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EDITORIAL CALENDAR

Our editorial calendar keeps you ahead of the curve by spotlighting what’s coming – not only in the news, but from our partners and collaborators. We help you identify and respond to what’s important by providing you with the messaging, research, and pop culture hooks you need.

Messaging And Reports

Communications Toolkit

Download Toolkit INTRODUCTION The South is not a problem to be solved but...

Beyond Democracy: Mobilizing BIPOC Voters in the South – A Narrative Guide

beyond democracy democracy inclusive democracy racial justice
Messaging Memo

June 2023 As the highest court in the United States, the Supreme Court...

A Court in Crisis: Messaging on the Supreme Court & the Judiciary

Discussion Guide

INTRODUCTION Welcoming a baby into the world should be a time of joy...

Talking About Birthing Justice

cultural strategies gender justice health equity intersectionality racial justice reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Narrative Principles for Discussing SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North...

Messaging on Affirmative Action

education racial justice SCOTUS social justice supreme court
Messaging Memo

Today, the United States Supreme Court took the dreaded step to overrule Roe...

Messaging Guidance for U.S. Supreme Court Decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health

gender justice health equity human rights inclusive democracy reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

In Brown v. Board of Education, the United States Supreme Court recognized the...

Taking Action & Responding to the Attacks on Honest and Inclusive Education

education gender justice human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

This past weekend, communities in Buffalo, and across the nation, were once again...

Six Tips for Responding to White Supremacist Terrorism

gender justice gun reform racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

How to Talk About the Leak & the Purported SCOTUS Decision to Overturn...

What Now?! Talking About the Supreme Court

immigration LGBTQIA+ justice racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Five Tips for Language That Changes Hearts & Minds Momentum has grown for...

Criminal Justice Reform Phrase Guide

criminal justice
Messaging Memo

President Biden made history by nominating Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to serve as...

Supporting Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Historic Nomination

SCOTUS social justice supreme court
Research Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In The Opportunity Agenda’s Power of POP research series, we explore...

Power of Pop: What TV Gets Wrong About Getting By

cultural strategies economic justice gender justice immigration media representation racial justice
Discussion Guide

Art & Discussion Guide We believe that ending poverty is within our reach,...

We Can Thrive Together: Visioning Economic Justice for All

cultural strategies economic justice human rights immigration racial justice social justice
Research Report

INTRODUCTION Both research and our lived experience consistently show that the language we...

Shifting the Narrative

criminal justice cultural strategies death penalty economic justice gender justice gun reform human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Tips for Advocates Seeking Guidance on How to Add to the Conversation From...

Talking About Justice and Equity Through Sports

criminal justice cultural strategies gender justice racial justice
Messaging Memo

Narrative Principles for Promoting Truth in Education & How to Tell the Story...

Talking About the Attacks on Critical Race Theory

criminal justice education human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Narrative Principles for Discussing Supreme Court Cases As the Supreme Court prepares to...

Talking About the Supreme Court

criminal justice health equity inclusive democracy racial justice SCOTUS supreme court voting rights
Messaging Memo

The past year has seen a marked increase in anti-Asian attacks across the...

Five Strategies for Talking About Anti-Asian Racism

gender justice human rights racial justice social justice
Research Report

​The Opportunity Agenda’s Creative Change Innovation Fellowship was an invitation-only pilot program intended to support a cohort of leading-edge...

Introducing New Cultural Strategy Tools from Our Creative Change Fellows

cultural strategies
Messaging Memo

As we process, discuss, and continue to respond to the January 6th attack...

Moving Forward: Three Ideas for Talking About the Moment

criminal justice economic justice gender justice health equity immigration LGBTQIA+ justice racial justice reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Increasing support for Paid Family and Medical Leave policies among key audiences Updated...

Telling a Story About Families and Opportunity

economic justice social justice
Research Report

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Opportunity Agenda wishes to first acknowledge the decades of activism that...

Beyond Policing

criminal justice racial justice
Messaging Memo

On March 12, 2019, Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), and Yvette...

5 Tips for Talking About the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019 (H.R. 6)

immigration inclusive democracy
Messaging Memo

Updated July 2020 As we strive to improve conversations about race, racism, and...

Ten Lessons for Talking About Race, Racism, and Racial Justice

criminal justice human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

As the COVID-19 pandemic sweeps America, the systemic injustices in our country are...

Talking About COVID-19: Value, Problem, Solution, Action

criminal justice economic justice gender justice human rights immigration inclusive democracy racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

During these times of crisis and uncertainty, it is critical to pull together...

Justice Reform & Human Rights in a Time of Crisis: Releasing People from Detention

criminal justice immigration social justice
Research Report

INTRODUCTION In recent years, California has emerged as fertile ground for progressive criminal...

10 Key Facts About Perception of Fear, Safety & Criminal Justice in CA

criminal justice social justice
Messaging Memo

There is much to say about the horror of watching our government imprison...

Talking About Imprisoned Children at the Border

immigration social justice
Messaging Memo

After weeks of testimony and debate in both the House Intelligence and Judiciary...

Talking Impeachment: Protecting our Democratic Values

inclusive democracy social justice

​Based on the acclaimed Broadway play, the Netflix Television Event American Son tells the story of...

Raising American Son: A Discussion Guide

criminal justice human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Talking About the Values of a Just and Inclusive Democracy The recent impeachment...

The Impeachment Inquiry: Now What?

inclusive democracy social justice
Communications Toolkit

Due Process Core Message: Due process is a human right central to the...

Talking About Due Process and Racial Profiling

criminal justice human rights inclusive democracy racial justice social justice
Research Report

Literature Review & Effective Messaging Introduction Our nation can and should be a...

Public Opinion About Paid Family and Medical Leave

economic justice health equity reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

This memo is intended to help journalists and media organizations produce fuller and...

When They See Us: Improving the Media’s Coverage of Black Men and Boys

criminal justice cultural strategies media representation racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Improving Media Coverage of Black Men and Boys This memo provides tips and...

When They See Us: Thirty Years Since the Central Park Five Case

criminal justice cultural strategies media representation racial justice social justice
Communications Toolkit

Poverty and economic opportunity are often difficult subjects for advocates to talk about,...

Talking About Poverty & Economic Opportunity Today: Three Core Pillars

economic justice inclusive democracy
Messaging Memo

10 Tips to Spark Change Our research report, Power of Pop: The Case...

Working with Cultural Influencers

cultural strategies economic justice health equity media representation racial justice reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Working people should have the right to stick together and demand fair treatment...

Talking about the Importance of Unions and Economic Security

economic justice social justice
Research Report

Executive Summary In recent years, the power of popular entertainment to inspire large...

The Case of the Cultural Influencers: Colin Kaepernick, Jimmy Kimmel, and #MeToo

cultural strategies economic justice gender justice health equity media representation racial justice reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Headlines about the U.S.-Mexico border continue to fill our news feeds and screens...

Talking Border Issues Amidst the Government Shutdown

human rights immigration inclusive democracy racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

The First Step Act, which recently passed the Senate with wide bipartisan support,...

Talking About Race and The First Step Act

human rights immigration inclusive democracy racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

Introduction This memo offers advice for promoting significant, principled criminal justice reform after...

Talking About Criminal Justice Reform After The First Step Act

criminal justice human rights racial justice social justice
Messaging Memo

We need a new story about the U.S. economy; a story that recognizes...

Art that Tells a New Story About Economic Opportunity

cultural strategies economic justice
Messaging Memo

  The Opportunity Agenda is devastated and angered by the vitriolic and violent...

Turning Our Sorrow and Outrage into Communications for Change

human rights social justice
Messaging Memo

In the run up to the 2018 midterm elections, a Media Matters study found...

Five Questions to ask when Crafting Messages about Refugees in the Current Climate

human rights immigration
Research Report

The Opportunity Agenda and the ACLU of California engaged in a collaborative initiative...

Californians & Criminal Justice Reform

criminal justice
Messaging Memo

Messaging Strategies: Amplify the call for stopping Kavanaugh and for preventing any Trump...

A Visual Flow Chart: How to Stop Kavanaugh and #SaveSCOTUS

gender justice human rights LGBTQIA+ justice racial justice reproductive justice SCOTUS
Messaging Memo

Why This Is a Supreme Court Nomination Like No Other, and What We...

Disrupting the Disrupter:

health equity racial justice reproductive justice social justice
Messaging Memo

​Recommended Messaging on the Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court...

Messaging on the Nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court

human rights social justice
Messaging Memo

​  On June 26, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in...

Messaging Advice on The Supreme Court’s Muslim Ban Decision

human rights immigration
Messaging Memo

Updated October 2020 The administration’s willful separation of children from their parents at...

Talking About The U.S. Border: Imprisoned Children, Lost Parents, and Separated Families

criminal justice human rights immigration social justice
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Insights

Download The holidays bring big gatherings with family and friends — including those...

Holiday Conversations Survival Guide

November 6, 2024 Today, we woke up to a demoralizing reality—Donald J. Trump...

Together, We Forge Forward. TOA Is Here for You. 

Download For democracy to work, every voice must be heard. This requires reshaping...

Shape Democracy in Your Community

The Opportunity Agenda (TOA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Johnsen...

TOA Announces Elizabeth Johnsen as Vice President of Program Strategy and Impact

The Opportunity Agenda (TOA) is pleased to welcome communications leader Kimberly Hall as...

TOA Names Kimberly Hall as Vice President, Health Equity Works

by Elizabeth Johnsen, Interim Vice President of Program Strategy and Impact, The Opportunity...

NIL 2024: Championing a Multiracial Democracy

by Sughey Ramirez, Director of Cultural Strategies and Networks, and Jade Wilenchik, Program...

Creative Change 2024 Goes Punk

by Charlie Sherman, Manager of Narrative Strategy, and Britney Vongdara, Research Coordinator, The Opportunity...

Five Tips for Talking About Immigrant Justice 

by The Opportunity Agenda  When’s the last time you got lost in a...

Fandom + Futurism: A Power of Pop Conversation with Porshèa & Tia

by The Opportunity Agenda   Happy Labor History Month and AAPI Heritage Month!...

Asian Americans in the Labor Movement

by The Opportunity Agenda  For many Americans, HBO’s “Watchmen” (2019) was the first...

Watchmen, White Supremacy, and the Power of Pop

by The Opportunity Agenda Though welcoming a baby comes with moments of uncertainty...

Five Tips for Talking About Black Maternal Health

by The Opportunity Agenda  “Star Wars” stands as a monumental force in global...

Star Wars for Social Justice: 4 Messaging Hooks for May the 4th  

by J. Rachel Reyes with Porshéa Patterson-Hurst, The Opportunity Agenda From Houston to...

Cowboy Carter is a Cultural Strategy

by Tia Smith, The Opportunity Agenda I love to play. When I was...

Why I Play Too Much and So Should You: Masking as Cultural Strategy

by The Opportunity Agenda  How do we present a new view of our...

What Dread Scott’s Slave Rebellion Reenactment Teaches Us about Cultural Strategy

by Istou Diallo, Brian Erickson, J. Rachel Reyes, and Tia Smith, The Opportunity...

Coming Soon: The Best 2024 Movies & TV Shows to Leverage for Social Justice 

by The Opportunity Agenda When states go to extreme lengths to repress voters...

Q&A: Turning Texas Teal with TOP’s Brianna Brown

by Zeynep Kilik, The Opportunity Agenda From critical race theory (CRT) to LGBTQ...

Students Need Critical Thinking, and That Means a Diverse and Inclusive Education

We’re lucky to be located in the heart of New York City. From...

What We Watched at Tribeca

Exciting news: we have a new supporter in our stands!

Thank You Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand!

A note from Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda After almost four awe-inspiring years,...

Embarking on TOA’s New Chapter: A Farewell Note and Exciting Transitions Ahead

We are thrilled to announce an exciting addition to Team TOA: Soha Ellaithy,...

Welcome, Soha Ellaithy!

by Britney Vongdara, The Opportunity Agenda In recent weeks, our social media timelines...

Immigrants are People First, Before They are Workers 

by Adam Luna, The Opportunity Agenda Many communications strategies tend to focus on...

Our New Narrative Innovators Lab 

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda The team at The Opportunity Agenda (e.g.,...

A Bold Look, A Bold Vision: The New TOA Brand, Website & Plan for Justice

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda Organizers are marking the annual celebration of...

#EmbraceEquity Continues When We #EmbraceEachOther

Pregnancy – and giving birth – should be among the most meaningful and...

Birthing Justice: Raising the Standards for Maternal Health

by Zeynip Kilik, The Opportunity Agenda I am the dream and the hope...

The Trial of Justice Jackson: a Retrospective

We are pleased to introduce Sara Stuart, long-time TOA friend, supporter, and non-profit...

Meet TOA’s Board: Sara Stuart

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda Today, President Joseph Biden has made history...

Celebrating the Nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson for the U.S. Supreme Court

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda The vision for a truly inclusive democracy,...

Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: We Must Continue the Push for Voting Rights

[caption id="attachment_760" align="alignright" width="300"] | Maritza Guzmán[/caption] This fall we welcomed two new...

Meet TOA’s Board: Maritza Guzmán

This fall we welcomed two new board members to The Opportunity Agenda. Today...

Meet TOA’s Board: Kat O’Brien

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda The journey toward the formidable aspiration of...

Maintaining the Narrative Trajectory for LGBTQ+ Liberation

By Josephine Kalipeni, Family Values @ Work When my father’s chronic illness worsened...

Black Women Need Build Back Better

by Chrystian Rodriguez, The Opportunity Agenda When I was young, my grandparents, aunts,...

Reclaiming Power Through Horror

Today we explore the story behind long-time TOA Board Member Yasmin Cader, Deputy...

Meet TOA’s Board: Yasmin Cader

Today we explore the story behind Aduke Thelwell, seasoned strategic communications consultant and...

Meet TOA’s Board: Aduke Thelwell

by Abrielle De Veaux, The Opportunity Agenda As educators and students like me...

Critical Race Theory on TikTok, a Student Perspective

by Abrielle De Veaux, The Opportunity Agenda As a Black woman, I’ve always...

Talking About Black Women in Sports

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda The late Congressman John Lewis told us...

Supreme Court Decision Requires Good Trouble to Defend Voting Rights

Early in April, we launched Shifting the Narrative, an extensive report the delves...

Shifting the Narrative Livestream Recap

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda As the murder trial of Minneapolis police...

Derek Chauvin’s Trial Signals a Broader Shift for Criminal Justice

by Ellen Buchman, The Opportunity Agenda I’ve built my career bringing together coalitions...

This White Feminist Knows that “Race-Silent” Policies are Insufficient and Part of the Problem

by Elizabeth Johnsen, The Opportunity Agenda There is nothing new about poverty. What...

Painting a Vision of Economic Justice for All

​by Christiaan Perez, The Opportunity Agenda 2020 has been a difficult year, but, amidst the...

Celebrate Liberation – Four Stories of Community Victory

by Sughey Ramirez, The Opportunity Agenda The voices of millions were heard at...

Don’t be a Hater this Holiday Season: 5 Power Moves

As we all prepare for what may be a turbulent post-election period of competing...

Messaging for Systemic Change After the Election

by Abrielle De Veaux, The Opportunity Agenda Our Voter Spotlight Series, inspired by @darkest.hue...

#MyVoiceisMyVote Spotlight Series

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Livestreams

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We now know all-too-well how fear and spectacle shape decisions and divide communities....

Homelander for President

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On October 29, 2024, The Opportunity Agenda hosted an inspiring and dynamic conversation...

Storytelling for Democracy: Artist + Activist Chat

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Democracy belongs to everyone. Yet, many voters of color feel overlooked, viewing the...

Beyond Democracy: Mobilizing Voters of Color

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On April 13, 2022, The Opportunity Agenda and NaNoWriMo hosted an Abbott Elementary...

What Abbott Elementary Gets Right: Bingo Night!

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Successful narrative shift requires centering impacted voices in leadership spaces, particularly when solutions...

#ShiftingTheNarrative: Centering Impacted Voices in Leadership

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We know that problematic narratives are prevalent in our society. Rather than avoid...

#ShiftingTheNarrative: Being Nimble and Dismantling Counter-Narratives

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In order to realize the goals of our movements, we must focus on...

#ShiftingTheNarrative: Establish A Winning Long-Term Vision

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The big story that dominates headlines around economic opportunity, the criminal justice system,...

#ShiftingTheNarrative: How Narrative Shift Works and Why It Matters

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The meaning and importance of calling for Justice Out Loud is incredibly palpable,...

Justice Out Loud: These Times Call For Nothing Less

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In this webinar, The Advancement Project National Office, Asian & Pacific Islander American...

Map The Truth: Introducing the COVID-19 Social Justice Guide

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There’s an undeniable dark side to social media. While some would argue that...

Dealing with Online Harassment

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The Opportunity Agenda hosted a storytelling webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 18 that focused on...

Storytelling for Systemic Change

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The entertainment industry plays an important role in contributing to the beliefs and...

The Power of Story in a Fractured Society

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To be effective in moving hearts, minds, and policy over the long term,...

Vision Values Voice: Messaging for Lasting Change

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We need a new story about poverty and economic opportunity in the United...

Talking about Poverty and Economic Opportunity: Shifting the Narrative

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On Monday, Feb. 4, we held a webinar to discuss findings from our latest research,...

Power of POP: The Case of the Cultural Influencers

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In this webinar on Jan. 30, 2019, The Opportunity Agenda explored the potential...

Five Lessons for Shifting the Narrative on Migrants & the Border Region

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Learn how to counter inaccurate information by telling a new story about the...

Telling a Proactive Story: Messaging on Economic Opportunity In Challenging Times

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On Sept. 12, we shared new public opinion research on criminal justice conducted...

Californians on Criminal Justice: New Research and Findings

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Join us on June 21 at 2 p.m. EST as we explore the different ways...

Future Over Fear: Pop Culture Strategies at Your Fingertips

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On April 25, 2018 at 2 p.m. EST we demonstrated how our Future Over...

Future Over Fear: Affirmative Storytelling in a New Era

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On Feb. 14 at 2 p.m. EST, as we began our Future Over...

Future Over Fear: Redefining Sanctuary

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In “Lessons for Success in the Age of Trump,” we reflected on social...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Lessons for Success in the Age of Trump

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On Oct. 11, we continued our Road Ahead for Social Justice series with...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Social Media for Social Good

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On September 13th at 2pm EST, we continued our Road Ahead for Social...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Immigration in Pop Culture

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Join us on May 3rd at 2 PM ET for our webinar, The...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Embracing our Shared Future

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The Road Ahead for Social Justice is a series of tools and webinars,...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Ending Broken Windows Policing

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Amidst the varied political rhetoric we’re all hearing right now, the southern border...

The Road Ahead for Social Justice: Uplifting Border Voices

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Join The Opportunity Agenda as we review key findings and recommendations from our...

A Window of Opportunity II: An Analysis of Public Opinion on Poverty

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Join us on Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. EST for a free webinar,...

Transforming the System: Criminal Justice Policy Solutions and Public Opinion

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Discussions about race and racism have come to the forefront in social and...

Ten Lessons for Talking About Race

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As we celebrate The Opportunity Agenda’s 10th Anniversary, we are sharing the messaging...

Leading With Values: Social Justice Messaging Tips

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We’re all faced with misleading, inaccurate, and untruthful statements about our issues, and...

Countering Misinformation While Avoiding the Pitfalls of Myth Busting

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Press
Kit

The Opportunity Agenda works with journalists, media makers, and influencers to encourage more honest, authentic, and values-driven coverage of the issues that shape opportunity, equity, and justice.

Thought Leadership

The Opportunity Agenda’s leadership brings deep roots in the social justice world as well as expertise on the communications techniques and cultural strategies necessary to create change. They use this experience and knowledge to create a nimbler, more effective social justice movement that can move hearts, minds, and policy on the most pressing issues and weaken harmful narratives with values-based messaging.

Narrative Research Lab logo

NARRATIVE RESEARCH LAB

The Narrative Research Lab, a project of The Opportunity Agenda, showcases and advances narrative research within the immigrant justice space.

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