“We Hold These Truths” Marks Anniversary of January 6 Insurrection with Campaign to Defend American Democracy Ahead of U.S. Semiquincentennial

“250 Pledge” Aims to Capture Hundreds of Thousands of New Signers in Support of Constitutional Ideals as Nation Celebrates 250 Years since Adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

Perryman: “This is a moment to unite around the non-negotiables of our democracy.”

Washington, D.C. – We Hold These Truths, a nationwide campaign dedicated to promoting freedom, equality, democracy, fair elections, and the rule of law, is marking the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. capitol by launching the “250 Pledge.” The campaign will increase visibility of We Hold These Truths and its work to provide clear, reliable, and accessible facts about the protections provided under the U.S. Constitution for all people and the work required to safeguard our freedoms and nation’s ideals. Skye Perryman, CEO and President of Democracy Forward, announced the pledge in testimony today during a hearing on Capitol Hill focused on the aftermath of the insurrection on January 6, 2021.

This pledge’s goal is to capture hundreds of thousands of new signers in 2026, as the nation celebrates the United States Semiquincentennial or America250, marking 250 years since the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

“As our nation approaches the 250th anniversary since we declared our independence from a King, we face a growing autocracy that threatens to return us to one. We Hold These Truths is about remembering and renewing our collective commitment to the democratic principles at the heart of our nation’s founding. We mark the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol as a stark and necessary reminder that democracy is not a spectator sport and that our freedoms must actively be defended,” said Perryman, who also serves as a co-chair of We Hold These Truths. “This is a moment to unite around the non-negotiables of our democracy. We urge each and every American to join us, whether it’s adding your name to the pledge, getting active in their community, or committing to sharing civic education tools. Our democracy endures when people of goodwill come together to protect and fight for it in the moments that demand courage and resolve.”

Launched on Independence Day 2025, the initiative promotes civic education and information to encourage engagement by all Americans committed to our democracy and shared values. Since its launch, more than 21,000 supporters of varied ideological backgrounds have signed a pledge affirming this commitment.

We Hold These Truths brings people together in solidarity around the non-negotiables:

• Personal Freedoms: Upholding free speech, fair criminal justice, and personal autonomy.

• Equality: Guaranteeing equal rights and opportunities for every American, recognizing that freedom depends on equality for all.

• Democracy and Elections: Supporting accessible voting, honoring election results, and protecting the peaceful transfer of power.

• The Rule of Law: Limiting government power through equality before the law, due process, judicial independence, and accountability.

• Separation of Powers: Ensuring no branch of government exceeds its constitutional authority, preserving checks and balances.

“As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we stand at a crossroads: to decide whether we will strengthen our democracy through the grueling work of fixing its broken places or if we will surrender to authoritarianism and fear. The 250 Pledge is a powerful effort to affirm that our hard-won constitutional ideals — including a pluralistic democracy, the rule of law, opportunity and respect for all, free and fair elections, and a system of checks and balances — are not negotiable. Instead, they are the necessary blueprint for another 10 generations of progress. At a moment of unprecedented assault on the American project, we must honor our nation’s founding by defending its noblest ambitions and correcting its gravest errors, ever moving us closer to freedom and justice for all,” said Stacey Abrams, former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives.

“The fundamental principles enshrined in our founding documents – freedom, equality, fair elections, rule of law, and separations of power – are not owned by a particular political party, they are American ideals that should unite us all,” said Christine Todd Whitman, former Environment Protection Agency administrator. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, We Hold These Truths reminds us that our shared truths are only as strong as our collective commitment to uphold them across parties, generations, and differences.”

“Despite our differences, we share a commitment to a constitutional democracy and a government under the rule of law. We Hold These Truths sets forth basic principles of American constitutional democracy that all, of every political persuasion, should be able to agree upon. At this time, as we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, it is imperative that we affirm our commitment to foundational principles of freedom and equality and a government that operates under the rule of law,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of U.C. Berkeley Law School and co-chair of We Hold These Truths.

Prominent supporters of We Hold These Truths represent a distinguished and diverse coalition and include former cabinet leaders Deb Haaland, Christine Todd Whitman, and Pete Buttigieg, Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), Martin Baron, Lynda Carter, Sharon McMahon, Reshma Saujani, Brad Meltzer, Rep. Jamie Raskin, former Rep. Barbara Comstock, Stacey Abrams, Jodi Picoult, Sophia Bush, Rachel Dratch, Judge Thomas Griffith (ret.), and Julianne Moore. 

The initiative encourages Americans to:

• Sign the pledge at www.weholdtruths.org. 

• Host a community gathering, salon, or discussion to engage friends and neighbors in civic education. Learn more at https://democracyforward.org/dinnersfordemocracy.  

• Share digital assets on social media to amplify the initiative.

• Record and submit personal videos explaining why these principles matter to them.

• Write to your local newspaper.

Since its launch, the initiative has shared messages from Saujani, Abrams, Moore, Picoult, and Meltzer, all of which can be viewed on our website.

Current co-chairs of the We Hold These Truths include: Chemerinsky, Skye Perryman, and Lisa Tucker, Professor of Law, Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. 

To sign the pledge, see the full list of signers, and access resources on how to spread these truths, visit www.weholdtruths.org.