This month: building cultural & narrative power, plus Josh Healey releases 'Normal Ain't Normal'

Transformative Narratives & Cultural Power

Rarely before have American democracy and human dignity been so sorely challenged. The dual threats of disinformation and white supremacy to our fragile democracy require organizing, media, and legal strategies that give voice to our core values of safety, opportunity, and equity.  

The approaches that TOA brings to social justice – creating narrative change and crafting cultural strategies – are more essential than ever. The time is now for TOA’s unique mission to create and disseminate new and transformative narratives that build cultural and narrative power to overcome white supremacy. 

And we’re rising to the occasion.  

You may have noticed our new look here and on our social media platforms. Behind-the-scenes, our team is looking hard at our narrative research priorities, signature VPSA training curriculum, and digital strategies to meet the moment. Progressives are already on the move and on the march. And with each step we take, toward positive, transformative change, we must not only dream big – we must do big things, together.  

Read and share President Ellen Buchman’s latest piece in Forbes to learn more about why this is TOA’s moment. And stay tuned for updates. 

Don’t Accept What's ‘Normal.’ Change it.

Did you ever think you could bemoan the health insurance situation in this country and laugh until you’re misty-eyed all in the span of a few minutes? Neither did TOA’s cultural strategist, Sughey Ramirez, until she attended the world premiere of “Normal Ain’t Normal”.

Created by 2022 Culture & Narrative Fellow Josh Healey, Offsides Productions, and Rosario Dawson, “Normal Ain’t Normal” knows that joy and humor are arguably the most recognizable signs of our humanity and essential to our ability to thrive together. The four-episode series tells the stories of working class people across a range of industries and challenges viewers to interrogate the conditions of the “normal” we might catch ourselves longing for at this stage of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Each episode partners with community and advocacy organizations like One Fair Wage to deliver calls to action that resonate as fiercely as the dynamic performances of an all-star cast. The series features talents such as Palestinian-Syrian Chef Reem Assil, Reservation Dogs star D’Pharaoh Woon-A-tai, and, of course, executive producer Rosario Dawson.

Check out Episode 1: “Life & Debt” via Buzzfeed video, and follow Josh Healey on Instagram and Twitter to catch upcoming episodes, which drop each Tuesday in the coming weeks.

Welcome Sunee & Britney to Team TOA!

Sunee Kate Quirante joins the communications team as our social media strategist. Prior to TOA, Sunee served as a digital organizer with the Texas Organizing Project, where she managed campaigns for tenant rights and criminal legal reform. In her free time, Sunee organizes to support the human rights struggle in the Philippines and enjoys experimenting with different art forms. She is an alum of Rice University, where she completed her B.A. in Anthropology and Religion.

Britney Vongdara joins the team behind TOA’s original research and Narrative Research Lab as our research coordinator. Prior to TOA, Britney worked in immigrant rights and refugee resettlement as a paralegal at Lutheran Social Services of New York and with the International Rescue Committee. Her research experience also includes a Narrative Impact Fellowship with PopShift. Britney holds a B.A. in Sociology from Harvard University, where she also minored in Art, Film, and Visual Studies.

Image credits: Sharon Farmer Photography, Victoria Jackson Photography, Zeynep Kilik, Leslie Weber, The Opportunity Agenda, Josh Healey, Sunee Kate Quirante, Britney Vongdara

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