In This Issue
What We’re Reading
What We’re Seeing
What We’re Listening To
This Month at MCAAD: Hall of Dreams Ceilings Revealed
Team Growing
Happy July! For many, this month is the epitome of patriotic celebration, with parades, picnics, and fireworks. (Our buildings have the best view in Washington of the fireworks over the National Mall. Stay tuned for pictures in next month’s newsletter.) Like the phrase American Dream itself, patriotism can mean different things to different people but shares a common goal—for this country to live into the goals and aspirations of its founding. The holiday of July 4, American Independence Day, is a good time to reflect on how we can, individually and collectively, work toward these goals.
When my children were small, we started a tradition of watching the 1972 movie version of the Broadway musical 1776 every July 4. Campy yet strangely affecting, the movie takes place over a few days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With Blythe Danner, Ken Howard, William Daniels, and a great cast of old-school heavyweights, a playful, catchy score, and a few scenes that are quite moving, it’s a great watch on a hot afternoon. It is also a good reminder that the founders of this country, seeking a better way to govern and live, knew they might not live up to the ideals of the democracy they established. Yet they pursued it. We, too, should continue to advocate for the principles of independence, fairness, and democracy that they, and many others who came after them, fought for. As highlighted below, concrete ways to invest in the future of this country include committing to public and military service, supporting the democratic electoral process, and engaging in civil discourse with others about important issues that impact us all.
Let this month inspire us to invest in increasing opportunity for all to pursue a life of meaning and fulfillment, the very embodiment of the American Dream.
Rachel Goslins
Executive Director
Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream, Milken Institute
What We’re Reading
The following excerpt from a letter, from the National Park Service, written by Founding Father John Adams to his wife Abigail on July 3, 1776, shows the emotions felt during the momentous occasion marking the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America.
“The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” [sic]
Adams believed that July 2, 1776, would be the date to mark and celebrate our Declaration of Independence, as that was the day the Continental Congress voted for independence. However, the Declaration itself had only been proposed in draft form by the Committee of Five—John Adams, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. It took two more days of editing before the full Congress could agree on the text, at which point it was sent off on July 4 to the printer, John Dunlap, which is why the final version has that date.
What We’re Seeing
Although the holiday offers many of us a chance to take a break from work to watch a movie or spend time with our families, it isn’t a day off for all. Recreation and frontline employees will be helping visitors, law enforcement officers will be working to keep everyone safe, and wildland fire personnel will be on guard for wildfires. This note from the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service is a great reminder to appreciate our community members who work to keep us safe. The contributions of National Service programs have shaped the American Dream throughout history. Our panel at the 2021 Milken Institute Global Conference, “National Service as a Springboard to the American Dream,” discussed the potential benefits of an expanded national service program for young Americans. The discussion delves into the benefits that the public service experience brings to those who participate.
Speaking of our nation’s youth, a new poll from the Sine Institute of Policy & Politics at American University asks what the American Dream actually means for young Americans, who are trying to sort through complicated dynamics shaping their lives, including technological innovation, major economic transitions, changing attitudes about social justice, and what constitutes a “good” or “successful” life. And all of this is in the context of a devastating global pandemic with profound impacts on their physical and mental health, the extent of which is still unknown.
The project found that the reimagined American Dream for today’s young Americans is one of both continuity and change. The core elements include feeling happy and fulfilled, having the freedom to make important life decisions, having meaningful personal relationships, and being financially successful. More traditional elements like owning a home, getting married, and having a family are important but not top-tier priorities.
What We’re Listening To
On July 4, 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta titled “The American Dream.” In his sermon, King examines the meaning of the term, saying, “America is essentially a dream. It is a dream of a land where men of all races, of all nationalities, and of all creeds, can live together as brothers.” Listen to the original audio from his powerful speech on YouTube, which reminds us that the opportunity to pursue one’s Dream should be equal, realistic, and accessible to everyone.
This Month at MCAAD: Hall of Dreams Ceilings Revealed
As we draw toward finishing the restoration of our incredible historic spaces, we are delighted to see more of their grand classical revival details revealed. This week, we got our first glance at the ceilings in our 1501 Pennsylvania Avenue bank building, which had been covered up for the past several years to complete renovation work. To a large extent, this space maintains the architectural features from a 1932 renovation. It is finished in a variety of marbles and has an exuberantly decorative ceiling. There are more than 100 ornate rosettes painted with blue, white, and gold trim, and three decorative octagonal panels surrounding each one. This incredible ceiling will grace the interior above our interactive Word Cloud installation.
During the renovations of our bank halls several years ago, our construction team discovered a small note behind a plaster pediment in the ceiling, signed by John Kernekin on August 18, 1953. It identifies Kernekin as a “painter,” “decorator, and foreman” on the project, working for Edward W. Minte Co. on interior decoration. Check out this post from our blog that sleuths out the fascinating American Dream story behind one of the painters who worked on this iconic feature of the building.
Team Growing
Bethany Morookian Bentley with Commander John Herrington, the first enrolled citizen of a Native American tribe to fly in space. They are pictured here after the dedication of the Smithsonian’s National Native American Veterans Memorial in 2022. Credit: Matailong Du
This month, Bethany Morookian Bentley joined the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream as the senior director of external affairs. Bentley previously led communications at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery.
In each of her roles, she has been a strong leader who has worked to amplify messages and raise the profile of museums in various ways. She also has experience working with heads of state, presidents and first ladies, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, leaders of Indigenous nations, diplomats, embassies, artists, civil rights leaders, celebrities, Fortune 500 companies, and more.
At our Center, she will lead the work to introduce us to the public as we approach opening, build out our website, and develop our public programs and partnerships program. We are excited to have her on board!