By Kerry Sautner and Louise Dubè
“The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned anew by each generation,” stated the late Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Sandra Day O’Connor.
This is a critical message for us all to remember during Civic Learning Week, March 9-13, the most important week of the year to recommit ourselves to the idea that young people need civic knowledge, skills, and dispositions to sustain the American experiment of self-government. Leaders at every level of our democracy, from the PTA parent to the judge in the courtroom, must model it. We are all part of America’s civic fabric, and as Frances Harper said, “We are all bound up together in one great bundle of humanity.”
This is one of the reasons so many people from around the country and the world are visiting the birthplace of American democracy, Philadelphia, this year — from tourists decked out in red, white, and blue t-shirts to educators from across the country, school groups, and First Amendment fans ready to share their voices on a historic soapbox.
This year, our city stands at the center of a national movement to strengthen the foundations of our democracy. Philadelphia is where Civic Learning Week will kick off with the CLW National Forum, a convening of hundreds of civic leaders, educators, students, and others to answer an important question: What does this historic moment demand of us?
With our city as the jumping off point, schools, organizations, museums, cultural institutions, and public officials will hold events across the country, both online and in person, in communities large and small. We call this a fluorescent moment for civics, with bright splashes of action across the map, which is so important at a moment when trust in institutions is falling, polarization is rampant, and the very civic fabric we are a part of is fraying.
As Civic Learning Week’s official host site, Eastern State serves as both a powerful historic landmark and a national leader in justice education, preserving America’s first penitentiary while advancing public understanding of the criminal justice system and its impact on the lives of those affected by it, to inspire a more just future. By partnering with organizations like iCivics, the nation’s leading provider of civic education teaching resources, we are able to make sure that our message reverberates across the country and resonates with the broadest possible spectrum of people and experiences.
We align not only in our core beliefs about teaching civics, but also in championing our joint missions to empower each rising generation to understand that civic engagement is worthwhile, meaningful, and in their best interest.
We must light a fire in the hearts and the minds of each generation, instilling pride and practice of civic life. Civic Learning Week answers Justice O’Connor’s call for ongoing civic education, which is especially important amid today’s social divisions. Despite our differences, we share more common ground than we realize.
More in Common recently reported that Americans are largely united in their positive views of core civic values such as “freedom,” “community,” and “democracy.” Gatherings like these — large and small, urban and rural, young and old, online and offline — are vital to civic life and civic health. They are a reminder that small is still mighty, and citizen action still matters in our democracy.
Report after report shows that despite our differences, Americans from every side of the aisle believe that we need more and better civic education. Though national politics is sharply divided, we see Americans in their own states putting aside differences to support civics. Since 2021, 33 states have adopted 50 pro-civics policies with bipartisan support.
Join us in celebrating Civic Learning Week, from Philadelphia, the birthplace of democracy and City of Brotherly Love, to classrooms and communities across the nation. Together, we must ignite a passion for civic engagement that inspires future generations. We may not see eye to eye on every issue, but our shared commitment to democracy binds us all.
Kerry Sautner is president and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary. Louise Dubè is the CEO of iCivics.org.