Georgia celebrates America’s 250th birthday at State Capitol

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Ahead of America’s 250th birthday, state leaders gathered at the Georgia Capitol to mark the day and Georgia’s contributions to the country’s past.

Georgia National Guard Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson reminded the room not to take history for granted.

“Democracy is not a spectator sport,” he said. “All of us have a responsibility to make our state and our nation just a little bit better than we found it.”

Gov. Brian Kemp said Georgia plays a major role in American history as one of the 13 original colonies.

“Georgia is American history, and this Georgia 250 Day, we just aren’t teaching our young people about the past; we are opening their eyes to what the future could be,” he said.

He pointed to the state as an economic engine over the last 250 years, particularly in agriculture.

“All these years later, agriculture remains our number one industry, but our economy has grown to make Georgia a hub of so many sectors,” he said, noting the aerospace, aviation, manufacturing, tourism and film industries.

Kemp also explained what the state and the country have endured — both the good and the bad.

“From overcoming the fear and evils of slavery, of world wars, of segregation, of economic crisis and global pandemics, of governments growing too powerful and corrupt — it is we the people, who have again and again shown the world that the ideals enshrined in our founding documents are more enduring and more powerful than all of those challenges,” he said.

Altogether, Kemp’s main focus was on the future.

“As we celebrate our great past and build on even a greater future, we will do that together,” he said.