Historian Eddie Glaude said the U.S. cannot mature if it continues to believe a sanitized, storybook version of its own history [1].
This perspective comes as the U.S. marks its 250th birthday [2]. The timing is critical because the national narrative often dictates who is considered a full member of society, and who is permitted to tell the country's story.
Glaude, a public intellectual and professor, argues that clinging to a mythic narrative obscures the reality of the American experience. He said that this avoidance of truth keeps the nation in a state of adolescence. By ignoring the tragic elements of the past, the country avoids the necessary growth required to address systemic issues.
According to Glaude, a truthful reckoning is the only path toward genuine progress. He said that the dramatic power of understanding the tragic nature of the past is like opening a door to release the nation into being otherwise. This process, he said, allows the country to grow up [1].
The historian suggests that the 250-year milestone [2] should serve as a catalyst for this shift. Rather than focusing solely on celebratory myths, he urges a deeper engagement with the nation's failures and contradictions. This approach seeks to replace a comfortable fiction with a complex truth.
Failure to evolve the national story, Glaude said, ensures that the U.S. remains stuck in a cycle of denial. He believes that true maturity requires the courage to acknowledge historical trauma as a fundamental part of the American identity [1].
“America can’t ‘grow up’ if we believe storybook version of ourselves”
Glaude's argument positions the 250th anniversary not as a celebration of achievement, but as a psychological crossroads. By framing the national identity as 'adolescent,' he suggests that the U.S. is experiencing a collective developmental crisis where the refusal to acknowledge historical trauma prevents the establishment of a more inclusive and stable social contract.
