As the U.S. turns 250, this historian has blunt advice: 'America has to grow up'

The 250th anniversary of U.S. independence is more than a milestone—it’s a moment of reckoning, and historian Eddie Glaude Jr.’s blunt assessment that “America has to grow up” cuts to the heart of a nation still wrestling with its founding contradictions. While celebrations often focus on triumphant narratives of democracy and progress, Glaude’s intervention reminds us that the nation’s identity remains tethered to unresolved tensions: the tension between its ideals and its realities, between the promise of equality and the persistence of inequality. This isn’t just about history—it’s about the present. The U.S. is grappling with deepening polarization, a fraying social fabric, and a global role that feels increasingly uncertain. A bicentennial moment forces a confrontation with whether the country can truly mature or if it will remain trapped in cycles of denial and self-congratulation. Few Americans fully grasp how the nation’s myth-making has obscured its darker chapters. The selective memory of the founding era—centering the Revolution’s ideals while downplaying slavery, Indigenous displacement, and the exclusion of women—has left a legacy of unresolved grievances. These aren’t just historical footnotes; they shape contemporary debates over racial justice, voting rights, and national belonging. Glaude, who has long examined these fault lines, suggests that growth requires confronting these realities head-on rather than papering over them with red, white, and blue nostalgia. What comes next is unclear. Will the 250th anniversary spark a new era of introspection, or will it default to spectacle? The outcome may hinge on whether Americans can move beyond performative patriotism to engage with the harder truths of their past. This moment also intersects with broader global trends—rising authoritarianism, the erosion of democratic norms, and the challenge of redefining national purpose in an era of climate crisis and technological upheaval. If the U.S. can’t reckon with its own contradictions, its influence as a model of democratic resilience may wane just as the world needs it most. Glaude’s warning is urgent: maturity isn’t guaranteed. It must be chosen.