Johanna Blakley, Eva Recinos, Lucy Odigie-Turley, Jenny Yang, and Kendrick Sampson

Entertainment Media and a More Just Society

Last week in Los Angeles, The Opportunity Agenda and USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center co-hosted a panel on The Power of Story in a Fractured Society: Entertainment Media & Social Change. Moderated by journalist Eva Recinos, Jenny Yang (TV Writer & Comedian); Lucy Odigie-Turley (The Opportunity Agenda); Johanna Blakley (Norman Lear Center) and Kendrick Sampson (Actor & Activist) discussed how the role of entertainment is moving us toward a more just society and the storylines we need in the current moment. Check out these photos of the event (and stay tuned for the video!).

New York City Council Committee Approves Plan to Replace Rikers Island Jail

Our 2019 Communications Institute Fellow, DeAnna Hoskins, Executive Director of JLUSA, appeared in a segment on ABC-7 News in New York on Oct. 18 that celebrated the mayor’s announcement of the closure of the Rikers Island jail complex. JLUSA and The Opportunity Agenda have been partnering to change hearts, minds and policy around mass incarceration. Watch the interview here.

How to Message for Lasting Change

A few weeks ago, The Opportunity Agenda hosted a webinar entitle Vision Values Voice: Messaging for Lasting Change. Julie Fisher-Rowe, director of narrative and engagement at The Opportunity Agenda, discussed the principles of values-based messaging. Guest speaker Silky Shah, executive director of Detention Watch Network (DWN), shared DWN’s vision for a world without detention and Aseante Renee, director of communications for Common Justice, shared how Common Justice amplifies the voices of people with lived experience to advance solutions to violence. Watch a recording of the webinar here.

Partner News: Let's Talk About Representation

This month, our creative partners are shining a light on the importance of representation in television, film, literature, and comedy. Whether breaking down barriers themselves or advocating for greater representation in film, television, and comedy on behalf of others, their efforts are making a tangible difference. Read more here.

The Amp: Ahead of the Curve

In our weekly action alert, The Amp, we help you keep ahead of the curve by spotlighting what’s coming - not only in the news, but from your partners in racial and economic justice. This week: The New Deal for New Americans, National Caregivers Month, Native American Heritage Month, #HomeIsHere for DACA recipients and lots more. Read more here.

Image credits: Michael Paul Jackson; Lincoln Bovell; Wakanda Dream Lab Anthology; National Partnership for New Americans