Jane Kamensky:
We Hold These 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.

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.

(The header photo is an edited version of a draft copy of Thomas Jefferson’s declaration, with edits visible by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, among others.)