Our Founding Ladies Recommends Takeover
With the Fourth of July falling this Saturday, we at The Sunday Paper asked some of our favorite founding ladies to recommend their essential books, films, music, art and more to help better understand America. We hope these suggestions inspire you to find new ways to explore and appreciate our country during its 250th birthday!
Stephanie Ruhle Recommends:
The host of MS NOW's Money, Power, Politics with Stephanie Ruhle says “As we approach America’s 250th, I’m thinking about our future and our past- so there are two books on my mind.
AI for Good: How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter by Josh Tyrangiel. Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how we live, work and play. It is revered, feared & misunderstood. AI For Good is not snookered by tech industry hype. Instead, this book introduces us to doctors, teachers, parents & government leaders using AI technology to address what have been unsolvable puzzles and create real world solutions.
My second choice honors our past—it is only 41 pages long, but each one a tribute to our country’s history. The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Isaacson is timed for America’s 250th anniversary and written expressly to honor the second paragraph, second sentence of the Declaration of Independence. ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ While the book is short, it teaches so much about our long and extraordinary history.”
Deborah Roberts Recommends:
The ABC News 20/20 Co-Anchor told us, “Last year after a friend recommended a small, unknown book about a stranger who shows up in a small town, leaving an imprint of kindness and mystery, I jumped in and was forever grateful. Theo of Golden is the book that everyone should read right now. This celebration of friendship, empathy and love is a story that can change lives and spark connection in our troubled world. Theo’s journey is a quintessential American story. An unknown person shows up in a small town and shows curiosity and kindness and is soon embraced by those who appreciate his values of goodness and good will. Though they didn’t know his full story, they gave him the benefit of the doubt as he demonstrated devotion and respect to those around him. This book is magical. And so is its author, Allen Levi.”
You can also read Stacey Lindsay’s interview with Allen Levi here.
Joanne Molinaro, a.k.a. “The Korean Vegan” Recommends:
“Min Jin Lee’s Free Food for Millionaires. It is the story of a Korean American immigrant family in New York that reveals a pocket of America that had been virtually invisible before Min Jin decided to write it.”
Watch Joanne with Maria in her Life Above the Noise interview here.
Danielle Robay Recommends:
This journalist wants you to listen to one of her favorite songs, “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar. “Few songs have captured the tension, resilience, hope, and protest woven into the American experience the way this one has. It’s more than a song…it became a rallying cry.”
Marisa Renee Lee Recommends:
The author says “I may be a writer but the piece of art I most wish everyone could experience is Revelations by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. I’ve seen it multiple times and the unique combination of grief and joy perfectly illuminates the Black American experience. Our ability to transform pain into beauty, to turn the heaviest topics into something transcendent and hopeful is how we’ve survived centuries of enslavement and systemic racism in this country.”
Ellison Barber Recommends:
“I had the privilege of writing a statement on behalf of a friend who recently became an American Citizen.
When I thought about America, I realized the beauty of it is that we are not a chosen people.
In our best moments, we are—and were always meant to be—a country of people who choose. People who choose to build and maintain a society that prioritizes freedom, justice, and liberty for all.
I used to think the American Dream was about having more. More opportunities, more money, more success. I hope it means we all have the chance to try for that, if it’s what we want, but more than anything I hope it means we all have the chance to be seen and valued.
Whether we fail or triumph, and especially when life is messy and hard, my American Dream is that we all have the chance to be seen and valued for all that we are.
These are a few of the books, films, and plays that helped me understand and reconsider aspects of my life—and also helped me hold space for the lives and experiences of others.”
Barbara Kopple’s documentary Harlan County, USA
Don’t Let Me Be Lonely by Claudia Rankine
Nothing Can Take You from the Hand of God, the Off-Broadway solo play by Jen Tullock and Frank Winters
Diana Weymar Recommends:
The creator of Tiny Pricks Project says “The one thing I wish people would know, see, and understand in order to better understand America is that listening to each other is what we do when we are at our best. As someone who is always listening for voices to stitch, I am constantly looking for good words that capture this cultural moment. I look for activism, warmth, design, passion, reason, and a depth of personal storytelling. To celebrate our 250th, I offer a couple to read and watch: Debbie Millman and Roxane Gay. They give me hope, courage, and a glimpse of what caring for each other looks like when words and design matter. As Americans we're often speaking but we're also often listening. Keep searching for voices that speak to the better angels of your nature.”
Kate Bowler Recommends:
Award winning podcast host Kate Bowler wants you to listen to the Jon Batiste song "BIG MONEY", which she says “captures a central tension in American life: our pursuit of wealth alongside our longing for lives rooted in meaning and connection. The song reminds us that our richest inheritance is found not in what we accumulate, but in the people, culture, and communities that shape us.”
Sister Monica Clare Recommends:
She says “Everyone needs to read The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Stand Your Ground: Black Bodies and the Justice of God by Kelly Brown Douglas. This is the real story of America.”
Sylvia Salazar Recommends:
The founder of Tono Latino told The Sunday Paper “I would love for everyone to read Still I Rise by Maya Angelou. It is a poem that really touched my heart, and, honestly, I don't usually connect to poetry. It is a poem that recognizes hard times but also that the human spirit is strong and we can overcome many things. It's a poem that gives me courage and hope.”
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