If one word captures the American journey, it is the pursuit of equality, a goal still evolving today. While Jefferson famously wrote that "all men are created equal" and called it "self-evident," history has shown that equality has never come easily.

America has served as a testing ground for turning this ideal into reality, often in ways Jefferson couldn’t have imagined. Despite setbacks, the nation has made real progress. Yet today, that shared hope feels increasingly uncertain.