As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, historian and Princeton professor Eddie Glaude Jr. expresses a deep feeling of rage. In his new book, America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries, Glaude opens with a striking declaration: ‘I do not love America, and never have, especially now.’
Glaude highlights the US Supreme Court’s actions that have undermined the Voting Rights Act and recent redistricting efforts that pose a threat to Black representation in Congress. ‘What I was trying to do with this book was kind of write some security underneath my feet. So that I could actually get this rage under control, to get my sadness, my melancholy under control,’ he explains.
The book examines the anniversary celebrations and centennials across American history. Glaude observes that the nation’s divided identity is visible today, as in the past. As the 250th anniversary approaches, he emphasizes the need for the nation to confront its failures to honor its founding principles: ‘America has to grow up. It can no longer hide in its adolescence. America imagines itself at once as a beacon of freedom and as a white republic. And to hold those two things together … deposits the kind of madness at the heart of the country.’
Interview Insights
On the book’s opening sentence: Glaude reflects on the difficulty of starting the book. He initially struggled with the introduction and felt he was holding something back. Eventually, the bold opening line emerged, and he decided to embrace its honesty, starting the book on a sincere note.
Significance of anniversaries: Glaude believes that each anniversary is a moment for the United States to craft a narrative about itself and its founding. He urges people not to focus solely on surface-level events but to critically examine the deeper stories being told about the nation’s history and its founders.
Patriotism: Glaude discusses his perception of patriotism, which can sometimes feel like an exclusionary or aggressive sentiment. He questions who promotes this view of patriotism and their intentions.
Storybook version of America’s founding: Glaude recounts a tour of Philadelphia’s Congress Hall where the guide simplified historical conflicts. The guide mentioned a regional conflict in Congress as a disagreement over shaking hands versus bowing, which seemed to gloss over deeper issues like slavery. This seemed to Glaude an oversimplified, storybook version of history.
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