

02:21 - 15.233 that tend to be started as grassroots organizations.

02:21 - 16.801 They aren't government funded.

02:21 - 22.006 So your ability to do marketing and brand awareness is quite honestly limited.

02:21 - 25.977 And so there's a lot of strategy involved with that.

02:21 - 29.314 We benefit quite a bit from word of mouth,

02:21 - 32.417 but there's also a lot of

02:21 - 35.920 people who come into our space and said, I didn't know this was here, right?

02:21 - 38.423 I didn't know about this story.

02:21 - 41.392 They're not mad at us, but they are resentful that

02:21 - 43.962 why wasn't this in schoolbooks?

02:21 - 46.664 Why wasn't I brought here as a child?

02:21 - 47.866 Why did my parents know?

02:21 - 51.069 And I'm like, Well, don't get mad at everybody,

02:21 - 51.803 you know?

02:21 - 56.074 But what we try to do is put ourselves out there in many different ways

02:21 - 00.812 through partnerships are a key strategic initiative for us

02:22 - 03.781 and working with teachers and community groups

02:22 - 05.650 and even organizations like churches

02:22 - 09.287 and other religious groups are other ways that we extend ourselves beyond.

02:22 - 12.891 But it's also letting people know that this is not just a story

02:22 - 15.226 for the African-American community.

02:22 - 16.928 This is a story for everyone.

02:22 - 20.632 Lonnie Bunch famously said when he was opening up the mark

02:22 - 24.602 is that African-American history is American history.

02:22 - 29.240 So you are welcome to this space and we encourage you to learn something

02:22 - 33.378 and maybe see part of yourself in this space as well.

02:22 - 35.480 Josh Well,

02:22 - 39.384 I think you made a really important point, which is about invitation, right?

02:22 - 41.619 It's inviting people.

02:22 - 44.422 And just in the same as,

02:22 - 46.658 you know, if you've met someone new, if you're creating new

02:22 - 50.628 relationships with people, you invite them over dinner, coffee,

02:22 - 54.499 whatever it is about being warm and welcoming.

02:22 - 59.003 I also think it's about, as I mentioned earlier, it's about

02:22 - 01.739 who gets who tells the stories

02:23 - 05.710 and representation right.

02:23 - 10.615 And secondly,

02:23 - 11.950 so who gets to tell that story.

02:23 - 16.521 Secondly, I think it's also about

02:23 - 18.456 how you tell your stories.

02:23 - 23.828 So one of the things that the Weitzman is doing

02:23 - 27.865 currently so many of you are from many different states.

02:23 - 30.468 And in terms of education,

02:23 - 35.306 our children receive about who Jews are,

02:23 - 37.408 if they receive any of that

02:23 - 40.411 education, it is only about one specific topic.

02:23 - 45.049 It is about the Holocaust because some states have Holocaust mandates.

02:23 - 46.951 You have to teach the Holocaust.

02:23 - 49.420 Some states like Pennsylvania do not.

02:23 - 56.194 And so a child may go through their education and actually never learn about a Jew.

02:23 - 57.695 And so one of the things we're working

02:23 - 02.634 on, Weitzman, is creating in partnership with school districts across the country,

02:24 - 07.438 in California, in Minnesota, in the Dakotas, here in Pennsylvania,

02:24 - 09.874 a comprehensive curriculum

02:24 - 12.877 that can be deployed in public schools.

02:24 - 18.216 So that our children grow up knowing something about who Jews are,

02:24 - 22.053 where they've come from, what do they do?

02:24 - 24.122 What do they believe?

02:24 - 25.456 What is their culture?

02:24 - 30.028 And these are many of the same ideas, questions, topics

02:24 - 34.932 that we are teaching about a diversity of other communities in this country.

02:24 - 39.137 But, you know, if we think about the educational mission of institutions

02:24 - 42.940 like ours, one is to teach the stories of the communities

02:24 - 49.647 I represent, but another is an active participation

02:24 - 54.419 in the addressing of conscious and unconscious bias in our country.

02:24 - 57.522 And if our children never learn

02:24 - 01.492 about a particular community, whatever that community is,

02:25 - 05.930 they will only grow up with conscious or unconscious bias.

02:25 - 10.768 And so this is just one example of how an institution like ours

02:25 - 12.870 not only welcomes people into the building,

02:25 - 18.443 but takes it outside our doors and speaks to the nation.

02:25 - 19.877 Frank The

02:25 - 27.719 National Park Service is often called the time to highlight places that

02:25 - 30.555 have been lost and forgotten.

02:25 - 33.791 So why don't you speak for a moment about

02:25 - 39.864 how is that unique role designed to

02:25 - 44.802 really highlight our history that has been around but just hasn't

02:25 - 46.170 been told?

02:25 - 49.107 Yeah, we we really embrace our role

02:25 - 51.943 as America's storytellers.

02:25 - 56.180 That's a role that we're proud to offer to the American public.

02:25 - 01.719 And for this commemoration we are we have a vision for an inclusive

02:26 - 03.254 commemoration.

02:26 - 06.791 Inclusive history is part of our vision

02:26 - 10.828 and advancing equality and justice for all as part of our vision.

02:26 - 14.699 That means highlighting the contributions of women, highlighting

02:26 - 19.637 the contributions of indigenous peoples, of people of African descent

02:26 - 23.141 and other historically excluded communities.

02:26 - 25.676 If you think about national parks,

02:26 - 29.447 one of the things that I hope for this commemoration is

02:26 - 33.451 that people will see beyond Independence Hall

02:26 - 38.489 and the Declaration of Independence and see beyond the American Revolution

02:26 - 41.359 and think about all of the stories

02:26 - 45.963 and the history and that shared history that brings us together

02:26 - 50.268 at sites like Flight 93, at the Road,

02:26 - 54.005 The strength and resilience of the American people demonstrated

02:26 - 57.008 on that day are civil rights sites

02:26 - 01.512 that show the struggles and triumphs in places like

02:27 - 06.350 Mamie Till Site, the newly established Medgar and Myrlie Evers sites,

02:27 - 09.020 Women's Rights, National Historical Park,

02:27 - 12.924 Stonewall National Monument, just to name a few.

02:27 - 15.459 You think of sites of innovation,

02:27 - 18.763 George Washington Carver, Thomas Edison.

02:27 - 22.867 You think of all the sites of our industrial heritage of labor

02:27 - 26.938 movements, all of these things that make us who we are.

02:27 - 30.408 And by telling all of those stories and telling a more comprehensive

02:27 - 31.709 American story,

02:27 - 36.447 I think we can create more opportunities to create shared understanding,

02:27 - 39.517 to create empathy and understanding

02:27 - 42.720 towards one another, so that in 2026,

02:27 - 44.121 all of these investments

02:27 - 47.859 that the people in this room are making, the people on the stage are making

02:27 - 52.330 are about bringing more people together to feel like they want to celebrate.

02:27 - 57.335 Because we know this is not a celebration for every American

02:27 - 01.439 and that we have to we have to celebrate, have to commemorate,

02:28 - 04.775 we have to come to contemplate and we have to discuss

02:28 - 07.211 the meanings around this moment.

02:28 - 09.714 You get one sentence and a half

02:28 - 13.618 for the final question, because I've gotten the hook

02:28 - 17.421 and which is what is the one myth

02:28 - 21.359 that you you know, there's a lot of people who believe they know history.

02:28 - 25.296 What's the one myth you want dispelled?

02:28 - 27.498 And why not? Noel, why don't you be first?

02:28 - 29.400 Because you're in the middle sometimes of middle.

02:28 - 31.168 People don't get to be first.

02:28 - 32.270 One sentence.

02:28 - 34.972 me, you get.

02:28 - 37.675 a sentence and a half.

02:28 - 39.744 I think it's important

02:28 - 44.148 to remember to be additive to your historically represented

02:28 - 48.586 underrepresented communities, not extractive form of relations.

02:28 - 49.420 Shit.

02:28 - 52.556 And think about what will this look like

02:28 - 55.559 beyond this 2026 moment.

02:28 - 57.094 That's the challenge.

02:28 - 57.795 Thank you.

02:28 - 00.798 All right, Scott, sentence in half.

02:29 - 03.000 One myth.

02:29 - 04.735 You know me, I.

02:29 - 08.239 It's why I'm revealing young people

02:29 - 11.309 is the key to the future of the country.

02:29 - 17.748 Engaging them at this age and at this moment is going to pay off

02:29 - 20.017 for the arrival of the republic.

02:29 - 21.585 Josh Smith.

02:29 - 23.988 What one myth now?

02:29 - 28.492 So it's a particularly fantastic anniversary for the white men

02:29 - 31.963 because our history dates back to 1976

02:29 - 35.800 and for what will eventually be 50 years.

02:29 - 38.369 I think the greatest challenge we have to echo

02:29 - 41.639 my colleagues, number one is engaging new audiences.

02:29 - 46.077 And number two, demystifying assumptions.

02:29 - 47.745 One sentence.

02:29 - 48.946 What? What?

02:29 - 52.383 I didn't ask you what now we're just going to say, for example,

02:29 - 57.989 because Frank has something really great to say.

02:29 - 00.691 Frank, what's the myth you want to spout?

02:30 - 03.995 That commemoration is about the past.

02:30 - 06.263 We have an opportunity to provide

02:30 - 10.267 historical context, yes, but we have the opportunity.

02:30 - 12.470 I'm a father of two young boys,

02:30 - 15.573 and in this moment we can provide the opportunity

02:30 - 20.578 for the next generations to envision what their democracy will look like.

02:30 - 24.448 And I say one more thing, one man, you are all part of this.

02:30 - 26.384 Your stories

02:30 - 26.984 matter.

02:30 - 33.457 Your stories are the American story and the explorations of your identities

02:30 - 36.894 have power, your experience is valid.

02:30 - 42.500 And without that message going to the next generation,

02:30 - 45.469 I think we will have failed in this moment.

02:30 - 49.273 So we have to reach that next generation and we have to give them

02:30 - 53.511 the tools to envision their future and the future of their democracy.

02:30 - 57.915 So your assignment is to go find some young people

02:30 - 01.752 and take them to these extraordinary institutions.

02:31 - 04.622 And that is how we will thank our panel,

02:31 - 07.458 which we could have listened to for another 2 hours.

02:31 - 23.407 Thank you very much.

02:31 - 26.977 Thank you again to all of our panelists for that great discussion.

02:31 - 31.482 Next up, we have a panel that is all about looking ahead,

02:31 - 37.621 building toward the semi quincentennial a conversation of host cities.

02:31 - 41.459 I'd like to invite all of our panel participants to the stage now

02:31 - 42.560 so they could take their seats.

02:31 - 47.231 And while they come up, i want to give you an overview of this discussion.

02:31 - 51.102 This panel brings together representatives from key cities

02:31 - 56.740 that will host our nation's 250th anniversary celebrations.

02:31 - 00.010 Those share their plans, challenges

02:32 - 03.013 and visions for honoring America's past

02:32 - 06.951 while engaging their communities in a meaningful way.

02:32 - 10.287 We're excited to hear how these cities are preparing

02:32 - 15.292 to play a crucial role in this monumental milestone.

02:32 - 17.862 Leading this important discussion, you guys can all come up

02:32 - 19.463 and take your seats.

02:32 - 22.600 Leading this important discussion is our moderator, John Bechtel,

02:32 - 29.073 president and CEO of the American Association of State and Local History.

02:32 - 33.377 And joining John on stage are a distinguished panelist,

02:32 - 36.213 Michael Newman's director of Philadelphia

02:32 - 39.617 2026 for the City of Philadelphia.

02:32 - 42.186 Major General William Grimsley, chair of the South

02:32 - 46.257 Carolina American Revolution Ancestors Centennial Commission.

02:32 - 49.693 Megan Brown, Chief of external affairs

02:32 - 54.131 for the City of New York, and Shannon Idowu,

02:32 - 00.304 Chief of Economic opportunity and Inclusion for the City of Boston.

02:33 - 03.007 John, I'm going to turn it over to you for this conversation.

02:33 - 05.809 Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

02:33 - 07.578 Good morning.

02:33 - 10.981 I'm John Dekel, president and CEO of the American Association

02:33 - 12.516 for State and Local History.

02:33 - 16.053 And the order of the panelists here don't quite fit with the names

02:33 - 17.087 that just were announced.

02:33 - 19.490 But we have Boston, we have New York.

02:33 - 23.294 We have Philadelphia, and we have Charleston.

02:33 - 27.064 So I am very happy to be here, very excited.

02:33 - 33.370 My association has been working toward the 2026 moment for the last eight years.

02:33 - 36.407 We have been trying to get state and local history organizations

02:33 - 41.412 and national history organizations excited and motivated and planning.

02:33 - 44.748 And now that it's just, what, 18 months away,

02:33 - 49.486 something like that, people are very highly motivated,

02:33 - 51.889 lots of enthusiasm out there.

02:33 - 55.559 A large has more than 3500

02:33 - 59.930 organizations as members across the country, and we represent

02:34 - 05.102 the 21,000 history organizations that are in this great country of ours.

02:34 - 07.905 And our mission is to help them thrive

02:34 - 10.874 and to be central to the most important conversations

02:34 - 13.877 in their communities, not just to preserve and interpret history,

02:34 - 16.947 but be at the table when decisions are made,

02:34 - 21.051 when planning is done for the future, and when communities need to talk together.

02:34 - 23.654 That's that's when organizations are important.

02:34 - 27.992 And our vision for the semi quincentennial is to help American society

02:34 - 32.162 progress towards justice through an inclusive approach

02:34 - 36.066 to history and to strengthen the history field at the same time.

02:34 - 39.136 So there are really two great opportunities here.

02:34 - 42.072 The first is to promote a whole honest

02:34 - 45.075 and unifying vision of the American past

02:34 - 48.712 that is steeped in civics and the struggle for democracy.

02:34 - 50.447 And second.

02:34 - 54.518 The second opportunity is to use the 250th moment of excitement

02:34 - 58.856 and attention to attract investment, interest and support

02:34 - 05.596 for history organizations and also for our communities, for great cities.

02:35 - 08.132 It is also a time not just to think about the past,

02:35 - 13.270 but to be thinking about the future and what we leave for future generations.

02:35 - 17.174 So I hope as you're listening to our panelists

02:35 - 21.912 this morning, you'll hear some some thinking, some planning for legacy

02:35 - 26.583 as well as this moment of commemoration and celebration.

02:35 - 28.819 We know that

02:35 - 32.189 at least a third of all those 21,000 history

02:35 - 34.825 organizations that are in this country today,

02:35 - 38.796 at least a third of them were created because of the bicentennial

02:35 - 43.567 coming out of the bicentennial, going into the bicentennial.

02:35 - 46.637 And from my organization, that's a huge legacy.

02:35 - 51.442 So what kind of legacy are we going to leave in our cities

02:35 - 57.181 for future Americans, for for Children and for for the world?

02:35 - 59.116 What kind of what kind of future will be?

02:35 - 02.720 What kind of foundation for the future will we be laying?

02:36 - 05.089 So we'll just start with Boston.

02:36 - 08.292 Not because Boston is better, it's

02:36 - 10.961 simply because Boston is the farthest

02:36 - 13.964 north we're going to be going down the coast here.

02:36 - 18.435 So we'll start with Qiagen and ask them each just to talk a little bit

02:36 - 22.306 about some of the great plans that their cities have underway

02:36 - 25.609 and what their vision is for 2026 and beyond.

02:36 - 26.844 So we'll start with Shagun.

02:36 - 30.881 Well, first of all, good morning, everyone.

02:36 - 34.218 I I've seen very few of you get up for coffee or anything else.

02:36 - 38.655 And so I have to give you all kudos that the energy around 2026

02:36 - 42.960 has empowered you to keep going through all these panels today.

02:36 - 47.398 So I want to thank you all for the opportunity to be here.

02:36 - 51.068 And you're joining me on my 992nd day

02:36 - 54.838 as the chief of economic opportunity and inclusion for the city of Boston.

02:36 - 58.208 And I am grateful for us to reclaim our rightful place

02:36 - 01.211 as the first to go on this panel and talk about

02:37 - 05.249 what the city of Boston is doing to plan for 2026.

02:37 - 07.351 You know, we take immense

02:37 - 11.855 pride and joy to be able to celebrate along with all of you in 2026,

02:37 - 15.092 because you know of the important role that the city of Boston

02:37 - 19.530 and really all of Massachusetts played in shaping the nation,

02:37 - 23.000 because we know that it was in, you know, our townhouses

02:37 - 26.937 that the first calls for the Continental Congress first came.

02:37 - 30.507 We know that it was an hour under our trees and in our homes and

02:37 - 34.077 in our meeting places that, you know, a lot of the

02:37 - 36.647 antagonism toward the stamp of the Tea Act began.

02:37 - 42.286 And so, you know, again, we are we we understand our role in 2026.

02:37 - 45.823 And as we're thinking about, you know, how we're preparing for that.

02:37 - 48.792 I know Philly is also thinking about this and other cities and towns.

02:37 - 52.429 It's not just the 2/50 that we are celebrating that year.

02:37 - 56.366 We're also going to have millions of folks coming through all of our cities

02:37 - 00.604 as we participate in FIFA World Cup and in Boston.

02:38 - 03.707 We're bringing back the tall ship ceremony,

02:38 - 07.544 which by itself will bring millions of visitors to the city.

02:38 - 10.447 And then on top of that, the marathon and all the other

02:38 - 13.750 celebrations that we hold every year regardless.

02:38 - 17.387 And so lots going on that we have to think about.

02:38 - 19.823 And What the city did was a couple of things.

02:38 - 23.927 One was that we established a commemoration commission a few years ago

02:38 - 28.198 to help the city not only think about what we're doing in 2026, but we also have

02:38 - 32.336 another milestone coming up in 2030 where we'll be celebrating

02:38 - 37.941 our 400th year as an incorporated city here in the in the country

02:38 - 41.378 and to think about all the other important milestones coming up.

02:38 - 43.580 But we also established a Tiger team

02:38 - 47.784 of several different departments across the administration to work

02:38 - 51.455 with our partners in the community to plan for all these events that are going on.

02:38 - 57.327 But specific to 250, a bunch of ideas that we are pushing forward,

02:38 - 59.129 we're keeping an eye on our colleagues

02:38 - 02.966 here on the panel and some other cities and towns that are celebrating

02:39 - 06.737 because we all want to be the best in celebrating that year.

02:39 - 11.808 But to Governor Rendell's point that he brought up on a previous panel,

02:39 - 16.914 also thinking about how our public schools play a role in educating

02:39 - 21.885 and our residents through our libraries, through our community youth centers

02:39 - 24.621 of the important legacy and role

02:39 - 28.258 that the city played, but also helping us think about the future.

02:39 - 29.793 The previous panel with Dr.

02:39 - 32.996 Trent, which you were so proud of, and leading the African-American

02:39 - 36.733 History Museum, we're also working on how we are

02:39 - 40.837 celebrating and uplifting stories that very often have not been brought up.

02:39 - 44.508 You know, the name Martin King was brought up earlier

02:39 - 45.842 during the bicentennial

02:39 - 49.513 when Boston really started celebrating the role of Crispus Attucks.

02:39 - 52.516 But there are so many thousands of people

02:39 - 56.753 that played a role in our first 250 years as lieutenant governor

02:39 - 59.756 Driscoll was talking about earlier, our theme in Massachusetts.

02:39 - 03.760 We want to lift up all of those stories that very often

02:40 - 06.763 are relegated to the footnotes of our history books.

02:40 - 11.635 And so lots that we're doing to prepare for 250.

02:40 - 13.604 And, you know, we're also looking forward

02:40 - 17.307 to all of the tourists that are coming and how we can benefit from that.

02:40 - 20.978 But I'll keep it high level there and then I'll I'll go into the Grail address.

02:40 - 23.814 Thank you. Megan, tell us about New York. Good morning.

02:40 - 25.649 Such a pleasure to be here with all of you.

02:40 - 30.253 Meghan Brown I am the chief of external affairs for the City of New York.

02:40 - 33.557 I am actually a native Pennsylvanian Philadelphian,

02:40 - 38.295 so I came home last night very excited to be here.

02:40 - 41.832 Very proud to be here with our distinguished panelists

02:40 - 46.770 alongside me and to be in this room to really be talking about

02:40 - 50.874 just such a commemoration and a moment in history

02:40 - 54.878 that we all get to be a part of, which is really, really thrilling.

02:40 - 58.315 I am very proud to be part of the administration

02:40 - 01.318 in New York City and to be in this position

02:41 - 06.156 to be able to plan for America's 250th anniversary as part of my role.

02:41 - 09.693 I'm also in the unique position, and we are in the city of planning

02:41 - 13.930 for New York City's 400th anniversary, which is next year.

02:41 - 16.199 And we are also excited for FIFA.

02:41 - 19.836 We have a lot going on, so we are really, really thrilled.

02:41 - 23.707 And part of what we are endeavoring to do right now

02:41 - 27.978 is to build out all of our New York City 400

02:41 - 32.783 celebrations, commemorations, and be able to use that infrastructure

02:41 - 38.021 to really propel into America's 250th celebration.

02:41 - 42.693 Our goals are really focused around commemorating our past and.

02:41 - 48.465 As you've heard this morning, we started off really with thinking about

02:41 - 51.902 and planning for the inclusion of

02:41 - 55.806 of all, and particularly starting with our indigenous community

02:41 - 59.643 and with our civil rights activists and really thinking

02:41 - 05.182 about telling the stories untold and told that we know exist.

02:42 - 09.653 And we have been planning out our our second pillar,

02:42 - 12.656 which is our celebration pillar and that's really about

02:42 - 15.492 celebrating our presence in New York City.

02:42 - 19.596 And we are looking at doing major marquee events, major public

02:42 - 24.067 events, partnering with some existing like the marathon and bike tours

02:42 - 27.637 and exciting things that happen, fireworks that happen in New York

02:42 - 30.307 and making sure for both anniversaries

02:42 - 33.577 that we're incorporating

02:42 - 38.415 those stories into major events and then doing some new ones as well.

02:42 - 40.050 So we're really excited about that.

02:42 - 43.854 And then in theme of what you've heard earlier this morning as well,

02:42 - 47.057 where our third pillar is really about building for the future.

02:42 - 51.161 We've been discussing how to codify think about some public policy

02:42 - 55.365 initiatives that we can undertake around civic engagement,

02:42 - 59.069 civics education and engaging our public school students

02:42 - 03.106 thinking about preservation and historical records

02:43 - 06.076 and documents and things across the city monuments,

02:43 - 10.347 how we can really be incorporating into the future of the city.

02:43 - 15.752 And we're really thinking about for both New York City's 400th anniversary

02:43 - 20.957 and America 250 building all of these activations out of a host committee.

02:43 - 24.728 So similar to standing up a Tiger team or another committee, we

02:43 - 26.797 we have a dual pronged approach for that.

02:43 - 30.167 One is within all of our New York City agencies,

02:43 - 34.037 we have a monthly committee that meets to talk about anniversaries.

02:43 - 37.274 And so all of our agencies across the city are involved

02:43 - 41.478 and what they're excited about, we have a representative from each agency

02:43 - 45.048 who sits on our monthly committee and then our external host committee,

02:43 - 51.288 which is really made up of community members, cultural leaders, educate voters,

02:43 - 54.858 the business community donors

02:43 - 59.596 that we are cultivating and working with to really think about how to

02:43 - 02.833 make these celebrations and these commemorations really meaningful

02:44 - 06.670 and impactful, both for residents and tourists, as you said, as well.

02:44 - 09.306 So as we think about building out our host committee,

02:44 - 12.976 be using the same infrastructure and largely the same committee members

02:44 - 17.581 to be planning both for New York City's anniversary as well as America 250.

02:44 - 22.953 And part of the activation with those committee members is we've set up some

02:44 - 24.321 very specific committees.

02:44 - 26.957 So we have a representative from the cultural community

02:44 - 30.794 who is convening all of the museums, cultural institutions, libraries,

02:44 - 33.897 helping us put together a plan for those institutions.

02:44 - 37.400 We're doing the same for the education, both public schools and higher

02:44 - 40.637 education institutions inside New York City.

02:44 - 43.974 And then our third committee group is our business community.

02:44 - 46.910 Really think about how to engage public private partnerships.

02:44 - 52.215 So very excited and really excited to be part of this conversation.

02:44 - 52.916 Thank you.

02:44 - 56.853 Well, you know, I can't resist sometimes because I love Boston.

02:44 - 58.889 It really is one of my favorite cities.

02:44 - 02.959 Youngest brother lived there for many years before they moved to Italy.

02:45 - 04.561 But we have to remember one thing.

02:45 - 10.734 My dear friend Benjamin Franklin fled Boston and

02:45 - 13.803 took incredible refuge here in Philadelphia

02:45 - 16.339 and helped us salvage what we are in right now,

02:45 - 19.276 which is America's most historic square mile.

02:45 - 20.210 And I'm so thrilled

02:45 - 24.114 that we're having this conversation here in a museum that is dedicated towards

02:45 - 28.919 honoring the foundational document that guides our nation.

02:45 - 32.689 You know, obviously, Independence Hall, Carpenter's Hall,

02:45 - 38.495 the Liberty Bell, which in the 1750s was initially really used to summon lawmakers

02:45 - 43.867 to legislators lessons and to alert the public to public hearings.

02:45 - 45.101 It's really incredible.

02:45 - 48.305 But that's all to say really,

02:45 - 52.242 that for Philadelphia, this historic infrastructure

02:45 - 57.747 will rightly serve as the backdrop to this momentous milestone.

02:45 - 01.918 So how do you approach 2026 when you're leading it for the nation's

02:46 - 06.523 birthplace, for the country's first World Heritage city?

02:46 - 09.793 You start by focusing on the historical significance.

02:46 - 11.361 And that's precisely what we've done.

02:46 - 14.364 And I'm so proud of the work that my dear friend Michael Knauss

02:46 - 15.699 and Corporate Hall have done

02:46 - 19.669 by leading the charge with the Young People's Continental Congress.

02:46 - 23.139 It's so important because it's putting youth voices at the center,

02:46 - 28.912 bringing teachers and students, and really creating a forum for them to partake in

02:46 - 33.583 What is a conversation about not just what's happened in the past 50 years,

02:46 - 38.288 but how we can collectively work to define the next 250 years

02:46 - 39.923 for Philadelphia.

02:46 - 42.926 We are really, really leaning in.

02:46 - 45.829 We are going to have obviously an opportunity to

02:46 - 49.199 in the world because it's not just July 4th,

02:46 - 53.536 although we do have, by the way, the greatest July 4th festival on earth.

02:46 - 57.040 It is 16 days long, 16 days long.

02:46 - 02.078 And why do you think in 16 days, if you do the math and count backwards,

02:47 - 05.882 we start our holiday on June 19th or June

02:47 - 08.918 18th, which is a really intentional decision, right?

02:47 - 14.591 Because we're recognizing that 1776 was just the start and the roots for freedom.

02:47 - 17.560 And we have proudly developed what's become

02:47 - 21.131 the largest Juneteenth festival in the entire country.

02:47 - 23.566 But we're not just here to celebrate history.

02:47 - 26.669 We're also going to be actively creating it with world

02:47 - 30.206 class events that will bring us around that which unites us.

02:47 - 33.777 My friend mentioned the FIFA World Cup and I'm so excited.

02:47 - 36.079 We'll also have the MLB All-Star Game.

02:47 - 38.314 But We'll have something for everything, including the Art

02:47 - 41.084 Philly festival that Kathy Sachs is leading.

02:47 - 43.987 That's going to ask the question of what's next.

02:47 - 46.823 And in doing so, create dialog and civic

02:47 - 49.826 dialog around arts and culture.

02:47 - 55.965 You know, for Philadelphia, these events are so incredibly

02:47 - 00.837 opportunistic, not just about showcasing our vibrancy,

02:48 - 04.607 but really how can we collectively help

02:48 - 10.980 shape conversation about what the future will look like for

02:48 - 11.815 the one thing I'll

02:48 - 15.685 say, especially as my friend here who has served in the U.S.

02:48 - 19.255 Army, although we will be welcoming the entire world here

02:48 - 22.058 for incredible global events like FIFA,

02:48 - 25.428 we will first roll out the red carpet for America's bravest.

02:48 - 28.398 In October 2025, the Secretary of the Navy.

02:48 - 32.669 We will have the great opportunity hosting the national celebration

02:48 - 36.406 of the United States Navy and Marines, as well as in June of 2025.

02:48 - 39.876 The national celebration of the Army.

02:48 - 43.947 Thank you.

02:48 - 45.982 And what's so exciting about this

02:48 - 48.651 and the leadership that our secretary of the Navy has soon

02:48 - 53.123 is that we're looking at these events not just as celebrations,

02:48 - 58.027 but how can we take an opportunity like celebrating our armed forces

02:48 - 01.965 and use it to help advance recruitment goals, which is a pressing priority

02:49 - 06.769 for this nation right now, recruiting folks to the national service, connecting

02:49 - 10.740 our citizens really with a deeper sense of civic responsibility.

02:49 - 11.508 In addition

02:49 - 14.477 to this incredible, incredible milestone of events,

02:49 - 18.114 we're going to go well beyond because for our mayor, Cheryl Parker,

02:49 - 24.020 2026 is about investing in our communities and our people and in our businesses.

02:49 - 26.890 And that's why I'm so proud of the work that we're doing with Philadelphia.

02:49 - 29.792 A250 And Daniella

02:49 - 32.228 then think you.

02:49 - 36.432 As you can tell, I've lost my voice this weekend, but I'm pushing forward.

02:49 - 39.669 But we're going to be announcing some bold programs that will be investing

02:49 - 43.907 not just in commercial corridors, but ensuring that the celebration of the 50th

02:49 - 47.677 reaches well beyond the historic district, well beyond our downtown

02:49 - 51.514 center city, and reaches residents and neighborhoods throughout.

02:49 - 53.783 But, you know, it's not just about Philadelphia.

02:49 - 56.553 And as the leadership of Cassandra Coleman and Pat Burns

02:49 - 00.256 have led really for the entire commonwealth is really a charge of saying

02:50 - 04.794 what if we actually work as a collective unit to celebrate this

02:50 - 07.230 in a way that allows for the millions of people

02:50 - 10.733 that will come here to really explore throughout the entire district.

02:50 - 14.437 So that's what we're precisely working on in Philadelphia.

02:50 - 14.871 Great.

02:50 - 16.172 Thank you.

02:50 - 17.840 Well, tell us about Charleston.

02:50 - 18.875 Well, good morning, everybody.

02:50 - 23.012 And you've heard a lot about and Boston and now some from New York.

02:50 - 25.949 Well, let me shift you a little bit further south to Charleston and South

02:50 - 27.217 Carolina.

02:50 - 29.619 And as with my friends up here

02:50 - 33.656 in our partner cities, the sister cities, national celebration, Charleston

02:50 - 37.760 is working toward and South Carolina is working toward similar sorts of things.

02:50 - 39.362 I'm going to take a slightly different tack, though,

02:50 - 42.365 and ask you to go back to the summer of 1776,

02:50 - 46.803 when as New York is threatened with a massive British fleet.

02:50 - 50.573 So as Charleston and many people in Charleston watched

02:50 - 53.876 as the British fleet attempted to get into Charleston Harbor and eventually did.

02:50 - 54.944 If you don't know anything about it,

02:50 - 58.648 you have some very difficult shoals and sandbars over which to navigate

02:50 - 01.317 the Patriot forces that are arrayed themselves to defend this.

02:51 - 03.386 The wealthiest city in

02:51 - 05.922 British North America was Charleston,

02:51 - 09.959 largely because of enslaved population and agriculture and other things.

02:51 - 10.927 But the wealthiest city

02:51 - 15.031 and many of the wealthiest citizens are in Charleston themselves or itself.

02:51 - 18.001 And so people watched both with joy.

02:51 - 22.005 Perhaps if you're a loyalist, trepidation, if you're a patriot,

02:51 - 26.643 and many other emotions probably going in as that British fleet came in.

02:51 - 29.779 But the celebration that emanates the afternoon of June the 28th

02:51 - 33.950 and the morning of June the 29th, after the British Royal Navy suffers its largest

02:51 - 37.954 defeat at sea in almost 200 years at the hands of Patriot

02:51 - 42.292 and cannon ears and British infantry suffer a terrible defeat

02:51 - 45.962 at what we're now is the Isle of Palms, but was then Long Island as they attempted

02:51 - 49.532 to breach Charleston from the South on Sullivan's Island and are repulsed

02:51 - 53.536 first by the great rifle aimed fire of patriots

02:51 - 58.374 and Catawba Nation warriors who marched down to be part of that fight,

02:51 - 01.744 but also because they don't understand what South Carolina is all about

02:52 - 03.913 and are really treacherous tides.

02:52 - 06.916 So many of them drowned as they're trying to get across and are shot.

02:52 - 10.053 And Charleston then erupts in this celebration

02:52 - 13.723 over the defeat of the British there, the preservation of Charleston.

02:52 - 16.926 And that turns into what becomes every year

02:52 - 19.962 since, except the two years the Charleston was subsequently

02:52 - 23.633 occupied in what's known as Carolina day June the 28th.

02:52 - 26.636 Every year, a celebrated bell ringing, massive celebration.

02:52 - 29.539 And our celebration for 250

02:52 - 33.943 is going to start on June the 27th because it's a Saturday

02:52 - 38.581 and carry through all the way through July 4th for the 250th of Charleston,

02:52 - 43.820 Charlestown, and in similar fashion, to celebrate with arts and entertainment

02:52 - 47.924 and sports and commemorative activities and living history and interpretive things

02:52 - 52.028 and re-enactments, those things that preserve Charleston.

02:52 - 55.098 But that's just a microcosmic piece of the South Carolina story.

02:52 - 57.300 And Charleston, although it was the capital,

02:52 - 59.469 is only a piece of what we're going to celebrate.

02:52 - 02.672 So our Charleston to 50 as a sister city

02:53 - 07.343 will be that week plus long period that ends

02:53 - 10.380 now on calendar wise on the 4th of July.

02:53 - 14.550 But our intent is to spread this across the entire state, each of the 46 counties,

02:53 - 19.288 and to work very diligently into four major what we're calling success.

02:53 - 21.424 And the first is that South Carolina

02:53 - 24.894 and Charleston is recognized nationally, internationally.

02:53 - 29.365 In some cases we have to reinvigorate this in our own citizens at the pivotal role

02:53 - 30.800 that South Carolina played

02:53 - 34.871 in Revolutionary War history as the decisive theater in the Southern campaign

02:53 - 39.742 from 1776 until 1782, which is our war

02:53 - 43.246 and the pivotal role we played in turning the tide of this and ensuring

02:53 - 48.084 the liberties that we all enjoyed ultimately and continue to fight for.

02:53 - 52.422 Second is, is that we get this back indelibly imprinted in our curriculum

02:53 - 57.226 through education and other opportunities and use completely different ways

02:53 - 01.798 to reinvigorate that, not just in schools and lectures and visits to museums

02:54 - 05.568 using virtual and augmented reality storytellers

02:54 - 09.338 and many others to get in amongst our youth to really be able

02:54 - 13.609 to reinvigorate this as a story that needs to be told.

02:54 - 14.177 There's good

02:54 - 17.213 and bad stories that need to be told, and that leads to the.

02:54 - 19.115 The next point is that every South

02:54 - 22.985 Carolinians voice and every Charleston Ian's voice needs to be heard.

02:54 - 26.088 White, black, patriot, loyalist, free, enslaved,

02:54 - 29.425 indentured native man, woman, child.

02:54 - 34.263 Every voice needs to be heard and needs to be continued to perpetuate.

02:54 - 39.702 Long past the 4th of July 2026 and into the Tricentennial and beyond.

02:54 - 42.138 And we're working diligently to do that.

02:54 - 46.909 Governmental, non-governmental private sector of corporate education,

02:54 - 50.847 nongovernmental and nonprofits to pull together all the stakeholders.

02:54 - 53.449 And what I'm trying to say is a big old tent.

02:54 - 56.486 We need to bring everybody into the big old tent and have every voice

02:54 - 00.056 and use this as a springboard to reinvigorate

02:55 - 03.526 what's most important about our independence and this nation,

02:55 - 08.631 and to use that also to create throughout this period and into perpetuity

02:55 - 11.701 economic development opportunities for places in our especially,

02:55 - 15.605 we're a very rural state with the exception of and Greenville,

02:55 - 17.907 a few other cities in between, much like Pennsylvania.

02:55 - 20.910 Everything else in between is very rural, small city, small towns.

02:55 - 23.613 But let's get people off the interstates and go visit.

02:55 - 26.616 We're real people live and work and do it with our partners,

02:55 - 28.918 the National Park Service and so many others

02:55 - 31.821 who are just huge parts of this to really be able to bring this back

02:55 - 36.626 to the forefront and create opportunities for small businesses and small towns

02:55 - 40.363 to really better advertise who they are and what they're all about

02:55 - 41.964 and what America means now.

02:55 - 45.735 And in 2020 and be 2026 and beyond.

02:55 - 48.638 And then lastly is that we continue and don't let this die.

02:55 - 49.906 At the end of the bicentennial,

02:55 - 53.309 I graduated high school in 1976, just happened to be in Washington, D.C.

02:55 - 54.310 in, Northern Virginia.

02:55 - 57.380 And it was very exciting that in the metro opened the two biggest things, I guess,

02:55 - 02.351 and that summer, but that in many cases fell off the edge of the earth.

02:56 - 03.586 Our our celebration.

02:56 - 05.721 And after that, let's not let that happen.

02:56 - 08.724 And we're committed in South Carolina, certainly in Charleston.

02:56 - 10.459 It's not just a getaway for,

02:56 - 13.429 you know, bridesmaid's trips and beach weekends or golf.

02:56 - 15.264 There's much more to South Carolina than that.

02:56 - 18.968 We're very proud to anchor the southern edge of of the United States in this

02:56 - 21.804 and to pull together what's most important that to do it

02:56 - 25.141 with our sister cities and our partnership throughout the United States.

02:56 - 27.877 Well, thank you. They've done a great job.

02:56 - 29.579 We're already in our final 3 minutes

02:56 - 32.481 and they know that I have withering questions for them.

02:56 - 36.285 So they've left me 3 minutes for those. So

02:56 - 37.653 there are a lot of people in this room

02:56 - 41.958 who are planning in communities and towns and cities across the country,

02:56 - 45.795 across Pennsylvania, but all the way to, you know, Hawaii,

02:56 - 50.499 Alaska, South Dakota, Tennessee, where I'm from.

02:56 - 53.636 Any thoughts about challenges that you've faced,

02:56 - 56.839 that you've seen planners or the people that you're working with,

02:56 - 00.309 the community groups that you're working with challenges or anxieties that you have

02:57 - 04.213 about what's coming, that

02:57 - 05.514 they have a few words.

02:57 - 08.117 I mean, it's great for us all to learn from each other.

02:57 - 12.088 So any thoughts about challenges that are on the horizon as you think

02:57 - 16.459 about planning the 2/50 in your city?

02:57 - 17.927 Anyone want to take that one?

02:57 - 20.396 Certainly. I'd be happy to take a crack.

02:57 - 23.299 You know, obviously there's challenges whenever you're planning

02:57 - 25.134 a major milestone right?

02:57 - 28.337 You want to have funding to ensure that your programs shine.

02:57 - 32.475 You also want to ensure that you have the safest experience for every participant.

02:57 - 35.878 And then you've got to work across stakeholders to ensure

02:57 - 39.448 that no matter the region that you're working across, ensure

02:57 - 44.253 that everyone can help co-create what will be a national celebration.

02:57 - 47.189 But There's another challenge that we should also recognize,

02:57 - 50.760 and that's a careful and important one, which is this

02:57 - 54.530 How do we inspire a spirit of celebration

02:57 - 00.202 and a climate when sometimes our nation can feel so fraught?

02:58 - 02.672 And in Philadelphia,

02:58 - 04.607 we really do believe that

02:58 - 07.743 we've got to keep that in our eyes.

02:58 - 11.947 Light but not allowed to give us a reason to not celebrate

02:58 - 14.116 all that brings us together.

02:58 - 18.120 So that's why for our mantra for 2026 or Northstar,

02:58 - 21.490 is to ensure that our city is as welcoming to everyone.

02:58 - 26.228 Because if we are welcoming to everyone, that we can celebrate our diverse paths

02:58 - 28.330 while also uniting

02:58 - 32.234 and the great privilege that we each have to live in this country.

02:58 - 33.803 Sharon, do you have.

02:58 - 37.106 So when I think of the channel, I mean, of course

02:58 - 39.241 everything in Massachusetts is going very, very well.

02:58 - 41.744 So let me just start off there.

02:58 - 46.982 But, you know, it kind of you know, I don't know what the vegetarian

02:58 - 49.085 option for piggybacking is,

02:58 - 54.223 but I will add on to what my brother said in terms of community groups.

02:58 - 55.458 You know, Massachusetts

02:58 - 59.195 was, you know, played a pretty heavy role in the revolution.

02:58 - 02.865 And it wasn't just the city of Boston as much as, you know,

02:59 - 05.601 you know, depending on the day is the center of the universe.

02:59 - 08.037 But for the revolution was not

02:59 - 10.973 you know you've got Lexington and Concord and so many other places

02:59 - 13.075 throughout the Commonwealth that played a really heavy role.

02:59 - 17.513 And so I think part of the challenge is on the funding piece about,

02:59 - 20.750 you know, how we're spreading resources across the Commonwealth.

02:59 - 21.617 I mean, the lieutenant governor,

02:59 - 25.721 I'm sure can can attest to that inappropriate places.

02:59 - 28.758 But then even the part, you know, all of us here have said that

02:59 - 31.560 every part of our community needs to play a role.

02:59 - 33.729 The challenge is how do you make that happen?

02:59 - 39.535 I mean, in the city of Boston, most of our tourists are in the downtown

02:59 - 44.373 area, the seaport neighborhood, our Copley area, Newbury Street,

02:59 - 48.077 which is one of the most prolific streets in the in the country and world.

02:59 - 51.914 And it's very difficult to then convince someone who's staying in

02:59 - 53.749 one part of the city to travel

02:59 - 57.686 20 or 30 minutes in heavy traffic to another part of the city

02:59 - 00.356 so that they can enjoy all the rich cultural

03:00 - 03.726 heritage and vibrancy that our neighborhoods have to offer.

03:00 - 08.097 And so the challenge is how do you get other parts of the city to participate?

03:00 - 10.766 Well, one of the things that we are developing

03:00 - 14.003 right now, we have something called a block party toolkit

03:00 - 16.472 that throughout the summer we give an opportunity

03:00 - 19.842 to all of our residents to have a party, have a block party

03:00 - 23.479 where they are to kind of and liven the whole city.

03:00 - 27.583 And we're transforming these block party toolkits, which Two things come

03:00 - 32.655 with that funding from the city, but also they're prioritized through the

03:00 - 35.758 the inspection and licensing and permitting process.

03:00 - 40.196 Turning these in the to 50 toolkits, providing all of our residents

03:00 - 43.465 the resources and tools necessary to help

03:00 - 46.202 tell the story of their neighborhood, of their community,

03:00 - 50.039 or even of their family or their street, and how they played a role

03:00 - 52.541 in shaping the history of our community and the country.

03:00 - 54.677 And so tons of challenges.

03:00 - 57.079 But we're, you know, working together to address them.

03:00 - 57.947 Thank you very much.

03:00 - 00.549 We'll have to leave it there because we're already over time.

03:01 - 03.552 My last question for them, which you can discuss at lunch, is

03:01 - 07.289 if you could not be in your city for 2026,

03:01 - 10.893 where else would you be? Ooh.

03:01 - 11.927 See what they say.

03:01 - 16.131 Thank you very.

03:01 - 17.299 Where would we be?

03:01 - 19.768 Okay. If you want to see.

03:01 - 29.578 Did you want to send us email?

03:01 - 30.880 And thank you again

03:01 - 35.117 so much to our incredible panelists before we get into the lunch details.

03:01 - 38.087 Just a quick reminder that our keynote speaker

03:01 - 42.491 will at 1150 and after that, we're going to move

03:01 - 46.562 into our breakfast sessions for those who have pre-registered.

03:01 - 51.166 For those of you who have pre-registered, for those sessions, I encourage you

03:01 - 54.937 to explore the rich history that's all around us in Philadelphia.

03:01 - 57.940 And be sure to check out the Visit Philadelphia pamphlet,

03:01 - 01.877 which is provided to you to really help you check out some amazing spots.

03:02 - 05.147 Lunch is in the back of the room and 11:50 a.m..

03:02 - 06.282 We will begin the keynote.

03:02 - 34.343 Thank you so much. And.