Former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush will join an effort to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, highlighting the initiative’s attempts to build bipartisan momentum in an era of extreme political polarization.

The former presidents and first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush will serve as honorary national co-chairs of America250, the organization created by Congress in 2016 to oversee the celebration of the the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The commission’s leaders hope bringing together the two recent Democratic and Republican presidents will serve as an example of bipartisan cooperation in a country where political agreements seem rare and concerns are heightened over the potential for violence, especially heading toward a divisive presidential election.

Rosie Rios, a former U.S. treasurer who heads America250, emphasized that the commission organizing the celebration “has representation across all aisles.”

“This is a grassroots effort that all Americans feel like they can be a part of from Guam to Alaska, Fairbanks to Philadelphia, and everything in between,” Rios said. “This is about celebrating and commemorating that we’re the oldest democracy in the world.”

RELATED COVERAGE Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris, giving her expected but crucial support Obama’s dilemma: Balancing Democrats’ worry about Biden and maintaining influence with president Biden is isolated at home as Obama, Pelosi and other Democrats push for him to reconsider 2024 race

The multiyear semiquincentennial celebration will include events in all 50 states and six U.S. territories. It will formally launch July 4, 2026, during an MLB game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Chicago Cubs at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

It also will include a service project called America Gives, an effort to compile oral histories of Americans and a nationwide scholastic contest in which students will reflect on what America means to them. The Obamas said they look forward to reflecting on U.S. history and “the remarkable stories that make our nation the place it is today.”

“America is not the same country it was 250 years ago — but there are threads that tie us back to the very beginning of it all,” they said in a statement. “Our history plays a big role in shaping the kind of future we hope to create.”

___

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.