What are the stories that we need to tell to better understand our economy, and lay the groundwork for building a more inclusive, democratic world? Storytelling—the construction of spoken or written accounts of a series of events that we tell each other to understand our world—offers critical tools to build movements, upend myths that hold us back, and construct cultures that can sustain a democratic economy.
This webinar conversation, co-moderated by NPQ and the BLIS Collective, takes a deep look at how to use storytelling to advance transformative change. Participating in the conversation are the following people:
- Peggy Bailey is vice president for housing and income security at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, based in Washington, DC.
- Jessica Feingold is co-CEO of Common Future, based in Brooklyn, NY.
- Jeremie Greer is co-founder and co-executive director of Liberation in a Generation, based in Washington, DC.
- Nick Tilsen (Lakota) is cofounder and CEO of the NDN Collective, based in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Among the many topics the webinar explores are the following:
- What are the narrative roadblocks to building a more liberatory economy?
- What myths are holding back racial and economic justice work?
- What are new stories that need to be told?
- How can one engage in narrative change work for the long haul?
- What is the infrastructure that can advance narrative change work?
- What are the connections between narrative work, policy, and culture?
- How can people advance new stories about the economy in their own work?
Resources:
Peggy Bailey, “A Blueprint for Prosperity: Expanding Housing Affordability,” Washington, DC: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, January 31, 2024.
Jack Barry, Ann Searight Christiano, Michael Huang, Shanelle Matthews, Annie Neimand, Rakeem Robinson, Heena Shah, Trina Stout and Zakyree Wallace, “Building Narrative Power for Economic Justice by Telling Better Stories,” NPQ, April 12, 2023.
Cristina Diaz-Borda and Jessica Feingold, “Breaking Silos to Enact Change,” Oakland, CA: Common Future, August 3, 2023.
Steve Dubb, “A Vision for Social and Economic Justice Rises in Indian Country,” NPQ, December 18, 2020.
Jeremie Greer, “Building Power: Challenging the Material Advantages of Whiteness,” NPQ, June 15, 2022.
Nick Hanauer and David Goldstein, “Can the Economy Be Liberated? (With Jeremie Greer),” Pitchfork Economics, May 30, 2023.
Trevor Smith, “To Build Narrative Power for Reparations, We Need Infrastructure,” NPQ, December 14, 2023.
Nick Tilsen and Gaby Strong, “Dismantling the Land Theft System: A Land Back Vision for Philanthropy,” NPQ, November 21, 2022.