As Philadelphia approaches America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, concerns have emerged over the city’s readiness to host a grand celebration. Momentum for the festivities is said to have waned amid the Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges.
Some worry that Philly has missed our chance to showcase the nation’s birthplace in a spectacular fashion. But perhaps it’s a good thing we’re not rushing to unveil a new monument or throw an extravagant party — because this moment calls for something far more meaningful: a focus on people rather than things.
What good are new streets and buildings if we do not also invest in the hearts and minds of the people?
Philadelphia has never been just about the iconography around Independence Mall. It is not only the birthplace of American democracy. It’s a city that has long been at the center of movements for justice and equality. And while much of the city’s energy is already invested in the Philadelphia2035 Plan, a comprehensive strategy to revitalize infrastructure — improving parks, transit and housing — we must ask ourselves: What good are new streets and buildings if we do not also invest in the hearts and minds of the people?
The 250th anniversary is an opportunity not just to celebrate where we have been, but to reshape where we are going.
Look forward, not back
Much like the times in which we live and will celebrate in, we are witnessing a presidency that wields executive orders and other tools of government to take us backward — to the very attitudes that prevailed at this nation’s birth. The belief that only competent White men should lead in public and private life is being reinforced from the top down. But here in Philadelphia, where 65 percent of residents are non-White — the Mayor, City Council President, and Police Commissioner are all African American, and one-fifth of our people live in poverty — we have an obligation to do the opposite.
With the world’s eyes on us in 2026, let’s use this moment to show, not tell, what democracy looks like when it is in the hands of the people who built and sustain this city every day.
The 250th birthday of the nation built here should not be a commemoration of the past, but a rebirth for the future.
We should be writing our own executive orders and legislative directives — not to take America backward, but to ensure the next 250 years are truly inclusive. We should be demonstrating the power of local government — the only government we have in the face of a federal administration waging war on everything progressive. With the world’s eyes on us in 2026, let’s use this moment to show, not tell, what democracy looks like when it is in the hands of the people who built and sustain this city every day.
We don’t need another monument. We need a movement. And Philadelphia, birthplace of a revolutionary nation, is exactly the place to start.
Mazzie Casher is the Executive Director of PHILLY TRUCE, a nonprofit organization launching A Year of Brotherly Action: The People’s 2026.
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CELEBRATING PHILLY AND ITS HISTORY