Katherine Lee Bates’ greatest hope in life was to write a poem that people would remember after she died. Soon, 133 years later, millions of people across the United States will sing “America the Beautiful,” commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary. However, some of the same problems America faced at the time Bates wrote her poem are still relevant today.

Filmmakers Laurence Cotton and John de Graaf join us to discuss their documentary “From Sea to Shining Sea,” which follows the life of Katherine Lee Bates, and the striking relevance of “America the Beautiful” today.

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/25/think-out-loud-america-the-beautiful-katherine-lee-bates/