YOUR FACE, YOUR VOICE, WE THE PEOPLE

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YOUR FACE, YOUR VOICE, WE THE PEOPLE ★

AN INVITATION ACROSS THE NATION TO SHARE YOUR HOPES AND WISHES FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER OF OUR AMERICAN STORY.

Submissions to The Declaration Project will be collected as a national digital archive, and may be featured in the world premiere of Lara Downes’ concert DECLARATION: SONGS OF DEMOCRACY, VOICES OF HOPE at Lincoln Center in New York City on July 1, 2026.

Renowned pianist and NPR creator Lara Downes marks the 250th anniversary of the United States by gathering together American communities to find common ground in exploring the core essence of our founding promise: the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Lara invites YOU - Americans of all ages and backgrounds - to express your hopes and wishes for our country’s future, centering your personal perspective, experience and intentions as you imagine the next chapter of our national story.

Click each photo to hear A story.

Scroll below the gallery to make your own submission.

The Declaration Project is a non-partisan, unbiased initiative meant to promote empathy, community and unity. Submissions that speak negatively about specific individuals, groups or institutions will not be considered.

Contact Thedeclarationproject.info@gmail.com with any questions.

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WHY

On July 4, 2026, the United States of America will mark the 250th anniversary of its founding. In 1776, when our country was signed into existence with the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson’s words offered a bold promise meant to inspire and unite the citizens of a newborn nation. “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

Ever since that time, we have been trying to realize that promise for all Americans. The work continues.

This quarter-century anniversary offers us an important opportunity to reflect on the core concepts of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness as powerful, universal ideas that can help us design the next chapter of our American story, working towards a society in which we all live in freedom and equality, devoted to the pursuit of a meaningful and fulfilling collective future.