Next 250 – Hundreds gathered in McPherson Square in Washington, D.C., on Saturday—one week before America marks its 250th birthday—for a “people-powered” vision of the future, including performances, community outreach, and a march past the White House with a “We the Peo
The line formed outside a large outdoor stage in McPherson Square, and as the Morgan State University Choir filled the early day with music, hundreds of people began moving through the space with one clear aim: to claim the country’s next 250 years for themselves.
Saturday’s gathering came exactly one week before America marks its 250th birthday. and organizers framed the event as a “people-powered” vision for the future. The program braided speeches. music. and outreach work together. pulling families. volunteers. and coalition members into the same stretch of city pavement as they prepared to march.
“ This is a place where we hope to send a message that America belongs to all of us,” said Linda Sarsour, a national organizer with the Next 250 coalition.
Saru Jayaraman. one of the founders of Next 250. said the anniversary has brought people together in a way political power often tries to resist. “We are much more united at this 250th anniversary than people in power would have us believe,” she told WTOP. Jayaraman added that over the last several years. the coalition has been co-creating a “Declaration of Interdependence” to “declare our independence and our unity.”.
Others echoed the same insistence on unity. Brenda Steele of Arlington, Virginia, said she still believes Americans are “more united than divided.”
Along the edges of the square, the message took a practical form. Outreach ministries offered home-cooked meals and supplies for people who are unhoused. Shaquille Cradell. with Block2Block. described the work in personal terms: “God put this on my heart… not just saying we love you. but showing it.” Joshua Crump. who works alongside her. said. “we’re blessed to be a blessing. ” and wants people to know they’re not forgotten.
David Ayala, who leads a national network of formerly incarcerated people and families, framed participation in the anniversary effort as a demand for a voice in the country’s future. “America’s future can’t be built without us,” he said.
As the day closed, the crowd shifted from gathering to moving. The event ended with a march that carried a giant “We the People” constitution and a Declaration of Interdependence as participants traveled past the White House.
Next 250 McPherson Square White House march 250th birthday Declaration of Interdependence people-powered future Morgan State University Choir unhoused outreach