Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal starts off with Elliott Drago’s latest interview with another member of the Jack Miller Center’s network of scholars, historian Lindsay Chervinsky. They discuss Chervinsky’s work on the formation of the presidential cabinet, with a focus on her recent book “The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution.” Chervinksy says that we cannot understand Washington, his presidency, or the political battles during his administration “without understanding the central role of his cabinet, how he created the institution, how carefully he selected the department secretaries, or how meticulously he managed the interactions.” Answering Drago’s question about what she wishes everyone knew about American history, Chervinsky says, “The real and messy story is so much more interesting, inspirational, and useful than a version that overly glorifies heroes.” She qualifies her statement by noting that she’s not saying “that we shouldn’t respect and value past leaders” but instead that we should understand “that their contributions are even more impressive when viewed as the actions of fallible people.” Alevda King, the niece of Martin Luther King, Jr., commemorates her uncle on the 60th anniversary of his famous “I Have a Dream Speech.” She writes that the principles to which King spoke in 1963 “are noble” and “deeply rooted in our individual and national character." She argues that “it’s up to the brave men and women in every day and every age to live them out.” King, she contends, understood the principle of natural human equality of the Declaration of Independence, “that we are the one-blood human race, made by the hand of God, all in His own image and likeness.” She concludes by noting that “MLK’s dream is not something set apart from the American Dream” but is instead a positive “vision for all people deeply rooted in the promises that make up America." In the News Yuval Levin, Law & Liberty Caitlyn Meisner, Education Week Julian Adorney, Washington Examiner Vasi Prokos, Fox56 Stewart D. McLaurin, USA Today Robert Curry, American Thinker Jeremy Fuzy, Word&Way Joshua Bowman, Law & Liberty Cari Shane, Smithsonian Magazine Tony Williams, Constituting America Elliott Drago, Jack Miller Center Adam J. White, Wall Street Journal George Hawley, Law & Liberty Tara Suter, The Hill Sofi Hersher Andorsky, Baptist News Global 1600 Sessions Stewart McLaurin, President of the White House Historical Association, welcomed respected author and historian Richard Norton Smith... Bill of Rights Institute How did Martin Luther King, Jr. dedicate his life to equality and justice? In this episode of... CBS News This week marks 60 years since Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his iconic "I Have a... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories It's Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. I hope you had a productive and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. From its late 19th ... Good morning, it's Friday Sept. 1, 2023, the day of the week when I pass along quotations intended to be ... It's Friday, August 25, 2023, the day of the week when I pass along quotations intended to be inspiring or ... |