Widening the Lens: How the Landscape of Our First Civic Season Emerged
By Made By Us teammate, Kaz Brecher
A Non-Binary Approach to History?
As arguments are made about whether our nation is defined by 1619 or 1776, those of us committed to sharing a more complete picture of our history know it’s both — and historical thinking is anything but a binary exercise. The truth is that we are defined by everything honored during Juneteenth and celebrated on July 4th — AND what is commemorated on Memorial Day and Flag Day and the signing of the 26th Amendment — and even more which is not yet formalized as part of our national celebrations.
So, when the Civics Unplugged and Made By Us teams joined forces to launch a new tradition, one that widens the lens on how we might observe a Civic Season, we rolled our sleeves up with delight. In the spirit of a more inclusive telling of the American story, we hosted three conversations to uncover themes around this season with a mix of Civics Unplugged fellows, civic change makers from our #MBUMonday series, and historians from across our coalition of more than 100 institutions.
We used the Socratic Dialogue format, because, in its very design, the gathering itself becomes an inclusive experience grounded more in the process than the outcomes. As the sessions unfolded, we were reminded that using our personal experiences as an entry point is a powerful way to create fresh collective understanding.
A Socratic Dialogue is not a debate, a results-oriented conversation nor a discussion; it is not about finding a single answer or winning an argument (even a Better Argument, like the one we held with the Aspen Institute). It is about reaching a form of consensus through exploration — and, above all, about the shared learning journey itself. So, both the process and the outcomes offer ways to deepen historical connection and reflection and can become a springboard that turns civic responsibility into civic opportunity!
Elizabeth Barrett Sullivan, a Curator of Exhibits at the Arab American National Museum, shared, “I really enjoyed being a part of the discussion with the students. They left me with a lot to think about and reflect on as we work with young people and formulate strategic plans for programming in the future. The Socratic Dialogue format was especially enjoyable as it allowed all of us to speak and reflect as we went along, slowly building off each other’s ideas and comments, and circling back around where appropriate. It made me feel like we were getting to know each other even though we only had a short time together, and I think the nature of the dialogue format forced us to be engaged, active listeners as well as participants.”
This format centers around a fundamental, philosophical question or topic but proceeds to unpack the nuances instead of distilling down into a soundbite definition. We examined independence, celebration, and interdependence in the context of July 4th. The themes which surfaced were captured by a graphic visualizer as an expression of the landscape we’re exploring throughout Civic Season, as a starting point and an invitation to include more voices and stories.
The themes and concerns, lived experiences and insights, which emerged from these hours of exploration formed the foundation of how the planning team from Made By Us and Civics Unplugged designed this inaugural Civic Season. Issues from immigrant experiences to indigenous land rights became springboards for how we might rewind to look back, reflect on the present moment, and reimagine possibilities for our future. We began mapping programs and resources to these themes, so that anyone and everyone can follow the threads starting with their own family history as it has been woven into the fabric of our complex national story.
Tina Menendez, the Director of Education at the HistoryMiami Museum reflected: “In Teaching to Transgress, bell hooks says that creating conditions in order ‘to teach in a manner that respects and cares for the souls of our students is essential if we are to provide the necessary conditions where learning can most deeply and intimately begin’ — I believe that the Socratic Dialogue creates a space for that intimate learning for all involved. So many of our youth are deprived of their humanity daily. They also have so much joy and wisdom to share — they were incredibly engaged, shared their truths, and pushed back during our discussion. We must create spaces that center our youth and genuinely support them where they are and with what they need.”
Made By Us endeavors to offer history as fuel for shaping the future collectively, so that we the people, working together, might indeed form a more perfect union. For that to happen, we need to ensure that everyone feels safe and welcome. And, while the Socratic Dialogue format itself supports inclusion, it’s worth noting that we still began each session getting agreement on what amounts to a code of conduct. Our go-to suggestions are summarized as: Get Curious and Stay Humble; Learn From Our Differences; Embrace Complexity; Acknowledge Facts; and No Room for Hate.
Jennifer Richeson, a psychologist at Yale, has called inclusion “the democratization of discomfort.” And, for many new to this kind of bridge-building or participatory democracy work, it’s important to underscore that de-humanizing folks in dialogue cannot be part of a learning journey. Creating truly brave space has a profound and immediate impact on our ability to connect. One of the high school participants reflected, “spaces can be so competitive and it’s really tough…but when you have to just be yourself, and that is all that is expected of you, it’s a refreshing space to enter…to juxtapose this experience with school just a few hours ago, too. It’s really cool to be able to have these conversations in a form where, even though it’s over zoom…the ability to like feel recognized and feel like your voice is there, that other people are listening, is really cool.”
So, even as cultural tensions continue to rise, there is reason to hope. The American Historical Association and Fairleigh Dickinson University, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, are about to publish a new national survey of people’s understandings and uses of the past. The study reveals the tensions around racial violence and political fears as well as commonalities and paths forward, if we’re courageous enough to embrace them. Time magazine reports, “Asked whether it was acceptable to make learners uncomfortable by teaching the harm some people have done to others, over three-fourths of respondents said it was. That breakdown largely remained, across age groups, college education, gender or geographic location.”
There is definitely room for all our stories
In that spirit, Civic Season offers a perfect entry point for exploring some of these more challenging yet hopeful aspects of our democracy. With hundreds of programs, DIY activities and resources, you can dive in whether you have a few minutes or are seeking a community to support your civic spirit over a lifetime. You can get started right away by hosting your own Socratic Dialogue using our guide on what matters most to you — with family at a picnic, with far-flung friends over Zoom, or through a community organization like your library. We’d love to hear what surfaces, as the many voices contributing this year will shape Civic Season for years to come. Use the hashtag #CivicSeason or share outcomes of your conversations with us at civicseason@gmail.com.
If you prefer to dive into these topics with people new to you, join us on Clubhouse, where we’ll be co-hosting two public dialogues with Jason Steinhauer of History Club on June 3rd and June 17th. We’ll dig into questions like “is ‘We the People’ possible without ALL the people?” and “What does freedom mean to you?” with historians and folks from around the country. TheCivicSeason.com will launch on June 1st, with opportunities ranging from the Japanese American National Museum’s “Stronger Together: Black Liberation and Asian Solidarity” exhibit to Vote By Design’s musing on why “Amanda Gorman is not only an inspiring poet, but a civic futurist.” Until then, we invite you to join us in creating this tradition — register today to be notified when we’re officially live.
“Several educators at our institution act on the urgency and honesty of James Baldwin when he stated, ‘American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it,’” recounted Orlando R. Serrano, Jr., Ph.D., the Manager of Youth and Teacher Programs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History. And, though he works with the young people every day, he was struck by the candor and accountability of our sessions. “We understand that history is not the study of the past, but the study of change over time. We are living through enormous change and upheaval — seemingly on a daily basis. Our Socratic Dialogue was encouraging in that the younger participants shared their beliefs that if we could think about both our collective past and present honestly and inclusively, this would be a step in the right direction. I learned that there are wonderful young people around the country engaged in their communities, already making change and making history. I hope that in time, thanks in part to their work, there will be more beauty and less terror to share in the story of the United States of America.”
The Civic Season is made possible thanks to the generous support of Marcia Carlucci, Jacqueline B. Mars and AMERICAN HERITAGE® Chocolate.
To power a better tomorrow, it’s never been more important to harness lessons from the past. History has been unevenly written and unevenly shared, but even if we never arrive at a singular “truth” or telling of our story, it is our aim to do better, to make the tent bigger, to understand a more multifaceted perspective. Made By Us is a beacon, a collective effort and guiding force that provides historical context and perspective to inspire action. We use our Medium presence as a forum for exposing more of our process, our perspectives, and the people doing the day-to-day work behind our projects.
