What a call to service could look like during a pandemic

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Steven Senne/AP

What a call to service could look like during a pandemic

John Bridgeland

,

Former White House Domestic Policy Council Director

Tim Shriver

,

Founder, Unite

We have heard presidents calling on the American people to give back to their country. Today, the U.S. faces a crisis unlike any in living memory: a global pandemic that is changing how we live..

More from the Historical Inspiration Collection

Bridging Divides

"What, to the slave, is the fourth of July?"

Frederick Douglass shared that the Fourth of July may have certain meaning to some but a different meaning to others.

July 5, 1852

Bridging Divides

Susan B. Anthony: Is it a crime for a Citizen of the United States to Vote?

Susan B. Anthony's "On Women's Right to Vote" – excerpt from "Norman Rockwell in Virtual Reality - The Four Seasons"

January 1, 1873

Bridging Divides

Chief Joseph on Equal Treatment Under the Law

In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat (Chief Joseph) elaborated on the need to acknowledge native Americans.

January 14, 1879

Bridging Divides

FDR's First Inaugural Address

Franklin D. Roosevelt discussed how much democracy has endured.

March 4, 1933

Bridging Divides

Margaret Chase Smith's "Declaration of Conscience" Speech

Margaret Chase Smith explained how Americans need to think as citizens and not by political party.

June 1, 1950

Bridging Divides

President Eisenhower on Love and Mutual Respect

Dwight D. Eisehower gave his farewell address, elaborating on uniting despite differences and providing opportunity to all.

January 17, 1961

Bridging Divides

President Kennedy's Inaugural Address

John F. Kennedy emphasized the shared fight against the threats to the nation and why freedom, a value meaningful to the nation, must be protected.

January 20, 1961

National Service

President Kennedy Establishes the Peace Corps

John F. Kennedy described the enriching benefits and long lasting impact of Peace Corps.

March 1, 1961

Bridging Divides

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech

Martin Luther King, Jr. called the country to act on the issue of racial injustice.

August 28, 1963

Bridging Divides

President Nixon on the Essence of Freedom

Richard Nixon gave his first inaugural address, speaking on the importance of bringing the country together and ending segregation, discrimination, and injustice.

January 20, 1969

Elections & Governance

Rep. Barbara Jordan on Her Belief in the Constitution

Barbara Jordan emphasized her trust in the Constitution.

July 24, 1974

Bridging Divides

President Ford on the Rule of the People

Gerald Ford justified to the people that the American democratic system works as he spoke of restoring the nation after the Watergate scandal.

August 9, 1974

National Service

Reagan on the American Spirit

Ronald Reagan spoke about how service is ingrained in the history of the United States, and how a dedication to giving back should be restored.

July 17, 1980

Bridging Divides

President Carter: "Human Rights Invented America."

Jimmy Carter's Farewell Address spoke on the subject of human rights and how America was born from the concept.

January 14, 1981

Bridging Divides

President Reagan on the Infrastructure of Democracy

Ronald Reagan in his Westminster address elaborated on the importance of deciding upon individual beliefs while simultaneously coming together despite differences.

June 8, 1982

National Service

Bridging Divides

President George H.W. Bush on Timeless American Values

George H.W. Bush's first inaugural address emphasized the timelessness of national programs.

January 20, 1989

Bridging Divides

President Clinton's First Inaugural Address

Bill Clinton gave his first inaugral address and spoke on the subject of American renewal.

January 20, 1993

National Service

President Clinton at the National Service Bill Signing

President Clinton delivers remarks at the National Service Bill signing ceremony, which would lay the foundation for what would become AmeriCorps.

September 21, 1993

Civic Learning

President Clinton on the Value of Civic Education

In his 1996 State of the Union, Bill Clinton pushed schools to have character education programming.

January 23, 1996

National Service

President George W. Bush on Overcoming Evil with Greater Good

George W. Bush, during his 2002 State of the Union, calls Americans to give back suggesting participation in the USA Freedom Corps.

January 29, 2002

Elections & Governance

Bridging Divides

President George W. Bush Speaks to the National Endowment for Democracy

President George W. Bush spoke on the 20th anniversary of the National Endowment for Democracy, elaborating on the foundation of the American democracy and the nation's fundamental values.

November 6, 2003

Civic Learning

Sandra Day O'Connor on Civic Education

Justice Sandra Day O'Connor speaks about reintroducing the importance of civic education to American schools.

July 9, 2012

National Service

President Obama on the Meaning of Citizenship

Barack Obama shared how he discovered the importance of citizenship and how the Americorps leads Americans to this same discovery.

September 12, 2014

Bridging Divides

Elections & Governance

President Obama Champions Democracy in his Farewell Address

Barack Obama gave his farewell address to the American people on January 10, 2017. At this moment during his speech, he emphasized the importance of looking after our democracy.

January 10, 2017

Bridging Divides

National Service

Traveling with Dr. King

Many of Martin Luther King Jr.’s closest advisers reflect on the great American leader and their shared quest for a better country.

January 15, 2024