In 1976, America celebrated its Bicentennial and commemorated the 200th year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
I was six years old at the time -- too young to understand the potential opportunity for healing these celebrations offered to a nation in the midst of massive social and political upheaval.
In 2026, we will celebrate our next national anniversary of significance -- America's Sestercentennial.
Imagine if we dedicated the next five years to training bridge builders of the civic variety -- experts in the art of active and empathetic listening, able to create space for connection in the presence of conflicting ideologies and unpleasant truths.
WJC embraces this vision as an integral part of our work, inseparable from our goal of using restorative practices like peer mediation to disrupt and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline.
So today, we celebrate the bridge builders and offer a few resources for you to explore while you enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend:
Listen to Relationship Across Rupture
Check out Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship
Happy Fourth of July!
Elissa Barrett, Esq.
Executive Director