PROJECTS
Narrative power shapes the norms and rules by which our societies live.
Building narrative power for a more inclusive and democratic society means telling complete stories that lead to complete interventions and solutions. To do this, we must build narrative power and change policies and practices to center on the needs of the many instead of the needs of an elite few.
Messaging is more than a well-constructed sentence or giving audiences information, it’s a pairing of logic, data, story, and values, coupled with a clear articulation of the problem, solution, and call to action.
To help close a gap in access to progressive media training for Black organizers and impacted communities, I developed Channel Black in 2016, a tailored media training curriculum that prepares progressive spokespeople to make critical, real-time interventions through the media.
Channel Black 2018 cohort, coaches, and directors
Channel Black 2018 cohort, coaches, and directors
Channel Black is a storytelling and media training program that develops everyday social movement leaders' strategy, intervention, and spokesperson skills. By taking into account everyday social movement leaders' experiences and cultural nuances, Channel Black offers a one-of-a-kind intersectional training experience. By tailoring this program to meet the needs of emergent spokespeople and tapping into the robust lived experiences and deep knowledge of social movement leaders and impacted community members, we can weaken harmful narratives and share our stories. Channel Black democratizes how we make meaning of our world: by changing the story and the storyteller.
CHANNEL BLACK 3.0
Channel Black 2017 cohort with Rep. Stacey Abrams
In partnership with Black Feminist Future’s Constellation Network, Channel Black 2022 is providing training for 10-15 seasoned and newly activated Black reproductive justice leaders to engage in leadership development rooted in shifting narrative power on reproductive health, rights, and justice issues facing Black birthing people. During Channel Black 3.0: Building Narrative Power for Reproductive Freedom, participants will define and illustrate the importance and impact of narrative power, learn a methodology for how to analyze the hidden assumptions that prop up brutal systems of power, and demonstrate how to construct a meaningful message that prompts your audience to feel, say, or do something differently. If you’re looking for media training, hit me up.
I learned my media training practice from the late Chris Jahnke.
Professor and narrative researcher Ken Plummer reminds us that “out of deep conditions of domination and exclusion, people create their own insights, understandings, knowledge, and narratives,” which are fundamental to the fight for the interests and self-determination of future generations.