𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬…

As an Ethiopian who made the United States my home since 1970,  I offer warm congratulations to the United States of America and all Americans from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on the momentous milestone of America’s Semiquincentennial, 250th independence celebration.

Over more than five decades in the US — as a student, blue-collar worker in the service industry, a university professor, and a constitutional and defense lawyer — I have watched America renew itself in the face of extraordinary challenges time and again and wrestling hard with its imperfections. I have been and remain a grateful eyewitness and a reflective admirer of America’s long, unfinished experiment in self‑government and as the land of opportunity.

From the classrooms where I taught to the courtrooms where I argued, I have seen the shining living experiment of American democracy at work: citizens fighting for equal rights and equal opportunity, the impossible becoming possible with the election of the first African American president, new and unheard voices being heard, institutions undergoing extreme challenges yet gracefully adapting, and the “huddled masses and the wretched refuse of the earth yearning to breathe free teeming America’s shores.”

I have also witnessed the dark side of the living experiment of American democracy. I have witnessed abuse of power and discriminatory policing, disproportionate mass incarceration of minorities, and the devastating effects of systemic racism. I have witnessed increasing partisanship and polarization in society driven by the bitter “culture wars” over  reproductive rights,  identity, school curricula, gun control, and religious freedom.

I have seen disinformation and misinformation on social media deepening distrust of institutions and in interpersonal relationships making  consensus nearly impossible. I have seen political campaigns and activism using digital technology to propagate issues and create movements and radically change how ordinary people communicate.

I have witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the US emerge as the world’s sole superpower with massive economic leverage anchored by the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency. I have also witnessed costly military interventions in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran today. Global counterterrorism efforts remain a principal preoccupation and focus of US foreign policy.

When I arrived in the US in 1970, the federal budget deficit was $2.8 billion. Today, it is 40 trillion.  I have witnessed the transformation of the U.S. economy from an industrial and manufacturing base to a digital and service-oriented powerhouse. The process has been  characterized by deindustrialization, globalization, the rise of the Information Age, and AI-powered manufacturing.

I have seen these changes eroding many traditional manufacturing jobs, contributing to regional decline such as the Rust Belt and rising inequality. There have been political and social fissures over trade and immigration, demands for expanded social programs, reductions in defense spending and deregulation and tax cuts. The cost of housing, education, and health care has outpaced income growth for many, fueling anxiety about mobility and the “American Dream.” The administrative state has expanded in scope, generating intense and sustained debates over federal power, regulation, and states’ rights.

𝐘𝐞𝐭, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲, 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝.

The U.S. remains the most multiethnic and multiracial society on earth with a unique social fabric woven on individualism and driven by the ethos of the American Dream of achieving material success and personal fulfillment through hard work and determination regardless of one’s origin. The US has an open culture and leads the world in cultural output, with American music, films, and television distributed worldwide.

On this 250th anniversary, I celebrate not only the remarkable achievements of July 4th — liberty enshrined, a culture of innovation, and a generosity of spirit that has welcomed so many — but also with great hope and expectation that comes with progress and prosperity.  I honor the great triumphs of the past two and one-half century and call for extraordinary efforts to fulfill the longstanding constitutional promise of forming a more perfect union. That commitment, shown by millions of Americans very day, fills me with infinite hope, confidence, faith and optimism.

𝐀𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦, 𝐈 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐰, 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲. 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚’𝐬 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐰.

𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫, 𝐈 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞: 𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫, 𝐈 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

The 19th century British prime minister William Gladstone, in the spirit of the approaching centennial of the signing of the American Constitution, wrote that the US Constitution is “the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.” I wholeheartedly concur.

President Abe Lincoln in his Second Annual Message to Congress in 1862, in the context of giving freedom to the slave and preserving the union, declared, “We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.” He used the phrase to describe the United States and its democratic experiment as a unique global model for liberty and the preservation of American ideals for future generations. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝, 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his 1956 speech, “The Birth of a New Age” imagined a future for America he called the “Beloved Community.” That community requires a major shift in human understanding and compassion. It meant looking beyond external differences to see the union of all people, all humanity. It also meant finding a way to deal with our grievances without hatred, peacefully and in a way that recognized the interconnectedness of all humanity and allows us to move forward together as brothers and sisters.

On this 250th anniversary, my congratulations come with unbridled hope. May the United States continue to draw strength from its diverse peoples, to refine its institutions by hard, honest conversation, and to lead not only in technology and commerce but in upholding the dignity and rights of all humanity.

𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐔𝐒–𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲, 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞. 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬  𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚.

𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟑-𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞, 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐈 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐧𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝.

In the concluding paragraph of his First Inaugural Address, President Lincoln said, “I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

So, it shall be!

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝟐𝟓𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝.

𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍! 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐏𝐈𝐀 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!