America at 250: It Does Feel A Little Janky

During a recent podcast, Michelle Obama sat down with her brother, Craig Robinson, and guest Hasan Minhaj and offered a striking observation about the state of the nation. She described the United States as being in a “janky era,” lamenting that, “We haven’t been this janky for a while.” Her candid, offhand remark captured a deep unease about how the country is currently functioning. Some folks got it, and predictably, others did not.

Partisan backlash came quickly. Critics dismissed the comment as flippant or overly negative. Frequently, the reactions highlighted how one’s perspective is shaped by lived experience, privilege, and proximity to power. For those insulated from current cultural, ethnic, religious, and other forms of disruption, the word “janky” may have felt exaggerated or inexplicable. But for many Americans, her quip was an honest assessment. And, if we are further committed to the truth, this is not the first “janky” period in American history.

The United States is built on convictions and contradictions. Early settlers came to this land not just seeking opportunity, but fleeing systems of concentrated power, monarchies that ruled without accountability, religious persecution, and rigid hierarchies that denied ordinary people a voice. The promise of America was rooted in the rejection of unchecked authority. That would be the convictions.

The contradictions lie in the foundational taking of Indigenous land, often through violence and broken treaties. The institution of slavery, which reduced human beings to property, embedded racial injustice into the fabric of the nation. After emancipation, systems like Black Codes and later Jim Crow laws sought to maintain that hierarchy, enforcing segregation and denying basic rights. Even well into the 20th century, during both Michelle Obama and my lifetime, legalized segregation dictated where people could live, learn, and work.

So, if “janky” means a system not functioning as it should, uneven, unjust, and unstable, then America has had more than a few such eras. Which makes this current moment both familiar and unsettling.

As the country prepares to mark its 250th anniversary, the current administration is gearing up for fireworks, speeches, and reflections on the courage of the founders. Ironically, Americans have organized and participated in “No Kings” protests across the country. They took to the streets to convey their growing concern about the current concentration of power and erosion of democratic norms. Critics cite actions and rhetoric of the U.S. President, which undermine the independence of the judiciary, pressure election systems, and elevate personal authority over constitutional limits.

Supporters may see strength in this approach. But for others, it echoes a historical pattern: power expanding beyond its intended bounds. Acknowledging that we are in a “janky era” or participating in these protests is not a rejection of American ideals; it is a demand that those ideals be honored.

At 250 years old, celebrating the past without confronting the present risks turning history into mythology. The promise of America has always rested on a simple, radical idea: that power belongs to the people. Anything less than that really is janky.