A New American Renaissance
While watching a recent interview with Vice President Joe Biden a particular phrase caught my attention and ignited my imagination. Vice President Biden was discussing America’s prominent and promising stance in the world despite the Republican Party’s attempts to portray the US as a nation in peril who needs to revert backward. The Vice President’s thoughts turned to why America is currently great by citing our economic prowess, institutions and ingenuity. A phrase resonated with me when he went on to say he believes the US is on the brink of an
American Renaissance.
“I plan on doing this year, as I’m doing with you right now, making the case for not only the administration, but making the case why what we’ve done has laid the groundwork for a renaissance in America.
“ You know, you turn on the television, it’s like, “Woah is me! God almighty, we’re awful.” We are so down and out we are — name me a country in the world, name me one leader anywhere in the world who wouldn’t trade places in a heartbeat. We by far, we’re going to own the 21st century.”
- Vice President Joe Biden
I too believe we are on the brink of a 21st century American Renaissance that will transition us into a future that we purposely construct through our shared values, historical wisdom and innovative vision. I found the idea of a 21st century American Renaissance to be an incredibly hopeful, inspiring and profound concept that isn’t just eventually possible, but a major evolution that’s incubating as we speak.
Renaissance — When a region emerges from a dark age and pivots towards enlightenment, filling the culture with intellectual curiosity, philosophy, entrepreneurship and artistic expression.
America has been through its own bouts of dark times and is desperately due for a cultural, political, economic evolution.
America’s changed profoundly in the last 16 years since the dawn of the 21st century. We’ve leapt forward into the information age enlivening our world with the internet, social media and the rapid pace of technological advancements. With innovations in renewable energy, telecommunications, intuitive software and robotics it indeed seems that America, and the world, is charging into the 21st century faster than our society can transition. Our culture is adapting to a hyper interconnected world where people and businesses have more outlets to express their ideas and more tools to actualize them.
In the midst of these transformative changes America’s culture seems to be leaping ahead in certain areas while also clinging to forlorn ideologies of the last century.
America is due for a transformative evolution. A rebirth and revitalization that steers us towards a vision of social equity and sustainability.
We’ve taken over a decade to get acclimated to the new century and new millennium. And as America enters into the 21st century we’ve brought along many of the 20th century’s greatest achievements and some of its most misguided notions. Bigotry, gender inequality, pollution permission, voter suppression, political dysfunction and economic manipulation are issues still being sorted out after decades (or really centuries) of incremental progress and regress.
America needs a cultural awakening that will transfer our reaffirmed values into our economic and political systems. A cultural shift that amplifies our benevolent ethos and engages in courageous discourse against the fear, ignorance and hate that has weighed down our progress.
The term renaissance connotes a surge of enlightenment that transforms societal norms. A modern American evolution of practices and perspectives can bring about reenergized social dynamics and economic engines. America can uphold its foundational purpose as a pioneer of righteous values, intellectual rigor and collaborative perseverance.
The New American Renaissance is the opportunity to make a great shift towards actualizing the ideal of a free, just, spirited community possessing altruistic values. On the brink of so much change, America has the opportunity not to just casually wade into the new century, but chart a visionary course and pioneer a more enlightened, benevolent and sustainable civilization.
There are many thought leaders in business, academia and the public sector who are sculpting the stepping stones needed to reach a rejuvenated and sustainable nation. American leadership must cast a revised vision for an inclusive and collaborative public accord that can foster collective action. Only through collaboration can America cultivate a passionate devotion to a progressive mission.
It is inevitable, in my optimistic view, that America will advance into a sustainable society once sustainability and socio-ecologic responsibility registers as the standard school of thought. Just as green products and sustainable living has grown to be a popular and preferred option for people across America and the world. We can better institute beneficence and sustainability into our culture and teachings as a fundamental pillar of being a quality citizen and human.
Over the progression of the environmental movement it seems only in the past 20, but particularly the past 5–10 years, that sustainability and corporate social responsibility have truly ascended into popular culture. The global community is speaking out and taking action against the threat of climate change generating widespread belief that we can save the planet and improve our lives by revolutionizing how our civilization operates.
There has always been bastions of advocacy groups working to protect the environment and conserve our natural resources. But I think it’s been the increased frequency of severe weather and the extensive scientific evidence that we’re disrupting the Earth’s ecosystems that has led to a global consensus that converting to sustainable systems and sustainable values is a critical transition for humanity. These transitions have been made more appealing with the spreading realization of the interdependency between economic and ecologic wellness and how they fold into our opportunity to literally reinvent and rebuild our world.
This new-found commitment to sustainability is becoming an omnipresent value in business and public life. These sustainable values applied to America’s versatility and ingenuity can properly equip us to design the next century.
Sustainable development, agriculture and energy are the vehicles in which America can launch itself towards an equitable and prosperous 21st century. Rebuilding our infrastructure, food networks, energy systems and business practices will revitalize American communities and bestow opportunity to all who wish to participate in the sustainable transition. Reinvesting in communities, entrepreneurship and social innovation can drive us towards a dynamic and wholesome America. Rebuilding our infrastructure and civic systems with a renewed lens will help us to restore the ignored edges of our country. Our historical negligence can be renounced and a dedication to egalitarianism can arise.
Pivoting towards a sustainability renaissance can open the American perspective, realign our goals and enable us to thrive. As Americans we must unite and charge forward together into a 21st century renaissance that will awaken and empower us to develop a sustainable, equitable and thriving world.
It’s a heavy task but one I’m certain we can accomplish if we work together in a vigilant collaboration of intellectual and manual labor. We can learn from the mistakes of the 20th century and start building the future we want for the 21st. Instead of slowly converting our systems we can commit to a holistic regeneration. Fearlessly designing our world with conscious socio-ecologic economics that generates widespread benefits.
Despite America’s history of entrenched influencers and feudal capitalist practices there is a major nascent sector of nonprofits and social enterprises who are relentlessly charging forward with a practical vision for a sustainable social contract.
Our infrastructure, power grid, manufacturing processes, agricultural networks, environmental justice and economic mechanisms are all areas where empowered innovators and institutions are already paving the path towards a better 21st century. Americans in all strides of life are advancing the progressive and egalitarian ideals that the US was founded on but has not quite actualized. In a hyper internetworked world we’ve never had more opportunity to catalyze a rapid reform of our outdated, inefficient and iniquitous ways of life. The gradual decentralization of information, energy and resources is empowering people to organize, act and impact the dynamics of power. Solar energy, community gardens and online social campaigns are just a few ways decentralization is restoring power to the people while making their towns more resilient and sustainable.
We have a lot of work to do and it won’t be achieved overnight or even over a year. But if we boldly lean forward into the future and unite in a collective effort to reimagine and revitalize our society, we can achieve these vital and monumental goals.
And that’s why I believe a New American Renaissance is on the horizon.
