What does it mean to be American, and who gets to decide? For readers seeking to understand the divisions shaping the United States, *All We Say* explores how competing ideas of identity have influenced the nation from its founding to the present.
Through accounts of speeches and the people, movements, and moments behind them, this book traces debates over power, equality, exclusion, and belonging. It shows how public words have reflected and shaped American history, from calls for compromise and arguments for exclusion to visions of equality and challenges to democracy.
Drawing on the author’s experience writing political speeches, *All We Say* considers what gives a speech lasting influence and how oratory can persuade in a democracy. It offers a clear, thoughtful portrait of a nation shaped by competing stories—and invites readers to consider who Americans are and who they might become.
