As Move to Amend supporters prepare for the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and our upcoming Week of Action, one thing is clear: the movement for authentic self-government is alive and growing in communities across the country.

Photo: Move to Amend Minnesota supporters gather at the Minnesota State Capitol following a legislative hearing. Photo courtesy of Rep. Emma Greenman's office.

Recently, members of Move to Amend Minnesota gathered at the State Capitol to support legislation and engage lawmakers on the urgent need to address the corrupting influence of money in politics and the broader problem of corporate rule. The hearing was another example of the steady, persistent organizing that has defined the movement for years—showing up, educating elected officials, building relationships, and keeping constitutional reform on the public agenda.

Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, longtime Move to Amend organizer and former National Co-Director Greg Coleridge helped lead the community's annual Democracy Day event. The gathering brought residents together to reflect on the state of democracy 250 years after the Declaration of Independence and to discuss the challenges facing self-government today. Speakers explored a wide range of issues—from corporate influence in elections and the growing power of artificial intelligence, to environmental threats, voting rights, economic inequality, healthcare justice, and the urgent need for constitutional reform through the We the People Amendment. Democracy Day once again demonstrated how local communities can create meaningful public spaces for civic dialogue, education, and action.

Though separated by geography, the efforts in Minnesota and Ohio share a common thread. Both reflect a growing recognition that the challenges we face—whether political corruption, corporate influence, economic inequality, environmental degradation, or threats to democratic participation—cannot be solved without addressing the underlying structures that concentrate power in the hands of corporations and wealthy interests.

That growing momentum was reinforced this month with the addition of a new endorsing organization: Of By For.

Dedicated to strengthening civic participation and building a government that works for everyday people, Of By For joins hundreds of organizations nationwide that have endorsed the We the People Amendment. Their commitment to expanding democratic engagement and empowering communities aligns closely with Move to Amend's vision of a democracy genuinely accountable to people rather than concentrated wealth and corporate power.

Together, local organizers, endorsing organizations, coalition partners, and everyday advocates are helping build the movement necessary to complete the unfinished promise of self-government.

As we approach Independence Day and the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we celebrate the work taking place in communities like Minnesota and Cleveland Heights and welcome new allies like Of By For into the movement. Their efforts remind us that democracy is not something we inherit—it is something we create together through organizing, education, participation, and collective action.

The founders declared independence from a distant power that ruled without accountability. Today, our challenge is different, but the task remains the same: building a political system that derives its just powers from the people and remains accountable to them.

The work continues—and so does the movement.