At Heart of Los Angeles, we believe that young people have powerful stories to tell—stories that reflect the strength, complexity, and resilience of the communities that shape them. That’s why we’re proud to be part of Democracy in Dialogue, a national storytelling initiative led by the Smithsonian. This program brings together students ages 13 to 18 from across the country to explore how their communities have contributed to the 250-year journey of American democracy—through honest dialogue, creative expression, and a deep sense of place.
Launched in July 2024, the program connects educators and students across 35 states through semester-long virtual exchanges that blend object-based learning, place-based inquiry, and community storytelling. Since its inception, more than 100 educators and over 2,000 students have taken part. They meet not to debate or perform but to create—artworks, interviews, digital collages, ceramic sculptures—anchored in the prompt: How has your community played a role in 250 years of the American experiment?
In practice, the exchanges are intimate and widespread as students in different states share stories and engage with each other. In LA, sessions were facilitated by Heart of LA Visual Arts Teaching Artist Maria Ahverdyan. Students explore what is often overlooked: the corners of their neighborhoods, the layered memories of public parks, the iconography of fast food wrappers, and the wisdom handed down over dinner tables. The result is a kind of civic cartography—mapped not through politics or policy but through texture, empathy, and voice.
A standout contribution came from Heart of Los Angeles. Working with content creator Anthony O, a group of students created a short film entitled Straight from the Heart of LA, a three-minute visual meditation on identity, history, and belonging in one of the country’s most mythologized cities.
“The video project is fantastic! The student testimonials are compelling, emphasizing how art influences their lives and provides a powerful outlet for expressing what matters most to them – family, culture, diversity, inclusion, perseverance. It’s also meaningful to hear about their connections to LA – a city that has had such a long, rich, complicated history,” said Ali McKersie, Smithsonian Education Specialist and Instructional Coach.
The video opens with the slow pulse of testimony. Heart of LA alumni and participant, Madeline, speaks about the complexities embedded in LA.
“LA, there’s so much to do here. It’s so beautiful. Not just the things we have here but the people. The observatory stands at the top and you can see the whole city. Everytime I go there, I have my little main character moment. I feel special and I feel connected to the city where I’m from where sometimes I feel natives are being pushed out more and more,” she said. “When you grow up low income in a major city, you just feel exposed to a lot of things. Both are good and bad seeing a bunch of stuff in the streets where like homeless people. I feel like being exposed to that. It’s made me more empathetic to people.”
For Alondra, another participant, the act of creation itself is resistance.
“Art has taught me a lot of things about my world, my life, my future. I feel like the world is struggling. Especially with ICE, deportations. What I’m seeing is, kids my age, doing anything we can. Showing the world, yes have voices, yes, we have feelings. Everyone tries to fight back,” said Alondra.
“I made three pins. Two about racism. I think it’s being normalized. I don’t think it should be normalized. I care because if it were to happen to me or people I know it would hurt me really bad. So the families going through racism, I grieve with them,” said participant Lucciano.
Across their reflections, a throughline emerges: the desire to be seen, in all the multiplicity that large cities both nurture and neglect. Erick, who grew up on LA’s South Side, uses art to correct what he sees as the most damaging myth of all, that Los Angeles is flat and phony.
“The whole stereotype that Hollywood is fake, but the way that I see it, we’re all really diverse. I really do love the community I grew up in. I grew up in the South Side. My bus stop would go all the way in Hollywood, so I would see all different kinds of people. From Koreatown, Pico, my community is just so big. I just love it. My art just tries to capture all the people that aren’t accounted for,” he said.
For Brian though, there’s the belief that the city is still theirs to shape.
“One thing that LA has taught me is that family is always in the heart. I feel like wherever you go, whatever happens. You’re always going to have people that care about you and love you. I feel like that’s an important lesson because you’re always gonna have family. Your chosen family. Your real family. Whoever you want it to be. They’re always gonna be there for you. You’re always gonna have a piece of them in your heart,” Erick added. “Coming together as a community is something LA is really good at. Although sometimes it seems like a lot of bad things happen. The city of Los Angeles finds a way to fight for it together.”
This, ultimately, is the lesson the Smithsonian hopes to spotlight. Not a singular idea of America, but many truths. “How do we play a role in something that is bigger than all of us?” Madeline asked, the question still echoing.
“Kind of having to think that, sort of makes me appreciate the small things here in LA. Makes me realize how lucky I am to be in a place like this. As well, how lucky I am to have the people in my community, to have the support in such an incredible place. That is how the program made me think a little more about my home and community.”
