About “Stories of 2020”

“Stories of 2020” is a digital storytelling initiative that gathers public responses to the multiple crises unfolding across the nation. Through a global health pandemic, protests for racial justice, economic crisis, and political upheaval, everyday people are seeing change all around. The National Museum of American History invites the public to share how they have experienced these times.   

 “Stories of 2020” offers a chance for collective reflection on the year that is ending and, too, an opportunity to shape the historical record. Just as historians today turn to letters, diaries, scrapbooks, and physical objects to understand the past, this collection of digital stories will help future historians understand how we are navigating this moment. Taken together, the stories in this digital time capsule will document how ordinary people are coping with change and making history in big ways and small.   

All written submissions will be archived and preserved. Curators will preserve selected photographs and videos with permission from contributors. A team of staff will review each submission before it is published. However, not all submissions will be published due to the high volume of submissions we anticipate receiving. While the team will try to maintain the original text, some stories may receive light editing for brevity and clarity. The museum reserves the right to not publish any submissions that may contain inappropriate or offensive content or content that does not belong to the contributor.

About the National Museum of American History 

The National Museum of American History dedicates its collections and scholarship to empowering people to create a just and compassionate future by exploring, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past. For more information, visit our mission and history page.

Contact email: NMAH-StoriesOf2020@si.edu