‘Defining Democracy’: A 1619 Workshop Series

The Pulitzer Center champions the power of stories to make complex issues relevant and inspire action. As the original education partner for The 1619 Project, which began as a New York Times Magazine special issue in 2019, the Pulitzer Center has supported hundreds of educators in expanding student understanding of the complex origin story of the United States. This year, as schools and communities are recognizing the United States Semiquincentennial, we will support educators engaging with 1619 themes of democracy and origin through the Defining Democracy Professional Development Series.

The Defining Democracy series is designed to equip educators with resources and strategies for exploring the theme of American democracy in their classrooms and communities. We’ll go beyond simply marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence by utilizing The 1619 Project to interrogate historical narratives, acknowledge Black Americans’ contributions to American history, and understand the lasting legacies of slavery in our democracy today.

The series will include structures to support continued learning and sustained impact throughout the year. During workshops, educators will engage with sample classroom and community projects around a focused theme and brainstorm an application of a relevant model to their own community. After each workshop, participants will have the opportunity to further network with other educators and submit evidence of their impact to be featured on the Center’s 1619 education website. At the conclusion of each workshop cycle, the participants with the strongest stories of impact in their communities will receive a prize from the Pulitzer Center Education Team.