| Last week’s curation at RealClear’s American Civics portal opens with a piece from David Bruce Smith, the founder of the Grateful American® Foundation and co-founder of the Grateful American® Book Prize. He argues that a focus on STEM has led to the withering away of civic knowledge among students. “Most people, for example, do not know the philosophical roots of the Declaration of Independence, their rights as laid out in the Constitution, or the civic virtues their teachers should have taught them,” Smith writes. In the 2020-21 academic year, he reports that “18 of the top 25 public universities did not have a wide-ranging American history requirement for students seeking a B.A. in history.” He concludes that the U.S.’s failure to inculcate an “informed civic participation compromises the country.” Institutions of higher education must “embrace their obligation to address the crisis in civic education.” At RealClearPolitics, Jefferey Anderson writes about the American Freedom Train, which “was a centerpiece of America’s glorious Bicentennial celebration.” And the person behind it? None other than the great American actor, John Wayne. Anderson reports that the train was a tremendous success, traveling “to all 48 contiguous states,” stopping 138 times, and “had an average of more than 50,000 visitors board at each stop.” Visitors got to see key objects from the American story including Paul Revere’s saddlebags, George Washington’s copy of the Constitution, the actual Louisiana Purchase document, Abraham Lincoln’s top hat, Babe Ruth’s bat, and John F. Kennedy’s handwritten copy of his inaugural address. This was enough more to fill 12 display cars, Anderson adds. Though planning for the 250th anniversary celebration of America remains “woefully far behind,” Anderson notes that a sister engine of the American Freedom Train could be resorted and put back on the tracks in time for 2026. In the News Annenberg Public Policy Center Cumberbatch & Levin, RealClearPolitics James Fite, Liberty Nation Yuval Levin, American University Kelley Griffin, NCSL Andrew Moran, Liberty Nation Anna Spiegel, Axios Elliott Drago, Jack Miller Center Richard Alan Ryerson, Law & Liberty Casey Chalk, The Federalist Dave Patterson, Liberty Nation Andy Kessler, WSJ David Bruce Smith, RealClearAmericanCivics Stanford Report Michael Auslin, Law & Liberty National Constitution Center On May 15, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of... Meet the Press NBC News Chief Data Analyst Steve Kornacki on "Meet the Press" walked through a new NBC News... Carl Cannon's Great American Stories Happy Earth Day, everyone! Today is the 55th anniversary of the home-grown American celebration. It's not a federal holiday, but ... Even if one considers Ibram X. Kendi's "antiracism" schtick an Orwellian scam, Robin DiAngelo's "white fragility" idiotic, and the whole "diversity, ... One of the joys of my childhood was exploring Yosemite National Park with my father. Anyone who has ever been ... | 