This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, have been archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow.
Activist Voices from the Past
A number of prominent African-Americans were featured on Edward R. Murrow’s original This I Believe radio series. Their words helped build momentum for the civil rights movement in the years leading up to the Montgomery bus boycott, lunch-counter sit-ins and the march on Washington. Perhaps their wisdom can be useful today. Click here to hear their inspiring words.
A Goal of Service to Humankind
Before Dr. Anthony Fauci was tasked with overseeing the country’s response to COVID-19, he was the nation’s point-person for HIV-AIDS. His work as Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is fueled by his belief in personal responsibility to humankind. Click here to read his essay.
The work of This I Believe is made possible by individuals like you. Please consider making your tax-deductible contribution today.
Always Go to the Funeral
As a child Deirdre Sullivan’s father told her to always pay her respects at funerals. Now, the Brooklyn attorney believes those simple acts of human kindness are as important as the grand heroic gestures. Click here to read her essay.
I Am Still “The Greatest”
To be “The Greatest of All Time,” boxing legend Muhammad Ali said you have to believe in yourself. It’s something Ali’s parents taught him as a child, and it helped him through the biggest challenge of his life: fighting Parkinson’s disease. Click here to read his essay.
Be Cool to the Pizza Dude
We know them. We depend on them. We call them out on cold, rainy nights. Now, college professor Sarah Adams tells us why her life philosophy is built around being cool to the pizza delivery dude. Click here to read her essay.
Do What You Love
Tony Hawk has turned what many consider a childhood activity into a professional career. Now for Hawk, skateboarding is not only a job, it’s a means of expression and a foundation for personal belief.Click here to read his essay.
There Is No God
As half of the magic act Penn and Teller, Penn Jillette enjoys challenging his audiences with the unconventional. In stating his personal credo, Jillette finds liberation in believing there is no God. Click here to read his essay.
Black Is Beautiful
What’s in a name? For writer and teacher Sufiya Abdur-Rahman it’s key to her identity as the proud daughter of Muslim parents. Like the 1960s movement, Abdur-Rahman believes black is beautiful and not a condition she should have to rise above.Click here to read her essay.
An Ideal of Service to Our Fellow Man
Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein found beauty in life’s mysteries, and says the fate of mankind depends on individuals choosing public service over private gain. Click here to read his essay.
Finding a Good Frog
Delia Motavalli has grown up watching movies about fairy tales and princesses. But after she received a piece of advice from her mother, Delia has come to realize her own definition of “happily ever after.” Click here to read her essay.
Being Content with Myself
Massachusetts teenager Kamaal Majeed believes being content with himself and defining his own life are more important than adhering to any racial stereotypes that his peers may try to force upon him.Click here to read his essay.