# America at 250: A Historian's Wake-Up Call for Parents
Historian Eddie Glaude Jr. uses America's 250th birthday as a moment to examine who we are as a nation. His new book, "America, U.S.A.," analyzes the country through its past anniversaries and centennials. Glaude's verdict is direct: America needs to mature.
"The divided soul of the nation is in full view," Glaude observes. He's pointing to real fractures in American society that parents and educators see daily in schools and communities. These divisions shape the world our children inherit.
Glaude's historical perspective matters for families. When we look back at previous national milestones—the centennial in 1876, the bicentennial in 1976—we see patterns of how America has grappled with its identity. The 250th anniversary offers another inflection point, another chance to reckon with what we claim to be versus what we actually do.
For parents, this translates into tangible concerns. How do we teach kids about American ideals when the nation itself struggles to live up to them? How do we foster civic engagement when institutions feel broken? Glaude's work suggests the answer isn't denial or cynicism, but rather honest reckoning.
The "growth up" Glaude calls for isn't abstract. It requires confronting hard truths about inequality, power, and competing visions of what America should be. It means having difficult conversations at the dinner table. It means helping children understand complexity instead of simplistic narratives.
Parents navigating these waters can draw from Glaude's approach: use history as a teacher, not a weapon. Show kids that America has always been in tension with itself. That's not a bug in our system; it's the ongoing work of a