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In a moment when democratic institutions are under renewed scrutiny, Rich De Prospo offers an intense critique of America’s foundational narratives in his latest book, Exceptionally Backward: Economic, Racial, Gender, and Generational Inequality in a Neo-Colonial U.S.

De Prospo is Director of American Studies; Ernest A. Howard Professor of English and American Studies at Washington College. During his tenure there, he has written more than six books often challenging the standard academic “take” on the roots and ascension of American literary history, and now offers an interpretation of the founding documents as what WVU Professor of Literature Timothy. Sweet calls “an anticipatory reaction against Europe’s emergent humanist modernity

De Prospo says the project began in the early days of COVID lockdowns, during a chance sidewalk conversation in Pennsylvania. There, a colleague mentioned an obscure Soviet-era book titled Marx and Engels on the United States, a compilation of 19th-century commentary on American inequality. Intrigued, De Prospo returned to Marx’s observations and found unsettling continuity between the past and present.

What followed was a sustained inquiry into the ideological framework of the U.S. Constitution, which De Prospo argues was never meant to promote equality or popular sovereignty. Instead, it was meticulously designed to entrench elite control.

“The so-called Revolution of 1776 had no intention whatsoever of altering inequality,” he asserts. “What the Constitution protected wasn’t liberty—it was elite rule.”

Throughout the book, and in his interview with The Spy, De Prospo confronts a number of cherished civic beliefs. He draws on the writings of Jefferson and Hamilton, the Federalist Papers, and recent scholarship by legal experts like Erwin Chemerinsky and political scientists like Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky. His conclusion: systemic inequality in the United States is not a deviation from its founding ideals—but rather their logical outcome.

This interview explores the persistence of Founding Father mythologies across political lines, the illusion of American “moderation,” and the cultural tug-of-war over who gets to define democracy. As De Prospo puts it, “This is not merely about originalism. It’s about whether a document built to preserve elite power can survive the demands of a democratic society.”

This video is approximately fourteen minutes in length. Exceptionally Backward: Economic, Racial, Gender, and Generational Inequality in a Neo-Colonial US can be be found on Amazon.

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On Saturday, June 21 at 1 p.m., at the Harwood Nature Center at Lawrence Wetlands Preserve, Darius Johnson will present “We’re Still Here,” a talk on the history of Black countryside communities in Kent County.

Darius Johnson is a historian and preservation scholar with Chesapeake Heartland, as well as a committed community advocate. His original research brings long-overdue scholarly attention to the rural Black communities of Still Pond, Coleman, Big Woods, and Butlertown—histories that have long been marginalized in favor of a predominantly Chestertown-focused narrative.

The project became deeply personal for Johnson. Raised in Big Woods, with family roots in Still Pond and Butlertown, he began tracing his genealogy and made a startling discovery: he is a direct descendant of James Butler, a free Black man who owned land in 1820, during a time when many like him were still considered property.

“Facts and figures related to African American history in Kent County have been increasingly documented and celebrated in recent decades, yet a deep and often complicated gap remains in sharing many of the stories of success, empowerment, and lived experience that give meaning to the data. We’re Still Here aims to take a step toward bridging that gap, write Maria Wood, Executive Director of the Historical Society of Kent County.

What began as a personal journey has evolved into a county-wide archival effort. With the help of cousins and neighbors, Johnson is collecting and digitizing family records, rare photographs, manumission papers, and newspaper clippings—some dating back before 1900. The result is a growing digital archive of stories that document resilience, kinship, education, and land ownership in Kent County’s Black countryside.

In collaboration with the Historical Society of Kent County, Johnson’s presentation will guide attendees through generations of Black life rooted in land, freedom, and family—stories that have too often remained in the shadows.

Johnson also called attention to the upcoming Legacy Day , August 15-17, 2025. celebrates the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in Kent County. It is an opportunity for all residents to have a great time recognizing their shared history. Legacy Day is offered free of charge to the community – thanks to the generous support of individuals, organizations, and businesses. Catch up with the virtual celebration at: https://sumnerhall.org

We’re Still Here is free and open to the public. Reservations are encouraged.

Please note: there is no parking at the preserve. Visitors are asked to use the town lots on the 300 block of Cannon Street. Those with limited mobility may call (410) 778-3499 in advance.

For additional information, contact the Historical Society at (410) 778-3499 or [email protected].

As we approach the close of 2024, we extend our warmest holiday greetings to you!

To allow our hardworking Spy team some well-deserved rest after an eventful year, The Spy will operate on limited coverage from December 24 through January 5. We look forward to returning refreshed and ready to serve you in 2025.

The Spy community is nothing short of extraordinary in a time when local news is facing significant challenges nationwide. In a region with a population of fewer than 250,000 across four counties, our network of Spy newspapers attracts an incredible 1 million unique visitors annually.

This remarkable engagement reflects not only the uniqueness of The Spy but also the vibrant, engaged communities in Chestertown, Centreville, Talbot County, and Cambridge. To all of you—our readers, supporters, and contributors—the editors, writers, and volunteers are deeply grateful for your unwavering support.

Last week, we invited you to share your thoughts on The Spy’s content and how we can continue to improve. Today, I’m excited to share some key takeaways from your invaluable feedback.

First, thank you to the hundreds of readers who took the time to participate in our survey. Your insights were thoughtful and constructive, and we are actively considering them as we plan for 2025. A more detailed update will follow in January.

One theme that stood out in the feedback is your high regard for our coverage of local stories and developments. Many of you expressed a desire for more consistent reporting on local government activities, and we’re eager to explore creative ways to meet this need.

Another area of focus was political balance. Several readers highlighted the absence of socially conservative, pro-Trump perspectives among our local columnists, op-eds, and letters to the editor. As publishers, we recognize this gap and assure you that we’ve made efforts to recruit conservative voices. However, the current political climate has made it challenging for many of these individuals to participate publicly.

With the recent election of a new President and the resulting shift from campaign politics to governance, we hope this will encourage more diverse viewpoints to join the conversation.

On a related note, we were pleased to see that most readers understand and support The Spy’s nonprofit mission. While opinions varied on the best ways to secure funding, there was broad acknowledgment that financial support is essential. We’re committed to finding thoughtful and minimally intrusive ways to raise the modest funds necessary to sustain our work.

Thank you again for being such an integral part of The Spy community. Here’s to an exciting 2025 filled with fresh ideas, meaningful stories, and continued collaboration.

In the meantime, we have set up a special end-of-year donation page, which can be found here.

Happy Holidays!

Jim Dissette

Publisher and Editor