The cultural resource I’ve chosen that is representative of the Civic Imagination Project theory is the play/musical Hamilton. Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton’s life in the late 1700s. The play details Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers as the United States’ early political history is being formed. Themes such as love, loss, ambition, forgiveness, friendship, and family are explored.
As the Founding Fathers were white men, this is the lens through which this story has always been taught to us. We think of a time of immense oppression for people of color and women. For African Americans, the mid-1700s saw “new laws and societal norms which linked Africans to perpetual labor, and the American colonies made formal distinctions among its people based on appearance, place of origin, and heredity.”
In the 1700s, particularly in the context of the United States’ early history, the part played by people of color and women was often diminished or not told at all. But in Hamilton, the story of the Founding Fathers is reimagined with a diverse cast. The characters in the play are historically white but they are portrayed by people of color. In this reimagining, people of color are a part of the story and can see themselves in it. The Civic Imagination Project has created a space “where we can explore the political consequences of cultural representations and the cultural roots of political participation,” which is what Hamilton does.
There is also a modern twist as the music combines traditional show tunes with R&B, rap, soul, and hip-hop. This music brings these familiar characters to life in a new way for audiences to witness their humanity. Women also play an active role in the play, such as Hamilton’s wife, Eliza. The final song of the play is called, Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story? In this song, Eliza takes pride in her own story and lists the things she’s accomplished since her husband’s death. She is “at last taking ownership of her story and contributions to a country that largely forgot her.”
The Civic Imagination Project states, “Many minority groups are struggling for inclusion and representation within popular media or to overcome decades of negative stereotyping.” The point of this reimagining is that the story of the United States history belongs to everyone, even those whom America has often forgotten or sidelined. This imagined alternative shows us that systemic change is required to include everyone in America’s story.
We must allow people of color and women the opportunity to tell their stories. A new kind of education should take place where we are told of the roles that people of color and women played in American history. Their perspectives should be heard and valued. We must let them tell their stories and listen when they do so.
There are elements of this reimagining that are reflected in today’s current culture. The diversity of the cast represents the diversity seen in the United States today. Hamilton’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda says, “It’s a story of America then told by America now.” The play also reflects current conditions in the political climate. Hamilton’s rise in popularity came at a time when immigration was a hotly debated issue and President Trump made disparaging remarks about minorities and immigration. Hamilton’s line, “Immigrants, we get the job done,” reflects the history of immigrants in the United States.
Hamilton encourages greater diversity, shows that America’s story belongs to everyone, and reminds us of our immigrant past. It is a cultural resource that’s representative of the Civic Imagination Project.