Who are we?

Like so many others living in the United States, we are sickened by the far too many and shocking injustices across the country - be it social or environmental - in the year 2023.

Black Americans are up to 6x more likely to be killed by police and police officers are rarely prosecuted. There were 600+ mass shootings last year. Gentrification and redlining have contributed to a growing Black-White disparity in homeownership “larger now than it was in the early 1960s before the 1968 Fair Housing Act and other civil rights legislation.”

On the environmental front, there is a drinking water crisis (tap water contaminated with lead, Chromium-6, and forever chemicals) affecting millions of people across the U.S. and causing a growing public health emergency.

These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg as there are many more injustices. While there have been so many incredible community organizers who have achieved so much and continue to do so, there just isn’t enough change happening.

We set out on a research mission to understand the problem. It turns out that people find it difficult to navigate the activism space and as a result, not enough of society is taking action. There is little civic change when there is little civic engagement. 

We discovered that people feel overwhelmed due to information overload and the many issues to keep track of. It’s difficult and time-consuming for them to navigate how to take action because information is scattered everywhere. Plus, they have to do it all alone. They feel unsure about what to do or whether any of it makes an impact. Most importantly, all of this discourages them from taking action.

Fixing these growing injustices will require a massive number of people in the U.S. to take action (locally and consistently). It’s why we founded History Shapers: mobilizing social and environmental change requires a community-focused, systemic approach.