StoryCorps Launches Brightness in Black: A Multi-Year Initiative to Expand Narratives of the Black Experience Nationwide

Project to Collect & Amplify Stories Celebrating the Richness, Diversity & Complexity of the Black Experience

Brooklyn, NY— (Wednesday, August 21, 2024): StoryCorps, the renowned nonprofit dedicated to fostering belief in each other by highlighting our shared humanity, announces the launch of a major new  initiative, Brightness in Black. The three-year initiative – with support from Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand’s Black Community Commitment – will collect and amplify stories that showcase the nuance, complexity, and richness of the Black experience, challenging the pervasive narratives of Black life in America that are often limited and deficit-framed.

Each year, Brightness in Black will work intensively in two different Anchor Communities, collaborating with local media and community organizations to capture asset-framed stories of the Black community, working with partners on content co-creation and distribution, and hosting local events. The goal of the regional effort is to build capacity to sustain narrative change work in these communities long-term. This year’s Anchor Communities are Philadelphia and Atlanta, with the remaining four locations to be announced. Stories also will be collected at pop-up events across the country. In addition, Brightness in Black will launch a national content distribution effort, in collaboration with Black media outlets, inviting Black Americans across the country to record their stories, virtually and in-person.

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StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark said, “We are honored to launch this important initiative with support from Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand’s Black Community Commitment. For too long, Black stories have largely been depicted as one-dimensional and over-simplified. Brightness in Black encourages the Black community nationwide to challenge and reclaim this narrative by sharing their personal stories of triumph, challenges, resilience, and gratitude. StoryCorps has developed a tried and trusted method for preserving the voices of everyday people and is uniquely positioned to develop this initiative.”

Brightness in Black Launch

The initiative will officially kick off in the Brightness in Black Anchor Community of Philadelphia, with a launch event on September 14, 2024, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts from 12:00PM-5PM EST. The family friendly event is free and open to the public and will feature a recitation of an original poem for the occasion by Kai Davis, Philadelphia's Poet Laureate. Additional activities will include community activations; the opportunity for attendees to record an interview in the StoryCorps airstream mobile booth; a host of live performances by artists including Seraiah Nicole; a panel discussion; multimedia displays; and more. RSVP here.

“The Jordan Brand's commitment to the Black community is infinite—central to who we are as a brand,” said Sarah Mensah, Jordan Brand President. “We are incredibly proud to be a part of the work StoryCorps is driving with Brightness in Black, ensuring that the voices and stories of the Black community remain a part of our collective history.”

Brightness in Black HBCU Fellowship Program

The year-long Fellowship Program is non-residential and designed for rising junior and senior students attending HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) or community colleges within the program’s Anchor Community regions. As part of the fellowship, six students in each cohort will receive personal and professional development, specialized facilitator training and a supportive learning community guided by StoryCorps staff, community partners, local content creators, and their fellow cohort members. Throughout the program, fellows will facilitate, record, and help archive interviews, while working on personal Brightness in Black recording projects of their own choosing. More information here.