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- 5SR - July 4, 2023
Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.
Declaration of Independence (National Archives)
For as long as I can remember, I’ve read the Declaration of Independence on July 4th. In my earlier years, it was something I did on autopilot, rattling off the more famous phrases aloud ('we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’), skim over the authors’ list of grievances of King George III, and marvel over the final words: “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.”
I read the Declaration yesterday for the purposes of 5SR, but I found myself sitting with these final words for a bit longer, as I feel like we’ve forgotten about the mutual pledge our founders - who were as partisan as today’s leaders are - made to one another.
I think we take this document and its history for granted today, assuming that these gentlemen came together in Philadelphia over 250 years ago, agreed to Jefferson’s eloquent words, signed with a flourish and launched a five year war for our independence. The musical 1776 (it’s touring right now and this production is not to be missed!) remains a powerful reminder of how messy the founding of our country was, that we have never agreed but ultimately found compromise that allowed us to inch forward to the shining city on a hill.
These are both unprecedented and precedented times, but let’s focus on the latter. The loudest voices have nearly always been the most extreme, the quiet ones are those working to find compromise, progress is maddeningly slow and messy while feeling like a rapid pendulum.
I will always continue to fight for the country that gave my family the opportunities only these United States could give them. I also urge them to remember that the civil rights movement is the reason for the reason we are Americans and to stand with those that fought for us. I know that until all of us are free, none of us are free - and we have work to do.
“You Can’t Actually Blow Up the White House”: An Oral History of ‘Independence Day’ (The Hollywood Reporter)
Another 4th of July tradition is to watch Independence Day, a tradition I’ve held since my 13th birthday when the VHS was finally available for purchase (I think the tape and its holographic cover is still at my parents’ house).
Yes, it’s cheesy. Yes, the technology shown in the film now feels ancient. And yes, it’s still an excellent watch, if only to remind us of how remarkable humankind is and what we are capable of.
I’m fairly certain I’ve shared this on 5SR before, but this oral history of the film is worth revisiting. The cast’s chemistry is still one of the best I’ve ever seen, and reading the details on how they met and forged friendships is really special (and should be required reading for anyone who manages a team - some great lessons here).
The American Dream and the American Negro (New York Times Archive)
James Baldwin’s seminal quote is one I think about a lot:
“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.”
Baldwin’s work continues to ring true, decades after its original publication. “The American Dream and the American Negro” could’ve been written today. I encourage you to read it and reflect on Baldwin’s words today.
I’ll leave you with this quote, which I wish everyone truly reads and processes before they speak or post on social about America today:
“One of things the white world does not know, but I think I know, is that black people are just like everybody else. We are also mercenaries, dictators, murderers, liars. We are human, too. Unless we can establish some kind of dialogue between those people who enjoy the American dream and those people who have not achieved it, we will be in terrible trouble. This is what concerns me most. We are sitting in this room and we are all civilized; we can talk to each other, at least on certain levels, so that we can walk out of here assuming that the measure of our politeness has some effect on the world.”
My Summer Reading (The Isolation Journals with Suleika Jaouad)
There’s a profound loneliness in modern life, and technology is a large (though not the only reason why). Instead of striking up random conversations with strangers or being fully present in a conversation, we scroll in search for the intense dopamine hit that makes us feel something in increasingly numbing times.
When I feel out of sorts, I force myself to turn on the Forest app on my phone (if you exit the app while the timer is active, you “kill a tree”) and pick up a book. I call myself a promiscuous reader - I read every format (physical, eBook, audiobook) and every genre (I’m most vocal about my love for romance novels). I love reading about reading, and Suleika Jaouad’s book and newsletter are longtime favorites.
I also love reading about reading, and was drawn to her personal reading process (more disciplined than mine - I’m an agent of chaos). I can personally endorse two of the titles on her summer reading list (Empire of Pain and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow), and loved reading about my friend Pooja’s summer in Rome during a time of transition - for her personally and for the world.
Choosing to be optimistic about the American experiment is a hard choice, particularly when the news would have you think our nation is on the brink of collapse.
And make no mistake - much of Fareed Zakaria’s words on the American experiment feel alarming:
“What has happened in America, ever since the onset of the primaries in the 1960s, is we have eviscerated the political parties and empowered all kinds of non-party actors — from the candidates themselves to the rich — through fundraising processes. And the effect of that has been that the parties have gotten hollowed out. So the political system has become one run almost entirely by small fringes that occupy the extreme wings of the party.”
But there’s also sparks of hope that Zakaria points out, and that I also see. I see the engagement of Gen Z and Generation Alpha that surpasses my own generations’ at their age. I see the rise of nonprofit newsrooms committed to publishing underreported stories and under-representated perspectives. I see myself represented in shows, films, and books - and those works being celebrated by a diverse group of people.
Things are bad. Those who oppose the inherent American values of freedom would have us give up and accept what has been ruled by an illiberal minority in the judicial branch of our government. I see the need to dig in and prepare for a long fight ahead - one I know we will win.
The arc of history is a long one, and as long as we stay in the fight, it bends towards justice.
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