Crossing into the new year, we arrive at a milestone. During 2026, on July 4, the United States will celebrate its semiquincentennial – which means 250th – anniversary of independence. Big events are planned for Washington D.C., Philadelphia and other historic places. In the midst of it all, the city of Laurel, nestled between Washington and Baltimore, could hold meaningful local civic activities that invite community engagement and personal initiatives.
Our city and its residents could launch 250 service projects throughout the year that tackle local issues such as poverty, environmental stewardship, housing, civic literacy, and other pressing concerns. Make a year-long community calendar with a monthly theme that invites the community to help achieve a goal. Teach citizens to make observations of nature helpful for tracking climate change, as discussed in some of my prior columns.
Our local schools could focus on American history, the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights and our freedoms through podcasts, friendly competitions and exhibitions.
More than fireworks and festivals, we could promote storytelling, sharing personal stories of how generations of Laurel residents have enjoyed the benefits of these freedoms in their way of life and in the practice of their religion.
Above all, this is a personal journey for each one. My first visit to the United States from the Philippines was about thirty-five years ago in 1990 when I was part of a Rotary Visiting Exchange team to West Virginia. Five years later, in 1995, I came back as part of an environmental science tour of many cities across the nation that showcased success in ecological sustainability, sponsored by the U.S. Cultural Attaché in the Philippines.
And then in 1998, I had an opportunity to do my doctoral dissertation for more than a year at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where I met my future husband, Austin. We got married in the Philippines in 2000, and have lived in both Greenbelt and Laurel since then, with our son Joseph, born in 2005.
I became an American citizen in 2004, and I have loved the conservative values of faith, family and freedom in America. As soon as I got a chance, I have actively cast my votes for United States presidents and local leaders. Like me, millions of others from various countries have sought to live these ideals we found in the United States that we could not enjoy to the fullest in other parts of the world.
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, I lived in the era of Martial Law in the Philippines, where freedoms were stifled and tyranny ruled. I also witnessed the historic People Power in the 80s, when millions of Filipinos marched peacefully to the streets and where prayers and rosaries stopped guns and cannons and toppled a dictator. Though these experiences are from a distant past, I sometimes wish we valued more the lessons learned.
Let’s highlight our city’s local history as part of our nation’s larger history. Use our historical sites such as the Laurel Branch Library, the Laurel Historical Society’s museum, Montpelier House Museum, or Main Street as sites for September’s Constitution Day, historical diorama creation, mock town halls, or multicultural music and food showcases. Local artists could participate in making murals, tapestries or quilts of their cultural heritage. Musicians could compose patriotic songs of hope, honor and heroism. Writers could pay tribute to local heroes: firefighters, police, nurses, medical practitioners, veterans, active service men and women, teachers, trash collectors — the many people who make our city beautiful each day.
There won’t be another 250th year. This much-anticipated milestone is more than a once-in-a-lifetime celebration; it is a call to propel our country to not only appreciate what our founding fathers fought for 250 years ago, but also to translate that gratitude into meaningful and concrete preparations for the journey of the next 250 years.
The Laurel Inner Space recommends the following free online resources for brushing up on history: Hillsdale College’s k-12 history and civics curriculum: tinyurl.com/mu4hrd62; PragerU’s videos on the U.S. Constitution at tinyurl.com/46ker7cd; Great Courses on Kanopy (kanopy.com), which are available free through membership with The Laurel Branch Library.