Ahmed Young: As U.S. marks 250 years, Indy has hard work ahead

This July 4, our nation will mark 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a moment for celebration and honest reflection.

For 2-1/2 centuries, America has wrestled with what it means to live up to our highest ideals. That question has been tested through war, peace, the end of slavery, the struggle for civil rights, economic hardship and extraordinary progress.

Generation after generation, people have continued to believe in the promise of this country — not because it was perfect, but because it was worth building.

That same spirit must guide Indianapolis today.

Our city has much to celebrate. We know how to host on the world stage, build institutions that endure and rally around moments of civic pride. We have made progress on many fronts, from economic development to educational outcomes and housing, over the last few decades.

Love of city should not show up only in moments of celebration. It must also surface when the work is hard, as it is today. We cannot rest on progress. We must instead build momentum in tackling some of our city’s toughest challenges.

Too many of our neighbors are struggling to afford housing. Too many families face barriers to health, financial stability and economic opportunity. And too many young people are growing up without the support, mentorship and pathways they need to envision a positive future for themselves.

These challenges are not unique to Indianapolis, nor are they separate problems. Housing affects health. Health affects education and employment. Economic opportunity affects neighborhood stability.

If Indianapolis is going to thrive in America’s next chapter, we must remain committed to solving our deepest challenges. That kind of commitment requires resources, partnership, discipline and a long view. It also requires people who love this city enough to turn their love into action.

The Indianapolis Foundation exists to serve as a vehicle for that collective action.

In 1916, as civic and corporate leaders across the country wrestled with the social and economic challenges of their time, the Indianapolis Foundation was created as a kind of community savings account, a way for people to invest in Indianapolis’ future. More than 110 years later, that purpose remains urgent.

For generations, donors have trusted the Indianapolis Foundation to steward their generosity, understand community needs, support organizations closest to those needs and invest in the people and ideas that move our city forward. That trust matters because the challenges facing Indianapolis will not be solved by a single organization, city administration, neighborhood or donor. Solutions require sustained civic commitment and shared effort from committed donors, institutions willing to listen and lead, and residents who see one another’s humanity.

The Indianapolis Foundation’s work is focused on housing, health, the environment and economic opportunity while uplifting investments in young people and the arts. We seek to move the needle on these issues through smart investments that direct grant dollars where they make the greatest impact, community leadership that brings people together for tough and joyful conversations, bold action through gifts and big ideas, and operational excellence that ensures these resources endure. Yet we’re not the ones driving the work; the community is.

America’s 250th anniversary invites us to look backward, though it also calls us forward. The question is not only what kind of country or community foundation was imagined 250 and 110 years ago, respectively. The core issue is what kind of city we are willing to build in 2026 and beyond.

For those who believe deeply in Indianapolis’ people, neighborhoods, creativity and civic energy, let us work together to ensure that belief becomes action and hard work can be sustained long after the celebration ends.•

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Young is president and CEO of the Indianapolis Foundation.