America has always struggled to define what makes us a nation because we weren't founded on shared history or ethnicity, but on shared ideals like freedom and equality. In the 1800s, two competing stories emerged: one saying America belongs to everyone who believes in liberty and equality, and another claiming it only belongs to white Anglo-Saxon people. The first story won during the Civil Rights era, but the second never disappeared and is growing stronger today.
After the Cold War, America focused on global economics instead of national identity, but that approach failed in 2008 and left people confused about what holds us together. Now many Americans wonder if we still share common values. Historians and experts say we urgently need a renewed national story that includes everyone, acknowledges our past mistakes, and strengthens democracy.
Without a believable shared story, countries fall apart because people can't work together effectively. The Nationhood Lab is developing a new American narrative for the 21st century that reflects who we really are as a diverse nation committed to democratic ideals.