Reflecting Forward in a New American Future

I have spent the past two months standing before the Ohio House Education Committee, offering testimony not for recognition, not for fame, and not for any personal gain, but in the name of American history. This year has changed me, not in a radicalized sense, but in a deeper and more determined one. I have come to believe that now, more than ever, we need a national movement that reflects forward, learning from what has shaped us so we can influence the future we deserve.

I testify because I believe that the American story is one of the greatest ever told. Not because it is perfect, and not because it spares us from the truth, but because it shows just how far we have come and how endless our possibilities still are. The American dream has always been something I admired, both through study and lived experience. It can be good, bad, or ugly at times, yet it continues to inspire those who see themselves in its promise. I also know my roots in this story. My Great Grandfather (x3) fought in the Civil War for the ideals of liberty that the colonists first declared in 1776. He fought because the nation had not yet extended its promise to people who looked like him. He fought because some believed his humanity should be denied. That connection grounds me each time I speak on behalf of history.

That grounding was strengthened when State Representative Kevin Ritter, Republican from Ohio District 44, wrote me a note after one of my testimonies that read, “That was outstanding. I was in the back of the room. Thank you for challenging us to understand the entire history.” That encouragement mattered, because it affirmed the purpose behind what I am doing. I testify in the name of those who were never allowed to speak for themselves, and I testify as an advocate for the honest American story. A movement for truthful history will not begin in a rally or in a campaign. It will begin in our classrooms and continue into our statehouses, where we must hold elected officials accountable for the policies they advance about the teaching of history. Teaching history should never be a political act. It should be a remedy for a nation that has too often failed by avoiding truths that are foundational to who we are.

My first testimony this year focused on H.C.R. No.22, a resolution that would require Ohio students to become literate in the Declaration of Independence as we approach the 250th anniversary of the nation. I deeply believe in that goal. I read the Declaration often, including the portion that Thomas Jefferson originally wrote and Congress later omitted, the portion that condemned the slave trade and forced the colonies to face their own contradiction. When I read that part aloud, many people told me they never knew it existed. That moment reminded me that my encouragement to comes from the Declaration itself. The story that led America to independence remains one of the most powerful in human history, even as it withheld its liberty from people like me. A complexity that should be told in totality.

My next testimony challenged H.B. No. 486 titled the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act. I questioned not only the conscience of Ohioans but of Americans everywhere regarding what heritage truly means, who we honor, and why. When we talk about heritage, we cannot ignore the Confederacy. We cannot pretend that the symbols and stories that emerged from that rebellion were harmless. And we must acknowledge that history has shown us how often Christianity was used to manipulate, divide, and justify decisions that harmed human beings. To honor heritage truthfully, we must be willing to confront these realities.

Most recently, I testified on a H.B. No. 326 incorporating the Classical Learning Test, an assessment inseparable from a conservative movement that openly attacks diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many of its founders have mischaracterized the very history they claim to assess, and this raises serious questions about who we trust to craft the tools used to measure our children’s learning. I have had exchanges with members of both political parties throughout this process, some positive and some deeply troubling. Two moments in particular reminded me exactly why I am doing this. When people do not know history, they repeat harmful decisions that impact real lives. We are witnessing that pattern unfold in real time because our society has not yet reached the level of historical literacy our children deserve.

In the spirit of John Lewis, I believe this is how I get into trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble. But I have also realized that advocating for access to the American dream should not be trouble at all. Yet here we are. And when a lawmaker like State Representative Gary Click, Republican from Ohio District 88, confidently claims that the civil rights movement began in Dr. King’s church basement, it becomes clear why this work matters. Moments like that cannot be ignored. They must be corrected, because the cost of letting them slide is too high.

This year has brought fear, anxiety, and sorrow as I have watched the nation divide in new and troubling ways. Yet every time I sit at my computer and look up, I see Harriet Tubman, framed in a picture above my screen. I see persistence, determination, and the kind of faith that reshaped the world. After learning so much about the realities of American slavery, it is difficult to imagine the courage it took for her to go back and forth, gathering people who deserved freedom. But if she could continue her journey, then I can continue mine. I can walk into the Capitol and testify. I can share this journey with everyday citizens who believe in this country not only for themselves but for their children. I can stand with people who believe every child deserves the best education possible. That is why I ask you to join me.

We must hold policymakers in charge of education to the very standards we expect our children to meet. Ohio Revised Code 3313.60 requires mastery of American history & government standards, along with the founding documents of our nation. If we expect this of our children then lawmakers should commit to knowing them as well. This is how we build a historically literate Ohio and a historically literate nation. This is how we shape a society that learns from its past and inspires the next generation to dream of a better future than we could imagine. When we get out of our own way, the ideals of the Declaration can become real for all who are endowed by their creator.

This article is both a reflection and an invitation. It is a curtain call on 2025 and a charge for 2026. I am asking those who believe in the American story, those who believe in the American dream, and those who believe in the truth to join me. Walk behind me, beside me, or even in front of me as we hold America to a higher standard. Use your voice. Write. Speak. Testify. Share what you know and what you have lived. The movement that will shape our future must come from the classrooms and move directly into education committees across this nation. Testimony is a tool of democracy. And we must use it.

I’ll be teaching a lecture series in January 2026 about Reclaiming Patriotism, in honor of the 250^th Anniversary of the Country & invite you to join the fight