Eddie Glaude - America at 250 and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, author and scholar Eddie Glaude Jr. asks a deeper question: what stories do we tell ourselves about who we are—and what truths do we leave out?Known for his intellectual rigor and unflinching honesty, Glaude explores the enduring tension between freedom, democracy, and race that has shaped the nation from its founding to today. Drawing from works including Begin Again, We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For, and his forthcoming book America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadows the Nation’s Anniversaries, he examines how national celebrations often expose deeper battles over identity, belonging, and power.In this episode, Glaude reflects on leadership in an era of polarization, the responsibility of confronting history honestly, and whether America can move forward without reckoning with the myths that continue to shadow its past. A timely conversation about memory, truth, and the unfinished American story.