Watch | FIRSTHAND: Democracy

Miten Patel teaches his students at Evanston Township High School that democracy is a verb. A British-born Indian immigrant, Miten left the corporate world to teach active citizenship: registering to vote, questioning candidates, and meeting federal judges. His goal is to show democracy is not an abstract principle, but a participatory sport practiced in everyday life.

Whether debating issues, teaching college students to disagree civilly, or toning down partisanship in church basements, Braver Angels volunteer Maryanne Colter acts on the belief that everyone can address divisiveness. Her goal is not to change Americans’ views of issues, but their views of each other.

After immigrating from Mexico 23 years ago, Isabel Aguilar-Martinez became a citizen to vote in 2024. Now she tutors other immigrants, celebrating their naturalization by baking custom red, white, and blue cakes. Isabel teaches that democracy is a gift to be shared and protected, whether in the classroom or on the streets of Chicago.

Testifying in court at age six after her mother's murder inspired Camille Williams to ensure everyone knows their legal rights. At Chicago Votes, she leads programs for inclusive democracy: winning voting rights for the incarcerated, supporting court observers, and overseeing a podcast urging Americans to take an active role in the democratic process.

At 72, Julee Mortensen lives by the maxim that democracy does not retire. She uses a "resistance calendar" to organize weekly protests on causes from voting rights to banned books. While her run for the Elk Grove Village Board ended in defeat, she helped usher in a new generation of candidates who are remaking her quiet, traditional suburb.