Americans All, a program of the 35-year-old nonprofit People of America Foundation, has repurposed its unique storytelling tool to support families who have lost a loved one to Covid-19. This tool can also help unite our nation, which has become severely polarized due to the lack of serious conversations about systemic racism.
Americans All and Covid-19
The stress that Covid-19 has placed on families who suddenly had a loved one taken from them—plus the lack of proper closure or a way to permanently honor and preserve their loved one’s memory—must be addressed as soon as possible. These loved ones warrant more than just a media sound bite or statistical entry. Their legacies must be recorded and preserved using text, photographs and, if available, audio and/or visual elements. Storytelling can also play a major role in helping families heal, a task federal, state or local governments are not positioned to do without the help of the public sector.
An ancient proverb tells us, “When a person dies, it’s as if a library has been destroyed.” Normally, if someone is ill or nearing the end of life, there is time to minimize that loss by having the story created by the honoree. When death is sudden, the individual is deprived of an opportunity to directly pass on his or her accumulated knowledge, wisdom and experiences to current and future generations. Without this information, children may not fully appreciate their ethnic and/or cultural identities.
Genealogy experts have cautioned us that stories passed on orally will fade in two generations. What's the solution? Joining Americans All. Membership is free to individuals and families. We provide easy-to-use templates and tutorials to simplify the storytelling process.
Americans All's Mission and Goals
Our program remains true to its mission to honor the contributions that all immigrants, both forced and voluntary, have made—and continue to make—to the United States. We aim to reinforce our nation’s values of diversity, tolerance and acceptance through legacy storytelling about individuals and groups. We
also include historical information in timeline format that provides context for these stories.
A second goal is to help students succeed in our democracy, economy and workforce by providing them, their families and their schools with free access to supplemental, inclusive social studies resources already being used in more than 2,000 schools and libraries. Lastly, we give small businesses—many of which are minority-owned or employ people of color—new marketing tools to better reach their clients and customers. They can create their own stories to better connect with their clients and customers and access an inexpensive way to publish daily discounts on their goods and services for Americans All members.
We recognize that differences make us human, but respect for one another—a key to getting past stereotypes or politics—is the glue that makes communities work. Individuals, families, schools and nonprofits participate in Americans All for free, and all members gain access to our instructional materials.
CLICK HERE for information on how to use our storytelling tool to research and create a legacy story and view examples of how stories are posted on our website to gain additional exposure.
CLICK HERE for information on our Americans All resources that deal with diversity, systemic racism and women's rights.
CLICK HERE to register for Americans All and begin creating and sharing a legacy story and accessing program benefits.
For additional information, contact:
Allan Kullen, President
People of America Foundation / Americans All
301-520-8242 or email@example.com