David McKean & M. Todd Bennett — The Flag Was Still There: A History of the American Experiment in Five Anniversaries - with A'Lelia Bundles — at the Wharf

David McKean and M. Todd Bennett present their new book *The Flag Was Still There: A History of the American Experiment in Five Anniversaries*, a clear-eyed and hopeful narrative of the United States that revisits the state of the union every fifty years from the nation’s founding. Focusing on the pivotal years 1776, 1826, 1876, 1926, and 1976 — and with an eye toward America’s 250th birthday — the authors explore how the country has sustained its founding idea of self-governance through periods of both progress and backlash, from the birth of Jim Crow after the centennial to the nativism of 1926 and the economic turmoil of the bicentennial. McKean (former U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg and director of policy planning at the State Department) and Bennett (professor of history at East Carolina University and former State Department historian) will be in conversation with A'Lelia Bundles, author of *Joy Goddess: A’Lelia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance* and *On Her Own Ground*, a biography of her great-great-grandmother Madam C. J. Walker, and a former ABC News executive and producer.

When: Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at 7:00 PM.

Place: Politics and Prose at The Wharf, 610 Water St SW, Washington, DC 20024.

Tickets: This event is free with first come, first served seating.

Lineup: David McKean, M. Todd Bennett, and special guest A'Lelia Bundles (moderator/conversation partner).

Run time: Not specified; typical author event at this venue runs approximately one hour, including audience Q&A.

Ages: All ages welcome; event content is suitable for general audiences.

Accessibility: For accommodations or accessibility inquiries, please email events@politics-prose.com at least one week in advance of the event date; the venue will make an effort to accommodate all requests up to the time of the event.

Note: The book *The Flag Was Still There* is available for purchase at the store (hardcover, $32.00, ISBN 9781541704169, publish date May 12, 2026) and may be signed at the event.