America at 250: Speakers Reflecting on the Nation’s Story
02 Jul 2026
As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, the moment invites more than celebration. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the ideas, conflicts, leaders, movements, and everyday people who have shaped the nation’s story.
Across 250 years, America’s history has been defined by resilience and contradiction, innovation and struggle, progress and unfinished work. For audiences, this milestone creates space for conversations that look honestly at where the country has been while asking what kind of future we are still building.
These featured speakers bring history to life through documentary storytelling, presidential scholarship, civic leadership, biography, public service, and cultural analysis. Their perspectives help audiences connect the past to the questions shaping American life today.
Featured Speakers for America’s 250th
Ken Burns: American History & Documentary Storytelling
One of America’s most acclaimed documentary filmmakers, Ken Burns offers audiences a powerful lens on the people, events, and stories that have shaped the American experience.
Michael Beschloss: Presidential Leadership & Crisis Decision-Making
Award-winning historian and bestselling author Michael Beschloss brings deep insight into presidential leadership, crisis decision-making, and the lessons history offers for today’s leaders.
Wil Haygood: Race, Culture, & American Stories
Award-winning historian, bestselling author, and journalist Wil Haygood explores race, culture, politics, and pivotal American moments through the lives of figures too often left out of the national narrative.
Robert Watson: American Trials & Turning Points
Presidential historian and author Robert Watson helps audiences understand America’s trials, triumphs, and turning points through engaging stories of leadership, democracy, and national change.
Brad Meltzer: Hidden Heroes & Civic Storytelling
Bestselling author and storyteller Brad Meltzer brings history to life through stories of hidden heroes, civic courage, and the belief that ordinary people can change the world.
David Eisenhower: Wartime Leadership & Presidential History
Historian, biographer, and teacher David Eisenhower offers a deeply personal and scholarly perspective on American democracy, wartime leadership, and the legacy of the 20th-century presidency.
Susan Eisenhower: Strategic Leadership & Foreign Policy
Author, strategist, and expert on strategic leadership Susan Eisenhower brings a distinctive perspective on presidential leadership, U.S. foreign policy, and the lessons of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s legacy.
Dr. Keisha N. Blain: Black History, Justice, & Resistance
Award-winning historian and New York Times bestselling author Dr. Keisha N. Blain examines race, gender, politics, Black feminism, global resistance, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.
Eric Liu: Civic Identity & American Power
Civic leader, author, and democracy advocate Eric Liu helps audiences explore civic identity, American power, and the responsibilities that come with participating in a democracy.
Rye Barcott: Service, Courage, & Purpose-Driven Leadership
Marine veteran, social entrepreneur, and author Rye Barcott speaks on leadership, service, courage, and the work of building trust across difference.
Looking Back, Looking Forward
America’s 250th anniversary is a chance to revisit the stories that shaped the country and consider the responsibilities that come with carrying those stories forward. These speakers help audiences engage with history not as something fixed in the past, but as a living conversation about leadership, citizenship, memory, and possibility.