Captain America | July 4, 2021

Symbols speak loudly, raising to a visible level the language of a collective unconscious. When Marvel set out to tell the story of Sam Wilson, a Black American man who Steve Rogers chose as the next Captain America, they (and Disney) chose something important to convey, something I encourage us to consider this 4th of July: What is America? Who is America? Who isn't? What is the dream of America? We often use the phrase "the Founders" to describe those who fought for American independence. But there have been other Founders, often forgotten or erased from national self-understanding: those who built this land as slaves and those who, today, dedicate their lives to extending the circles of belonging in America. Today is for all the Founders, none of whom are undeserving. Our Captain America says it just right, mythic tone and all: "You people have just as much power as an insane god or a misguided teenager. The question you have to ask yourself is: how are you going to use it?"

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