MILWAUKEE, WI — As communities across the country participate in Civic Season between Juneteenth and July 4, America’s Black Holocaust Museum will host a unique national artifact designed by and for the next generation: the Youth250 Declaration, a youth-written vision for America’s future.

Created earlier this year at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, the Declaration was drafted and signed by dozens of young adults from across the country as part of Youth250: Our Declaration, a national effort led by Made By Us to ensure young people have a voice in shaping America’s 250th anniversary and the country’s next chapter.

Now traveling to cultural institutions nationwide, the Declaration serves as both a public artifact and an invitation to communities everywhere to consider a simple but profound question: What kind of country can we build together?

The Milwaukee stop at America’s Black Holocaust Museum marks one of the first public exhibitions of the traveling Declaration during Civic Season, a nationwide movement connecting Juneteenth and Independence Day through history, storytelling, civic participation, and community engagement.

The Declaration is accompanied by “Letters to America,” a collection of reflections, aspirations, and calls to action from young people imagining the nation’s future. Together, they represent one of the most ambitious youth-led efforts connected to America’s semiquincentennial.

“Too often, conversations about America’s future happen without young people at the table,” said Alex Edgar, Youth Engagement Manager and Youth250 Co-Founder. “The Youth250 Declaration turns that model upside down. It asks young people not simply what they think about America, but what responsibilities they are willing to embrace and what future they hope to help create.”

The traveling Declaration is part of the broader Youth250 initiative, which has invested in youth leadership, storytelling, public history, and civic engagement opportunities nationwide ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

EVENT DETAILS

WHAT: Public Exhibition of the Youth250 Declaration
WHERE: America’s Black Holocaust Museum
LOCATION: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
DATES: June 25 – July 7, 2026

ABOUT THE DECLARATION

Earlier this year, Made By Us convened dozens of young adults from across the United States at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia to draft and sign a youth-written declaration expressing their hopes, commitments, and vision for the nation’s next 250 years.

Following its debut, the Declaration began a nationwide tour of museums and cultural institutions designed to elevate youth voices and spark community conversations about America’s future.

Future stops include:

  • Carpenter’s Hall (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Heritage Village Museum & Park (Largo, FL)
  • Montpelier (Montpelier Station, VA)
  • National Constitution Center (Philadelphia, PA)

VISUALS FOR MEDIA

  • The original Youth250 Declaration artifact
  • Youth-written signatures and commitments
  • Letters to America submissions and storytelling materials
  • Visitors engaging with the Declaration
  • America’s Black Holocaust Museum exhibits and programming
  • Interviews with Youth250 leaders and participants
  • Civic Season activations and community engagement opportunities