Why I Started the 917 Society—and Why the Constitution Still Matters
- Joni917
- Mar 28
- 5 min read
If you had told me ten years ago that I'd be leading a national movement to get the U.S. Constitution into the hands of eighth graders, I probably would’ve laughed. At the time, I was a newly divorced mom working 14-hour shifts as a pastry chef and picking up Uber rides at 2 a.m. to make ends meet. I wasn’t politically connected. I didn’t have big donors or a fancy title. I just knew something in this country wasn’t right—and God put it on my heart to do something about it.
What I didn’t know then is that one conversation in a retirement home kitchen would change my life forever.
“When’s the Last Time You Read Your Constitution?”
I was working at a retirement community when I struck up a conversation with one of the residents—a constitutional lawyer and former civil rights advocate. We were debating a court case when he pulled out a little book from his pocket. He held it out and said, “My dear, when’s the last time you read your Constitution?”
I was stunned. I hadn’t. Not really. I’d voted. I’d gone to school. I had a college degree. But I had never sat down and read the Constitution from start to finish. In that moment, I realized I was part of the problem.
And if I was, how many others were too?
A Nation That Doesn’t Know Its Own Foundation
I started carrying pocket Constitutions in my car and handing them out to my Uber passengers around Nashville. I had some interesting conversations at 2 a.m. in downtown traffic! But I kept asking people: “Have you ever read this?” Most hadn’t. It wasn’t just me.
I started researching and discovered that every federally funded school and university is required by law to observe Constitution Day on September 17th—a mandate signed in 2004 by President George W. Bush. That includes K-12 schools, federal employees, and universities.
But hardly anyone does it.
That’s when the idea hit me: What if we could help schools by giving students a physical copy of the Constitution on Constitution Day? What if we made this sacred document real, tangible, and personal?
That’s how the 917 Society was born—named after September 17th, 1787, the day our Constitution was signed.
From Pastry Chef to Patriot
I had no resources, no connections, and no idea how to start a nonprofit. I just knew God was calling me to do it. I knocked on doors. I asked for meetings. I even approached a local congressman, hopeful he’d be excited about the project.
His response? “Miss Bryan, nobody cares about the Constitution.”
I walked out of his office in tears, smelling like onions and cookies from my shift, thinking, "How can I possibly do this?" But then something rose up in me. Righteous anger, maybe. I realized my tax dollars were paying his salary—and he was the one not upholding the Constitution.
So I made a decision: I wasn’t going to quit. And I’ve never looked back.
Printing, Packing, and God’s Provision
That first year, we managed to give out 25,000 pocket Constitutions in middle Tennessee. I drove them around myself, looking like a bootlegger with 30-pound boxes in the back of my car.
The next year, it was 50,000. Then 100,000. Then more states started calling.
God kept opening doors. He even provided me a new SUV when my car was on its last leg. A donor called out of the blue and said, “God told us you need a vehicle.” I hadn’t told anyone. But He knew. And He’s always made a way.
Now, we’ve distributed over 1 million Constitutions across America. And every one of them matters. I know that because of what happened in a Starbucks parking lot. A young man ran up to me, saw my 917 pin, and said, “I got one of those in eighth grade. I carry it everywhere I go.” He pulled the Constitution out of his backpack.
That’s when I knew—we are making a difference.
The Constitution: A Biblical Foundation
Some people ask, “Why print them? Just put it online.” But holding that little book in your hand does something. It connects you. It makes the Constitution yours.
And more than that, it reminds us of the biblical roots of this country. Our Founders—flawed as they were—believed in God and grounded this nation on Judeo-Christian values. The phrase “separation of church and state” isn’t even in the Constitution—it was added later through Supreme Court interpretation. What is in the Constitution are ideas pulled straight from Scripture: justice, liberty, personal responsibility, and the God-given right to life.
We’ve been told to stay silent about faith, but I believe our silence has cost us. If we want to preserve freedom, we have to speak truth boldly—and that includes the truth that our Constitution is a gift from God.
A Miracle Document, Written by Flawed Men
Some criticize the Constitution because the men who wrote it were imperfect. And they were. But if you’ve read the Bible, you know that God uses flawed people—Paul, Moses, David. Why would the Founders be any different?
The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were designed to end slavery, not preserve it. They laid the foundation for progress and equality—not perfectly, but intentionally. It’s the same as writing a diet plan you don't fully follow—just because you fail doesn’t mean the plan was wrong.
Our Constitution is a miracle. And our children deserve to know that.
We the People—Not We the Government
Today, we’re being told we’re a democracy. But we’re not. We’re a constitutional republic. That means the power belongs to the people—not the politicians. The Constitution protects us from tyranny. But only if we know it. Only if we teach it.
That’s why I’m doing this. That’s why I wear my 917 pin every day. That’s why I stand in post offices and ask, “What are you doing for Constitution Day?” even when I get blank stares.
Because I believe we can save this country—but only if we start with the truth. This is the Constitution. It’s not just paper. It’s our promise. It’s time we treat it that way again.
This isn’t about me. This is about all of us. Every donor, volunteer, teacher, and parent who joins us is part of this mission. I’m just one person—but I serve a big God. And with His help, we’re going to keep going.
#JoniBryan #917Society #ConstitutionDay #WeThePeople #FaithAndFreedom #BiblicalFoundation #TeachTheConstitution #SaveOurRepublic #AmericanValues #CivicEducation
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