Summer 2026
LETTER FROM PEACe & RIOT
Why America should be defined by the people and movements that have always pushed the country closer to its ideals.
By Mindy Ramaker
STANDING ROCK, NORTH DAKOTA - FEBRUARY 22, 2017: A lone Water Protector holds a flag while looking out on the Standing Rock encampment, hours before the camp was slated to be raided by militarized law enforcement and the National Guard on February 22, 2017, in Standing Rock, North Dakota. In April of 2016, members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe began protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), the 3.7 billion dollar underground oil pipeline stretching 1,172 miles from the Bakken shale oil fields in northwest North Dakota to an oil terminal in Patoka, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Nigro)
This story was produced by Counterstream Media and co-published with Nonprofit Quarterly as part of the #WeTheCivic national narrative intervention.
The official 250th anniversary celebrations have come to an end. We witnessed costly displays of patriotism and military might. From the widely criticized UFC match that tore up the White House lawn, to the botched renovation of the National Monument’s reflecting pool, the events often veered into spectacle and mismanagement.
The so-called “Great American State Fair” faced repeated closures as extreme heat swept across the country, underscoring the reality of the climate crisis. Fireworks, flyovers, and speeches at “Mount Rushmore” (a sacred site known to the Lakota as “The Six Grandfathers”) proceeded despite longstanding objections, while New York hosted the largest maritime gathering in modern history.
These moments were exercises in American mythmaking. They celebrated power while glossing over the histories, harms, and struggles that have shaped the country. It was a vision of America built around nostalgia and dominance, not accountability. One that ignored the people and communities who have long been left to fight for the promises this country claims to uphold.
The question now is not simply how we commemorate this milestone, but what we do next.
A truly great America cannot ignore the climate crisis or environmental injustice.
The climate crisis threatens life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Which means climate and environmental justice are inseparable from the promises at the heart of our democracy.The air we breathe, the water we drink, the energy we depend on, and the places we call home are not just environmental concerns; they are questions of rights, opportunity, and security.
How can we talk about the American Dream when freedom itself is metered? When some communities face higher energy burdens, greater exposure to pollution, and the lasting consequences of a country built through unequal access to land, power, and opportunity? How can we build a shared future without acknowledging our history of extraction, displacement, and exclusion?
“The story of America is ongoing. And it is not defined by ceremony or symbols, but rather by the people and movements that have always pushed this country closer to its ideals.”
The Real American Dream
The story of America is ongoing. And it is not defined by ceremony or symbols, but rather by the people and movements that have always pushed this country closer to its ideals. Across the nation, communities are organizing for a real and different American Dream.
They are advancing energy justice, fighting for Black Liberation and Indigenous sovereignty, organizing for environmental justice policies, defending multiracial democracy, supporting migrant rights, challenging the military and prison industrial complex, and confronting the extractive systems that have shaped our climate crisis.
This issue is not just about looking back. It’s about what becomes possible when people have the power to shape their own futures, when communities reclaim their voices, restore relationships with land and one another, and build a future rooted in belonging, justice, and collective power. Across the country, people are already making that future real.
The 250th anniversary was a moment to remember.
Now is a moment to act.
Mindy Ramaker (she/her) is Head of Creative at Counterstream Media, where she oversees the brand, creative strategy, and execution of its creative projects. Using storytelling, design, and strategy, she creates work that challenges dominant narratives and drives environmental justice.
As Executive Producer of A People’s Climate for The Nation, she leads the podcast’s editorial vision and production—shaping stories, guiding interviews, and crafting each episode from concept to final cut. As Editor-in-Chief of Peace & Riot, she oversees the magazine’s creative and editorial direction, positioning it as a bold platform for environmental justice storytelling.
Prior to joining Counterstream, she spent more than a decade working closely with the visionary filmmaker David Lynch on his film, art, and music projects. She has worked with a wide range of artists, organizations, and brands including; Grace Jones, Leonardo DiCaprio, John Malkovich, Amanda Gorman, RZA, Bon Iver, Danger Mouse, Tom Ford, Stella McCartney, Squarespace, Polaroid, Re:Wild, Lonely Whale, and more.
She is passionate about using her artistic vision and wide-ranging expertise to connect people, culture, and the arts to drive positive change in our world.
Storytelling that challenges America’s colonial roots
Peace & Riot brings you stories from the frontlines.
From the activists who pioneered the modern environmental justice movement, to the Indigenous organizers defending their sacred lands, to the agricultural laborers fighting for dignity—we’re a home for the people and movements that have always pushed this country closer to its ideals.
Keep our work alive with a donation of any size.