What is your American creed?

The stories and experiences captured in American Creed explore continuing interactions between our aspirations as a nation and the realities of our achievements, focusing on individuals who are working to bring us closer to our aspirations. We invite you to respond to American Creed by advocating for your own American ideals and exploring how we as a nation can better achieve our vision.Suggested submissions include: Essays and memoirs, digital stories, audio stories, oral histories, or recorded interviews, annotated photo essays, or more.

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

The individuals portrayed in American Creed ground their commitments and perspectives in family and community history. We invite you to respond to American Creed by telling the story of your family and community and using that story to explore the themes of American Creed.Suggested submissions include: Essays and memoirs, digital stories, audio stories, oral histories, or recorded interviews, annotated photo essays, or more.

How do words, symbols, or rituals express the American creed?

Throughout American Creed, words, symbols, and rituals hold deep, even defining, meaning. Words, like opportunity or equality, and symbols like flags or uniforms, can bring us together or can trigger controversy or misunderstanding. Rituals, like citizenship ceremonies, can can connect us with values. We invite you to respond to American Creed by investigating words, symbols, and rituals that define us or divide us as a nation.Suggested submissions include: Essays and memoirs, digital stories, audio stories, oral histories, or recorded interviews, annotated photo essays, or more.

How do diverse Americans understand the American creed?

Joan Blades and Mark Meckler began a conversation that led them to better understand each other and the nation they held in common. We invite you to respond to American Creed through conversations and interviews. You might portray a conversation among members of your community, between aspects of yourself, between fictional or historical characters, or others. Or you might interview members of the community to portray their voices and views.Suggested submissions include: Essays and memoirs, digital stories, audio stories, oral histories, or recorded interviews, annotated photo essays, or more.

How can you express your American creed through action?

The individuals portrayed in American Creed take action as a way of expressing their sense of the American Creed. In his hometown in Pennsylvania, Joe Maddon saw a need for neighbors to get to know each other and created the Hazelton Integration Project to support youth sports and activity programs. Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, created the Sworn-Again Project to revitalize citizenship. We invite you to propose, describe, or document actions people are taking to bring the aspirations and realities of the American creed closer together.Suggested submissions include: Proposals, descriptions of work in progress, or reporting on actions being taken in the community.