Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Learn more about this program online here: villagesquare.us/event/truths
In this 250th year since the Declaration of Independence was signed, the American idea—an idea that has changed a whole world around it—finds itself under extraordinary pressure. As the Declaration’s author, Thomas Jefferson has gifted us with both breathtaking credal words and a life lived so firmly in contradiction to their meaning that we cannot possibly look away. Our very special UNUM guest, Dr. Jane Kamensky, has made history her life’s work as the President & CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. She calls our founding idea “leaky,” as people of every color and creed both in America and in unfree corners of the globe heard this big idea 250 years ago and believed it could also be for them.
View the full UNUM series here: villagesquare.us/series/unum
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The “UNUM: Democracy Reignited” series is funded in part by the Federation of State Humanities Councils with support from the Mellon Foundation and Florida Humanities. It is also part of “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250,” a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. This initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or its partnering organizations.
Learn more about this program online here: villagesquare.us/event/truths
In this 250th year since the Declaration of Independence was signed, the American idea—an idea that has changed a whole world around it—finds itself under extraordinary pressure. As the Declaration’s author, Thomas Jefferson has gifted us with both breathtaking credal words and a life lived so firmly in contradiction to their meaning that we cannot possibly look away. Our very special UNUM guest, Dr. Jane Kamensky, has made history her life’s work as the President & CEO of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. She calls our founding idea “leaky,” as people of every color and creed both in America and in unfree corners of the globe heard this big idea 250 years ago and believed it could also be for them.
View the full UNUM series here: villagesquare.us/series/unum
_______
The “UNUM: Democracy Reignited” series is funded in part by the Federation of State Humanities Councils with support from the Mellon Foundation and Florida Humanities. It is also part of “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250,” a series of community-driven programs created by humanities councils in collaboration with local partners. This initiative was developed by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or its partnering organizations.
