Peace Cities Project

The Route 66 Spirit of America Museum is developing the Peace Cities Project. Its mission will be to create a network of Peace Cities throughout America – cities that declare they want the future to be one in which all people cooperate with each other in the spirit of “love thy neighbor” – starting with Stroud, Oklahoma (where the museum is located).

The museum is connected to other cities on Route 66 through the Oklahoma Route 66 Association and to additional cities statewide through the Oklahoma Museums Association. This project is inspired by the story of Angel Delgadillo – the town barber of Seligman, Arizona – who launched the revival of Route 66 tourism nationwide in the 1980s. Angel created the first ever state-wide Route 66 Association with his friends, and the rest is Route 66 tourism history… and a wonderful example of the American spirit at work: An ordinary citizen of modest means driven by his own passion to make a difference gets his friends together and changes the world!

Steve tells Angel’s story at the beginning of his March 7th video announcing the launch of this project. (See the video below) A written description of this project’s aims and educational activities will be available soon. But for now, think of The Oklahoma Standard, which grew out of Oklahoma City’s determination that there never be another act of domestic terrorism like the one that occurred on April 19, 1995. Now think of The Oklahoma Standard spreading out across Oklahoma, other Route 66 states, and the rest of America … one city at a time.

The Peace Cities Project’s community development efforts will also be based on museum founder Steve Brant’s community development work dating back to 1991. That is when Steve joined the Community Quality Councils Committee of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). This is also when Steve began corresponding with Dr. W. Edwards Deming about his dream of bringing that concept to New York City. Dr. Deming – a pioneer in team-based, continuous learning and improvement organizational development principles dating back to WWII – began expanding the use of his philosophy to entire communities in the 1980s. Announcing the Peace Cities Project Fun fact: When he was the governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton studied Dr. Deming’s management philosophy from Dr. Myron Tribus of MIT one of Dr. Deming’s close associates. The result was an initiative in Arkansas to bring this philosophy to organizations throughout the State. Dr. Tribus was also involved with ASQ’s Community Quality Councils Committee and helped Steve with his efforts in NYC.

Steve believes the Peace Cities Project is “an idea whose time has come,” in part because its innovative, peace-oriented vision builds on the extraordinary level of hope generated by the recent Buddhist monks’ Walk For Peace.. Steve also believes that in this special year – both America’s 250th birthday and Route 66’s Centennial – we must all look to create the breakthroughs needed to move America out of today’s “us vs them” culture… and get back on track to achieving the Founding Father’s dream of a United States in which all are truly treated as if they were “created equal” and in which all have the opportunity to pursue “life, liberty, and happiness”.

A United States where “love thy neighbor” is the foundation of our cities, states, and nation is possible!

For more information:
Steve Brant
Founder & Director
Route 66 Spirit of America Museum
220 W. Main Street, Stroud, OK 74079
Phone: 646-221-1933
Email: steve@route66spiritofamericamuseum.org
https://route66spiritofamericamuseum.org/