Young people reflect on the meaning of America at 250

As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, a project produced by URL Media in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Jersey Cares asked dozens of young people to reflect on what it means to be American and what they hope will improve, The Haitian Times reported on Sept. 20, 2026. The piece, published as a guest contribution, frames the milestone as a moment to 'hold two truths at once' — that America is a great nation and one that still needs work. It examines the country's founding contradictions, noting that men who owned slaves declared liberty for themselves in a nation that took land by force, and argues that acknowledging those wounds is essential. The article situates today's young people within a tradition it traces through abolitionists, suffragists, civil rights marchers and immigrants, describing the American story as 'an unfinished argument.' URL Collective, the nonprofit behind URL Media, states its mission is to educate the public on issues affecting Black and Brown communities in the U.S. and globally. The project was presented in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Human Services and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.