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The Good Good Good offices are closed today in commemoration of Independence Day. The United States is deeply flawed, and so many of you have told us that patriotism feels ... nuanced right now.

In place of your usual Goodnewsletter, today’s is filled with genuinely good reasons to *actually* feel a sense of pride and patriotism on America’s 250th birthday (plus a few good tidbits at the end) — and inspire continued progress in the next 250 years.

🇺🇸 Reasons to feel patriotic about the USA

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act became the ‘world’s first comprehensive declaration of equality for people with disabilities’

The result of decades of activism, the ADA is one of the most sweeping pieces of civil rights legislation in U.S. history, providing broad protections against discrimination for an estimated 43 million Americans with disabilities. It set a new standard for the rest of the world.

The Civil Rights Movement brought America immeasurably closer to fulfilling its promise of equality, justice, and freedom for all

Though the Civil War brought an end to chattel slavery, without the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, segregation and Jim Crow Laws, racist voting restrictions, and countless other injustices and human rights abuses might still be a reality today.

🇺🇸 You may also like: Major civil rights moments in every state​

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history, saving 25 million lives

Created in 2003, PEPFAR is widely credited with fundamentally altering the trajectory of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, accounting for more than 90% of PrEP initiations globally and over $120 billion in cumulative funding from taxpayers. PEPFAR single-handedly replaced despair with hope in communities all over the world.

The national park system shows America’s commitment to preserving and protecting the immense, unique, breathtaking natural landscapes across the country for generations to come

Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in 1872, designating 2.2 million acres as solely “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” Without these protections, it’s reasonable to believe that they would not exist today. The foresight to protect them is truly incredible and worth celebrating.

🇺🇸 You may also like: These are the 25 oldest national parks in America​

Thanks to immigration and immigrants, America’s culture and diversity are unlike anywhere else in the world

While the history of immigration in America is nuanced — from the forced displacement and brutal treatment of Indigenous people, to the transatlantic slave trade forcing emigration from African countries — America today is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever.

And contrary to what the popular narrative might be — it’s something most people think is a really good thing.

The Women’s Liberation Movement achieved transformational gains for gender parity, granting women more economic, social, and legal freedoms

​Women now are free to open their own credit cards, get pregnant without fear of being fired, file for no-fault divorce, own property, go to college, play college sports, and so much more. And though it’s since been overturned, in 1973, the Supreme Court granted women the right to an abortion, a life-saving human right that people continue to fight to regain today.

🇺🇸 You may also like: Milestones from women’s history from the year you were born​

The 19th Amendment and Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave women and Black people the right to have their voices fairly and equally represented in elections

While the 15th Amendment, which gave Black men the right to vote, was ratified in 1870, discriminatory practices kept them from voting until the Voting Rights Act of 1965 abolished those barriers.

​The 19th Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920, giving American women the right to vote, after a fight for suffrage that dated back to before the Civil War. Although the 19th Amendment enfranchised women on paper, many Black women and other women of color did not gain meaningful voting rights until the Voting Rights Act of 1965, further underscoring its enduring significance in American history.

The U.S. Labor Movement gave us a 40-hour, five-day work week and countless other workplace protections we still enjoy today

American labor organizing has been transformational for the rights of workers since the 1800s, often intersecting with civil rights, women’s rights, immigrant rights, and more. So many of the rights we enjoy today — like protections from discrimination, equal pay, overtime pay, and weekends — are thanks to the efforts and organizing of unions and labor organizers from decades ago.

American inventors, many of them immigrants, have changed the world and raised the global standard of living in countless ways

Thomas Edison’s light bulb brought safe, affordable, and reliable lighting to homes and streets. The Wright brothers gave us previously unimaginable global connectivity.

Albert Einstein invented the theory of relativity after fleeing Nazi Germany. Alexander Graham Bell, a Scottish immigrant, invented the telephone. Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian immigrant, pioneered wireless telegraphy, which eventually evolved into modern radio and communication systems.

American virologist Jonas Salk created the polio vaccine that has helped lead to the near-eradication of the disease globally

Building on decades of research from scientists before him, Jonas Salk developed the first effective vaccine against polio. Following a mass immunization campaign, the annual number of polio cases in the U.S. fell from 35,000 in 1953 to just 161 by 1961. Globally, cases have declined by 99.9% since 1988, from an estimated 242,000 to just over 3,700 in 2023.

The Stonewall Riots catalyzed the modern gay rights movement, achieving historic victories for LGBTQ+ rights

Because a group of people decided they’d had enough with constant police harassment and discrimination, we now have an entire month dedicated to celebrating and fighting for more progress for the LGBTQ+ community.

The riots didn’t kick off the movement, but are widely credited with the impacts and gains seen in the U.S. ever since, from workplace protections and marriage equality to larger cultural shifts.

🇺🇸 You may also like: 50+ years of modern LGBTQ+ history since Stonewall​

The public school system has ensured education remains accessible to all children, regardless of economic status or location

In the early nineteenth century, states began to create public schools through legislation, initially serving children in lower-income areas. They gained momentum as a means to promote social equality, were integrated during the Civil Rights Movement, and despite efforts to dismantle the public education system, continue to help ensure all children in the country can access early education.

The Clean Air Act became one of America’s first and most influential modern environmental laws, leading to dramatic, life-saving reductions in air pollution nationwide

This landmark legislation didn’t happen overnight. A series of deadly smog disasters in the 1940s and 1950s revealed the life-threatening impacts of air pollution, decades of scientific research connected the dots, and a wave of environmental activism forced politicians to pass the law, and its subsequent revisions, that still protect Americans today.

More good bits

🎆 Fireworks are a bummer for people with PTSD — celebrate respectfully.

🐶 And look out for your pet family members, too.

🐢 Hawaiians set sea turtle hatchlings free on the 4th of July.

🇺🇸 A Fourth of July comic book series celebrates real American heroes.

🎂 Americans share some big wishes for the country.

👏 We also pretty much agree: Diversity is our superpower.

🌎 Humans drew our borders — but what if nature did?