The American Dream

A poem about America.

By Donnie P. from Thomas Walker High School in Virginia

The American Dream

By Donnie Pauley

Many before me have paid the price,

Many before me have laid down their lives,

For this alone I am very grateful,

For this alone I have mighty pride.

As protests wage on and hate spreads like fire,

I cannot help but to raise my flag higher.

Because my country alone may have its faults,

But it is still beautiful and free.

The American dream means so much to me,

It means I can think and do as I please,

Without a king or a tyrant standing over me,

Telling me that I cannot do as I please.

But in my country I stand up proud,

I salute my flag and sing the anthem loud.

Because I know I am blessed that I live in a place,

That makes it hard not to keep a smile on my face.

The American Dream means so much to me,

Because without it, who would I be?

I could not write, I could not think.

But instead of worrying about this,

I stand up taller and salute my flag.

Thomas Walker High School

Wampler's English Students

Various English students from Virginia

More responses about "creed"

Surprise Me

American Creed

My essay is about what it means about being an American.

Credo Americano

In America, hearing the phrase “I can accomplish my dreams and whatever goal I set” sparks a lot of commotion. It is a touchy subject that not everyone agrees with. I chose to interview my mother regarding this topic, an educated, successful, Mexican American immigrant.

How is American Creed defined by its members?

A narrative of how my immigrant mother overcame hardships to become American, relating to Gone with the Wind and the Great Gatsby, defining what American Creed is, defined by those whom belong to it.

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.

Action & Expression

A poem inspired by the American Creed.

Participating for Change

Understanding how citizen participation in politics has changed American society, and its impact on current American issues.

My American Creed

This is a presentation that I created that describes what makes me an American.

It Doesn't Matter Where You Came From

I chose this project because I wanted to further my understanding of all perspectives of what people expect from U.S and how diversity impacts the way people see U.S.I was able to relate the interviews back to myself and my own community by thinking about my own American Creed.

What is Your American Creed

My American Creed is based on acceptance, integrity, diversity, and perseverance.

Identifying with the American Creed

This essay breaks the American Creed into three sections which it could be related to: symbols, words, and rituals. It goes into depth on how these three is shown in everyday life by Americans.

Dreams & The Gaps Between

It is time that we come together and talk about our dreams and the gaps between American dreams and American realities.

Improving Respect

In America today, respect is not found as commonly as it should be. Watch the video to understand more!

American Creed Project

My Prezi is about how you can express your American Creed through actions.

From Discrimination to Immigration; My Jewish American Creed

In order to understand how my family has affected the way I view my own American creed, I conducted interviews with my mother, father, and grandmother. Ultimately my goal was to figure out, connect, and contrast on how my family history has affected my American Creed.

American Dream within the American Creed

The American Dream, is implemented by the American Creed, what it means to be American.

How my family and community connects me to the American Creed

My piece is about how my family and where I live have showed me that the principle of equality plays a big role in America. Everyone is given equal opportunity.

How do Diverse Americans Understand the American Creed?

We might not agree on everything, even if it's with our own family. However, we can and should understand what people of other views than us think. But, a lot of the times we don't. We need to fix that.

Immigration and its Effects on the American Dream

As the daughter of immigrants I have been able to see and get a second-hand experience of how their hardships and battle scars have affected their political and social views. Find out how immigration affects one´s views of the American Dream.

I can ...

My American Creed, two simple words, I can... .

What Stories Describe Our American Creed (Added by Mr H)

A discussion of how some of the stories from the PBS film "American Creed" speak to the nature of what American is all about (Added by Mr H)

"Promise Land"

A poem on who actually makes up America.

My Struggles with Education

In my piece I am trying to help the people who are reading this understand that the accessibility that people have to education isn't the same for everyone. I to help people realize that some may have to work harder to achieve their goals in life and education they desire.

The Melting Pot

America is a melting pot of people, beliefs, and dreams. Everybody has dreams, and everybody wishes they would come true. I believe that America should be a place where the opportunity to follow your dreams is available to everyone.

My American Creed

What does being a american means to me..

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.