What I hope to accomplish in this work is to build a roadmap of not just philosophy, but behavior based in actions that will slowly turn our individual and collective heads toward something more civilized. Something more aspirationally American. In many respects, we are the best place to aspire to what I propose. I hope to give perspectives that can be used at all ages and for everyone who believes in our better personal, familial, communal, and global selves. I say all

“Am I then more of an American than those who drew their first breath on American ground?” - Alexander Hamilton, 1795 Each year on July 4th the United States celebrates independence for our ancestors who did not draw their first breath on American ground. Eighty-nine years after the declaration of independence was signed, a day of delayed emancipation was celebrated on June 19th (Juneteenth), 1865 for those with ancestors who drew their first breath on the African continent.