I spent the first week of this month walking the streets of Philadelphia, Pa., the United States’ second national capital and home to historic attractions like the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. On my group’s third day in Philly, we visited the National Constitution Center, which featured exhibits on the Articles of Confederation and the 27 amendments.
Standing under a spotlight on the floor of the center’s rounded theater, a narrator gave an emphatic 15-minute presentation on American idealism as projectors displayed images and videos showcasing the apparent progress our country has collectively made toward the principle represented in the phrase that begins the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: “We the people.” Mulling over her words, I felt the spark of patriotism renew in my spirit, only for it to be tempered by the crushing realization that we still have a long way to go before those words are fully actualized.
The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, pictured here inside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., harbors an inclusive message that is not fully embraced by all Americans today, Nate Schumann writes. Photo by Nate Schumann ” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-46362″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/National-Constitution-Center1_cred-Nate-Schumann-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px” data-recalc-dims=”1″>The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, pictured here inside the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pa., harbors an inclusive message that is not fully embraced by all Americans today, Nate Schumann writes. Photo by Nate Schumann
“We the people” encompasses people of all ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, and sexual orientations. But our country is not nearly as inclusive as it needs to be for those three words to ring true. Worse yet, just hearing the term “inclusivity” causes people of certain political persuasions to scoff and roll their eyes. Some legislators and local leaders have even been working to remove programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion—either in language or in function.
Despite statistics concluding that Americans are becoming more empathetic, tolerant and progressive with each generation, certain factions of people—a
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