My American Story—Storytelling Workshops
Call for Applications
Civic Season connects our newest and oldest US holidays—Juneteenth and the Fourth of July—to learn about history and civics, featuring events, celebrations and conversations at more than 500 cultural, community, and educational organizations nationwide.
From kitchen tables and barstools to open mics and rallies, storytelling helps us share communal memories, embrace our self-expression, and find healing. The Democracy Center is thrilled to launch My American Story, its inaugural Civic Season program!
This new annual storytelling program is free for community members of all ages in the greater Los Angeles area. Participants will receive training in creative writing and public speaking, culminating in a live storytelling event at the Democracy Center.
Learn how to:
- Choose a meaningful story to tell
- Structure a story in a compelling way
- Present it confidently to an audience
Workshop dates
(times TBD based on participants’ availability)
- Tuesday, June 4
- Tuesday, June 11 (virtual)
- Tuesday, June 25
- Saturday, June 29 (culmination event)
Space is limited for this inaugural group of participants. To participate, please complete the application by Wednesday, May 29.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Sofia at DemocracyCenter@janm.org.
My American Story is presented by JANM’s Daniel K. Inouye National Center for the Preservation of Democracy in partnership with the Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment (CAUSE) and the Los Angeles County Asian American Employees Association (LACAAEA).
Civic Season is an initiative of Made By Us, a coalition of 500 renowned cultural, community, and educational organizations nationwide. The 2024 Civic Season brings us one moment closer to the US’s 250th anniversary in 2026. By creating opportunities to collaborate with one another during Civic Season we build greater capacity for our institutions as we move towards this milestone.
Artist
jason chu is an rapper, activist, and educator who “speaks hope and healing in a hurting world,” matching high energy performances with hard-hitting lyricism. He tours extensively, bringing a clear and urgent voice to stages around the country and globally. In 2021-22, chu was an Artist at Work Fellow at JANM and, with Audrey Chan, created the project “An American Vocabulary: Words to Action.” His music has been heard in Valorant (Riot Games), American Born Chinese (Disney+), Joy Ride (2023), Warrior (HBO/Max), and more. An expert on Asian American identity and hip-hop culture, chu has spoken at colleges, conferences, nationwide.