Everyone has a story about our experiences with our democracy. Sharing your story is a powerful form of activism that can help inspire people to action and change hearts and minds.
About
DFAD has launched a storytelling initiative to help amplify activist stories, from the comfort of your own home!
Share your story with DFAD to join our movement to build a democracy that represents and serves all of us. We may utilize submitted stories for video content amplifying our movement, and there may be opportunities for storytellers to be trained to share your story with other activists, representatives, and the media! Submit this form if you are interested in joining our trainings.
By sharing our stories on why democracy matters to us, we can expand our movement and build the pressure needed to pass legislation to protect and strengthen our democracy – and you can be a part of it! Share your story today.
How to Share Your Democracy Story
Your democracy story can be about your experiences registering to vote and voting, to politicians dividing your community into gerrymandered districts, or corporate funders blocking progress on issues in our legislatures. Some of us have positive stories about new laws that help us participate in our democracy, while many of us live in states that are making it harder. We want to hear from you about your experience with our democracy and why a healthy democracy is important to you.
Share your story using the Declaration for American Democracy’s story bank here!
Simply open the story bank on your web browser, record your video or audio, and upload it to the tool! By sharing your story, you are consenting to have it used in DFAD materials advocating for democracy reform legislation.
If you would rather share a written story, you can do so here! Also – please be sure to submit this form if you are interested in spokesperson trainings!
Tips
A good narrative isn’t just a message, it helps tell a common story and builds power over time. If we are going to achieve message cohesion and speak in the same direction, we need to unify our core strategies. Use the strategies below to ensure your communications are aligned with those underlying this narrative framework.
- Try writing down key points from your story before filming. Having an outline will help you feel comfortable and prepared!
- Prepare your background and lighting to make sure your video looks as good as possible!
- Stay relaxed, and have fun! If you don’t love your video, you have as many chances as you need to take a new one!
- Lead with your values. Tell a story that connects the health of our democracy with other issues you care about. Give a positive vision of a future where democracy works for all of us!
What is the Declaration for American Democracy?
A Coalition of 260+ Member Organizations
The Declaration for American Democracy is an anti-oppression coalition working together to make the promise of democracy real for all of us.
We believe our democratic systems, institutions, and leaders must reflect, represent, and respect the diverse, multicultural nation that we are and have always been. For democracy to work for all of us, it must include all of us and address the deep systemic, institutional challenges that continue to block meaningful progress to this day. As America’s diversity continues to grow, so must our democracy.
Our Mission
Today our democracy faces crises on multiple fronts -- compounded by a deeply problematic history that has held us back from achieving an inclusive and equitable multiracial nation since our founding. Powerful corporations and wealthy special interests use their money and influence to shape public policy priorities. Extremist politicians are putting up deliberate barriers to block access to the ballot box and silence the voices of Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, low-income, LGBTQIA, disability, and other marginalized communities. State legislatures are manipulating Congressional maps to allow politicians to pick their voters and hoard power for their political parties. And our government has failed to respond after four years of a corrupt administration and Supreme Court decisions gutting voting rights protections and anti-corruption laws.
Working together, we are committed to passing national standards, including the Freedom to Vote Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and DC Statehood, to transform our political system and move our country closer to realizing the true promise of democracy. However, we will not be satisfied with any single reform and will continue to press for the structural changes necessary to rebalance power for the people and undo the historic harms that have barred communities that have been marginalized and denied political power since the founding of the United States.
We believe people of color, young people, people with disabilities, language minorities, and other historically disenfranchised communities should have equal access to the ballot and be equitably represented in government. We believe everyday people should have a stronger voice in elections than wealthy donors and special interests. And we believe our government should be transparent and accountable to the people.
Together we must ensure the freedom to vote is a fundamental American right and that the people -- regardless of our color, our background, or our zip code - hold the power, not the wealthy and corporations.
Our Vision
Therefore, we, the Declaration for American Democracy, are committed to working together to achieve this vision and model our values in how we work together. As a coalition, we will invest in each other and treat each other with respect. We will acknowledge and learn from our past, including the legacy of racism and white supremacy in our movement and democratic institutions. In decision making we will center Black, Brown, Indigenous, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQIA, people with disabilities, language minorities, as well as other impacted communities. And we will invest in each other through professional development, collaborative grantmaking, and shared projects.
Our 260+ Member Organizations
