As the prolific poet and lyricist Kendrick Lamar once said, “Sometimes you have to pop out and show ‘em.”
For generations, people of color have understood and wielded the power of narratives – interconnected stories, messages and imageries – and storytelling to shift people’s hearts and minds and (re)shape public institutions and policies in service of ending systemic racism, even when it felt like our nation did not want to be shifted or shaped. We have used this power to make our vision of a liberated future deeply felt, where everyone, regardless of how deep their melanin may be, can thrive and have a democratic say in the governance of our communities. But, narrative works both ways.
In response to the Movement for Black Lives and other burgeoning racial justice movements, we have witnessed the mass deployment of narratives doubling down on racist, transphobic, and sexist beliefs meant to fracture our efforts towards a multiracial democracy. These harmful narratives have helped usher fascism into state legislatures and Congress as well as dismantle key policies and practices, such as Roe v. Wade, affirmative action, and the Chevron doctrine. Not only must we fight back, we must produce and amplify narratives rooted in racial justice and collective liberation that unites us and drowns out the hateful noise of our naysayers and opposition. By expressing our racially just narratives through art, culture, and media, we can bring into focus the liberated future we all deserve so that our peoples and communities remain resolute that a better world is possible in our lifetimes.
At Race Forward, narrative strategy is the praxis of using stories, messages, imagery and the arts in a purposeful way to move people toward the values and worldviews we want to achieve. Through storytelling of all types, we can affirm that every human being is valuable and worthy, make real co-governance and multiracial democracy, and claim the pillars of universal and equitable public goods for us all. Yet, dedicated spaces for people, who are committed to realizing a racially just world, to forge meaningful relationships, learn new skills and tactics to shift mindsets, and align on narrative strategies together, are few and far between.
Just Narratives will serve as a lab where together we can co-construct and mobilize racially just narratives that will transform mindsets, policies, practices, and institutions in favor of racial justice and solidarity.
