The commitment to the construction of a diverse and equitable democracy is even more imperative than ever given our changing demographics, growing inequality, and the eroding of gains of the civil rights movement. For instance, the criminalization of communities of color, with Blacks imprisoned five times more than Whites, and Hispanics nearly twice as likely as Whites to be imprisoned, according to the US Census. Since the 2013 Supreme Court decision in "Shelby County v. Holder," which invalidated the coverage formula in the Voting Rights Act and limited the law's enforcement tools, voter suppression has been on the rise. In 2018, according to the FBI, hate crimes hit a sixteen-year high. All of these examples indicate the need for drastic change to reconstitute a nation that embodies its ideals. The most direct path to that is through community empowerment and civic action--especially for communities of color. While the authors' paths to civic engagement had different beginnings, the critical frameworks showing discrepancies between their lived experiences and prominent narratives about American democracy, as well as mentorship and opportunities to practice engagement, were all crucial for their success. In this article, they share their own stories of civic transformation and how they are seeds in a garden that cultivates and harvests the fruits of a diverse democracy.