About
President Trump, recognizing the long-term danger of teaching young Americans to reject their own country and values, created the 1776 Commission to restore honest, patriotic education.
Immediately smeared as “racist” by our dishonest, activist media, the 1776 Commission was then abolished by President Biden just hours after he was sworn into office.
While no doubt a setback, President Biden’s public repudiation brought undeniable clarity – there would be no remaining checks on the far Left’s advance into K-12 classrooms.
Fortunately, a grassroots movement of patriotic moms and dads has been steadily building that confounds ordinary racial, socio-economic and ideological stereotypes.
They want transparency, accountability and a renewed focus on academic achievement. They want curriculum that is as free of politics as possible, which actually helps to advance the values that made America great. They want choice, and to have their voices respected when it comes to instructional materials and extracurricular activities.
In this fight, 1776 Action will be their most aggressive and effective ally.
Goals & Objectives
- Expose egregious instances of indoctrination in schools around America.
- Make radicalism in K-12 schools a central voting issue in key local, state and federal elections.
- Build support for and enforce a pledge for candidates and elected officials who are committed to fixing our schools.
- Support legislation that strengthens transparency, choice and parental rights.
- Oppose curriculum that pits students against one another on the basis of immutable characteristics, or seeks to replace the study of our founding documents and values with a focus on partisan political action (often known as “Action Civics”).
The Team
Board of Directors
Adam Waldeck, President
Adam has worked for nearly 15 years at the intersection of politics, fundraising and advocacy, helping impact the national conversation and implement conservative policies.
Adam began his career with former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, directing coalitions and advocacy campaigns at American Solutions, such as the national “Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” petition campaign which recruited over 1.5 million Americans in favor of expanded energy development. During Gingrich’s 2012 presidential run, Adam served first as National Coalitions Director, and then State Director of Gingrich’s successful South Carolina primary campaign.
Since then, Adam has continued to develop and manage national advocacy campaigns with a variety of national voices including Dr. Ben Carson and former Army Ranger and Benghazi hero Kris “Tanto” Paronto.
Originally from Connecticut, Adam holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford.
Ryan Rhodes
Ryan worked for Dr. Ben Carson’s presidential campaign and is a former White House Lead Advance Associate. A veteran, Ryan is also the CEO of CAPCOR Strategies. He served as Iowa State Director for Dr. Carson and also worked on numerous campaigns, putting together strategy plans for political and issue-based campaigns in over 20 different states. His efforts helped stop Nancy Pelosi from winning two of the top five “Red to Blue” targeted races. Ryan is an expert in GOTV targeting and turnout, mobilizing the grassroots through direct voter contact, and digital targeting.
Benjamin Carson Jr.
Ben is Co-Founder and Partner at Interprise Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm based in Maryland, where he is responsible for the overall strategy of the company and its portfolio. Interprise is one of the few minority-owned private investment firms in the country and targets transactions between $3-30 million backing proven executive teams leading highly scalable businesses. Founded in 2013, Interprise primarily invests in healthcare, business services, and infrastructure.
Prior to founding Interprise, Ben served in an executive capacity at The Warner Companies, a middle market financial management and consulting firm. At The Warner Companies, he led TWC Capital, which advised companies on mergers and acquisitions, capital structuring, capital raises, investments, risk management and strategic planning.
Ben has also been involved in several political initiatives and served on the board of Carson America, the presidential campaign of Dr. Benjamin Carson, in 2016-17. Mr. Carson continues to be actively involved in political initiatives in Washington, DC to support entrepreneurship, workforce development, and minority- and women-owned businesses.
Ben earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership from Tufts University. He is a 2019 AEI Scholar and also the recipient of Baltimore’s 35 Under 35 award, the Envest Foundation’s 40 Under 40 award, Franchise Journal’s MBE Titans, and DCA Rising Stars of GovCon. He is dedicated to community involvement and serves on several boards, including Tufts University (Tufts Entrepreneurship Center), YPO Southeast US, Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital Foundation Board, and The Carson Scholars Fund.