Two Lights for Tomorrow - A Nationwide Call to Action
Title: Two Lights for Tomorrow - A Nationwide Call to Action
Start: April 18, 2025, 8:00 pm EDT
End: April 18, 2025, 9:30 pm EDT
Address: 300 Broadway St. Frankfort, KY 40601
On April 18-19, the Kentucky Historical Society and America250KY will participate in a nationwide time of service – Two Lights for Tomorrow. Commemorating Paul Revere’s famous ride of April 18 and 19, 1775, it is a celebratory event and time of service that will lead up to the 250th birthday of the United States of America on July 4, 2026.
In Kentucky, Two Lights for Tomorrow will also be commemorating the Virginia ride of Jack Jouett, known as the Paul Revere of the South. Jouett’s famous 40-mile ride on June 3 and 4, 1781—when Kentucky was still part of Virginia--prevented British troops from capturing then-governor Thomas Jefferson and the Virginia General Assembly. Jouett’s actions saved four signers of the Declaration of Independence, including the future president, Jefferson.
On April 18, join the Kentucky Historical Society and America250KY as we display two lights at the Old State Capitol as a reminder of the light shining out of the darkness of the Old North Church during Paul Revere’s ride and of Jack Jouett’s 40-mile ride to warn the Virginia General Assembly. We are calling for two lights to be displayed in every Kentucky courthouse, city hall, home, library, museum, and public building. The lights remind us of the call to service both Revere and Jouett felt toward their fellow citizens and how their actions still matter today as we work together toward a “more perfect union.”
On April 18 -19, from 10 am to 5 pm, America250KY will be collecting food pantry donations at the Kentucky Historical Society in the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History building. Our most needed item is always canned meat. Other helpful items are spaghetti sauce, spaghetti or pasta, canned soup, boxed instant oatmeal, canned fruit, vegetables, and beans.”
Can’t make it to Frankfort? Seek a way to serve others in your own community whether it is volunteering to clean up a local park, cemetery, or historic site, participating in a local food drive, or writing a thank you letter to someone in your community. Together, we can all find a way to meet the needs of our communities.
The Kentucky Historical Society and America250KY encourage you to send photographs and descriptions of your service projects and Two Lights for Tomorrow displays to America250KY@ky.gov, or tag America 250KY on Facebook to share your service with others!
Two Lights for Tomorrow National Initiative
Two Lights for Tomorrow is a nationwide initiative to commence the celebration of the 250th birthday of the United States of America. The famous ride of Paul Revere occurred overnight on April 18 – 19, 1775. Two Lights for Tomorrow commemorates that famous ride and uses the imagery of that shining light today as a uniting call to action for our citizens to celebrate and serve.
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How to Participate, Part I
On April 18, 2025, we’re calling for two lights to be displayed in every statehouse in the nation. They will be a reminder that the visual of a light shining out in the darkness on Revere’s ride is not just something that mattered then; it’s something that matters today and for our collective tomorrow.
Some commissions are planning a public program as two lights are lit at the statehouse. This is an opportunity to not only raise public awareness of the upcoming 250th and how that visibly will be marked, but also to communicate the meaning of Revere’s ride as history and remind our citizens of their part in the perpetual building of a “more perfect union.”
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How to Participate, Part II
The day following, states can promote a day of service on April 19th. At the community level, citizens will be called to serve their communities with volunteer projects ranging from park and cemetery clean-ups (especially with the close proximity to Earth Day) to community builds, food drives, and card writing to residents of care facilities, etc. The possibilies for service can be tailored to the needs of our citizens and in partnership with service organizations.
Projects Are Scalable for Communities and Individuals
From two spotlights at a state capitol building beaming in the darkness to smaller displays at municipal buildings, and lights in individual homes, every citizen can participate.
For state-level displays, there isn’t a specific kind of light, duration of display, or location because we want it to be approachable and achievable for everyone given that each state-level commission will need to coordinate the approval processes within their own systems.
Some governor’s offices are considering issuing executive orders to encourage government department buildings, municipalities, and every citizen to participate.
We encourage participation at as many locations as possible – community centers, municipal and county administrative buildings, and private residences.
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Toolkit
A toolkit is in development.