What is Your American Creed?

My American Creed is a promise to myself and everyone else I am around, that I will stand strong for my beliefs and always remember my community.

By Terrell S. from West Baton Rouge Library in Louisiana

Many people wonder what is an American Creed, does everyone have their own, or maybe even wonder how do they represent the American Creed? The official definition of an American Creed is “a statement of the defining element of American identity.” I believe to truly represent your American Creed you have to know what it is.

Growing up I have always taken things for granted and never thought about how blessed I was to receive and have the opportunities I had. As I grew over the years and heard the stories of the horrific events that were going on while I was living my young best life, I started to think about how everyone wasn’t the same. Not everybody I knew could afford the same things I could. Being American is more than just a title, it’s a lifestyle. So you ask what is my American Creed? My American Creed is a promise to myself and everyone else I am around, that I will stand strong for my beliefs and always remember my community.

Terrell Smith

Port Allen High School

Grade: 12

West Baton Rouge Library

West Baton Rouge Library

Written responses compiled by Port Allen High School students in response to the Writing Our Future prompts.

More responses about "community", "creed", "lifestyle", and "privilege"

Surprise Me

Who am I ?

My piece is about how where my parents came from, and the difference in culture has impacted my view of the American creed

A Divided America

America is divided but an American Creed is something to help unify us.

My American Creed

advocating for your own American ideals and exploring how we as a nation can better achieve our vision.

My Family of Immigrants

Look into my Family History. See my American Creed.

American Creed Argument

Your past doesn't matter as long as you focus on the future and what's in front of you. Equal opportunity is an important American value that people want.

American Creed vs American Dream

In my essay I talk about the American creed and how it relates to the American dream. I compare and contrast the actual definition of the two historical terms.

Alisha's American Creed

Being American means you have the ability to be who you want, do what you want to do, and remake yourself as long as you work hard. You have the right to equal opportunity and to express yourself. It means to accept it's not always about you.

American Success

Achieving your goals and following your dreams is what is currently coined as a success in America. However, I argue that true success comes from doing something so meaningful that it positively affects the entire nation. Unity matters and education is a great way to build that.

What America could use

A few things America could use to make the country a better place overall.

How does your family & community history connect to your American creed?

My piece is about how my family is connects to my American Creed. In this instance I wrote a photo story explaining how it does. I write about the journey my parents took from Afghanistan to Russia to The United States.

Rebuilding Detroit

For years, Detroit was one of the lowest economic ranking cities in the U.S. Now, it's on the rise and it's giving many Americans hope for growth in the community.

American Creed

My thoughts on being an American.

Almost Losing My Best Friend

I found out my beloved Grandmother had cancer. It destroyed me, but a new person grew, one who's more loving and conscious of every moment.

American Creed

The American Creed has different beliefs for different people. I explore three in the film "the American Creed' in this essay

American Creed Video Essay

Thoughts on American Creed as shown by robot.

The American Creed

Everyone is here for freedom.

American Creed

America is a country that has been a home to many different cultures and heritages. Many immigrants have chosen America because of the freedoms and opportunities to have a family and start a new life here.

American Creed

How do Words, Symbols and Rituals express the American Creed?

American Creed

A quick thought

Small Town Anthem

While trying to go about their ordinary lives amidst a backdrop of polarization, divisiveness, and conversations around injustice, everyday Americans in small towns must look inwards to find what brings them closer together.

American Creed-Problem in America

This is about the American dream, and what a major problem in America is.

The Lost Dream

The United States has lost its common luster known as the American Dream. Through my essay, I explain the problems caused by the parts of the American Dream that have been lost and how those parts affects the American people today.

United by our Differences

I interviewed people in my community and asked them what the American Dream means to them. I got a wide variety of answers that mentioned the economic opportunities, freedom and rights, and even that the American Dream is a way of life.

American Creed Interviews

For my American Creed project I interviewed people of different races and genders about the issues that America is having today. I made sure to ask everyone the same questions, so I could see the difference in answer. I turned these interviews into a scrapbook:

Writing Our Future: American Creed is part of the National Writing Project’s family of youth publishing projects, all gathered under the Writing Our Future initiative.

Writing Our Future projects are designed by educators for educators and the young people they work with. Intended for use in schools, libraries, and other educational settings. All projects are COPPA compliant and educator-managed. NWP is committed to supporting young people’s writing and civic participation by providing a safe and supportive environment for youth writing, media creation, sharing, and publishing.