The truth of who we are lives in our stories: Join Jackson’s Black residents in protecting our spaces through the power of storytelling

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, UNITED STATES, July 2, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- TandemEd’s national #OwnYourStory campaign reaches Jackson, Mississippi. Own Your Story is a national, grassroots initiative dedicated to capturing, celebrating, and protecting the stories of Black people. The initiative works alongside local Black communities to spark dialogue as each community collectively constructs a forward-facing media campaign that reflects Black lifestyles, values, and culture.

This community-led campaign comes on the heels of an interactive virtual workshop held with Black Jackson residents where they learned how to harness the power of storytelling by speaking their truth.

Residents heard from a line-up of influential leaders who spoke fervently about the power each person has within them to change their narrative. Tracy Johns, author and educator; Allay Earheart, writer and poet; and Leon Ford, activist and public speaker inspired Black residents to reclaim their spaces by reclaiming their stories. Attendees learned why storytelling is so powerful, the different means of storytelling, the four P’s of story development, and how to effectively use storytelling in everyday life.

Brian Barnes, TandemEd Founder, said: “When we talk about building our communities, our leaders, youth, families, residents, and elders are always an afterthought. We are engaged in agendas that are set up by institutions and led by folks that are not part of our communities. TandemEd wants to reverse that frame. Anything concerning the development of our communities has to be led by us. We have to be the visionaries, educators, and the ones moving the agenda.”

Own Your Story develops a network and cohort of community-led organizations across issue-areas and geographies. This narrative-shaping initiative helps elevate community voice, visibility, and investment to Black organizations. Hiring for a City Manager and City Mobilizer in Jackson is currently underway to lead the charge in mobilizing residents to support and engage in this initiative. To learn more about this opening, click here. To date, the initiative is present in four cities: Pittsburgh, Detroit, Newark, and New Orleans. For more information - visit www.tandemed.com and follow @ownyourstoryjackson on Instagram.

About Own Your Story
TandemEd's Own Your Story (OYS) initiative is a national, grassroots movement dedicated to capturing, celebrating and protecting the stories of Black people. The initiative works alongside local Black communities to spark dialogue as each community collectively constructs a forward-facing media campaign that reflects our lifestyles, values, and culture. Local OYS campaigns are centered on healthy perspectives meant to further prompt actions that align with collective best interests, and that will help yield better life outcomes for Black youth, families, residents, and businesses.

About TandemEd
TandemEd is a media and community development company that believes education and action must work in tandem for Black communities to reclaim our story and space in the world. Unapologetic about its foundational values of authentic relationship, community ownership, and support for local legitimate leaders in Black communities, TandemEd is a trusted learning partner walking alongside community and offering a structured roadmap for institutions to reshape their strategy to support authentic community values. Their services spark, enhance, and clarify the collective actions needed to achieve community-defined excellence in our social outcomes. For more information, visit www.tandemed.com.

Jason Rivers
TandemEd
jrivers@tandemed.com