Yeah. We're beautiful.
America's best idea.
The greatest of America's natural landscapes,
our revered cultural heritage.
And our most important historical lessons.
A mosaic of what we Americans value about our places,
ourselves, and each other.
We serve as guardians of many of our nation's greatest treasures...
...and the tellers of our collective stories.
We honor the best of who we are as a nation
and seek lessons in our country's imperfections.
Our role is not to define for others, but to inspire discovery.
To question our assumptions.
To uphold our nation's democratic principles.
And to challenge each other to rise above what was,
and achieve the ideal of what can be.
(I am somebody)
So, who are we and what do we believe about ourselves?
Ours are the faces of many peoples,
the bearers of many identities.
We are public servants...
...Fiercely dedicated public servants.
And, we believe in the power of our mission.
We see how our work connects to the greater good.
We are passionate about what we do.
We are courageous.
We welcome challenges.
We strive to create opportunities for everyone to connect with their parks.
We support local communities.
We are stewards.
We are family.
We are ambassadors.
We are all of this because we believe that we did not inherit...
...but we borrow from our future.
Yeah, we are beautiful,
America's best idea.
But is believing in who we are enough?
Are we connecting with the next generation?
Do we learn from our own diversity?
Have we truly ensured that all people feel invited, included, and engaged?
Can we risk not meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse America?
To be America's best, we need to go out
and invite new audiences.
Share the difficult stories.
Meet the needs of an ever evolving society.
Confront our discomfort.
Realize that many people value our mission as much as we do.
Harness the power of our own diversity.
Seek opinions different than our own.
Really listen.
Be willing to implement new ideas.
Be flexible.
Build meaningful connections with others.
And embrace change as an opportunity to learn and grow.
Relevancy, Diversity, and Inclusion are pillars.
They are values and practices,
for connecting the public to our mission.
And fulfilling our obligation to steward our nation's natural and cultural heritage.
Discussing and debating these values embodies our democratic ideals,
and strengthens our role in society.
Listen. Share. Join in the discussion.
We're all in this together.
We are the National Park Service.