OFFICE OF NARRATIVE
We’re reframing the narrative about race. To build an antiracist, equitable society, we must first recognize that racial injustice comes from racist policies, not racist people. We are taking the lead in shifting the storyline to reveal that truth—and making sure the whole world knows it. In the Center’s Office of Narrative, we draw on the work of scholars and experts to reframe the national conversation on race by sharing cutting-edge antiracist research and opinion and telling compelling stories. Those stories help policymakers understand the implications of our research—and use them to make better policies. They help organizations share their wisdom with the next generation of antiracist practitioners. And they help everyone understand where racism comes from, and what we must do to eradicate it. The Office of Narrative brings antiracist research into the public sphere and advances the Center’s mission to eradicate systemic racism through these initiatives:
• In partnership with the Boston Globe Opinion team, we have launched a new multimedia publication, The Emancipator (theemancipator.org), a reimagining of 19th-century antislavery newspapers that aims to reframe the conversation on race and racism through a combination of academic scholarship and journalism. • Important scholarly work often doesn’t make it past the pages of academic journals. In our Public Scholarship Shop, we teach affiliated researchers how to make their research accessible to the general public, including how to pitch stories, give engaging interviews, write persuasive op-eds, and hone other media skills. • Each year, we host the National Antiracist Book Festival, which highlights emerging and leading writers on race and racism. In 2021, featured authors included Pulitzer Prize finalist Albert