What Equity Leaders Need to Know About Healing and Storytelling

You walk into a room filled with people you don't know. Each person holds stories of struggle and hope. When someone shares their story, it creates a ripple effect of connection, sparking empathy and understanding. At Buoyant, we believe storytelling is more than a tool. It’s a bridge that creates shared spaces where healing can occur. For equity leaders, this power to connect, heal, and inspire through storytelling is invaluable. Let us help you harness it.

Healing Is a Journey, Not a Destination

Healing isn’t about “fixing” what’s broken. It’s an ongoing, dynamic process. Often, we view healing as something binary: healed or not healed. But in our work with communities and organizations, we know it’s much more nuanced. When we create storytelling campaigns we aim for lasting impact. We are building narratives that support the continuous journey of healing, especially for communities impacted by systemic inequities.

The Stories We Haven’t Heard

Some of the most transformative stories are those that have been silenced. Voices have been overlooked due to systemic injustice, lack of representation, or direct suppression. Imagine the wisdom and strength we’ve missed because certain stories were never given the space to be told. As a creative agency, our role is to unearth and amplify these voices.

How Equity Leaders Can Use Storytelling to Facilitate Healing

To create spaces where healing can thrive, equity leaders can incorporate these key strategies in their storytelling:

1. Curate Safe, Inclusive Platforms: Use channels where people feel secure sharing their stories. For example, Buoyant partnered with AARP to produce more than 50 live video series on Facebook for Black and LatinX communities. While watching celebrities, activists and performers whose experiences they could relate to, community members used live chat to share their own stories. With over 2 million views, this became AARP's most successful online series.

2. Elevate Stories of Shared Struggle and Strength: Work with storytellers who reflect the communities they serve and ask them to share advice and lessons learned. Tailor your campaigns to reflect your audience’s unique perspectives and lived experiences. ‍

3. Use Visual and Interactive Elements to Build Empathy: Capture journeys and lived experiences through video, photography, and interactive storytelling. For example, “day-in-the-life” videos immerse audiences in a storyteller's challenges, fostering deeper understanding and empathy.

4. Highlight Individual and Community Strength: Focus stories on the talents, aspirations, and dreams of individuals and their communities. Recognize that communities are leading the way, with equity leaders present to support and amplify their efforts.

5. Maintain Authenticity: It’s not about embellishing stories. It’s about presenting them truthfully. Our role is to elevate voices, allowing people to own their narratives in a way that feels true and empowering. Rather than only publishing facts, figures and research, find a storyteller in your community to share their experiences.
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Healing and Storytelling: The Heart of Equity Work

For equity leaders, storytelling is a powerful tool for healing. It’s not just about advocating for policies or pushing for systemic change. It’s about centering the human stories to directly help your communities.  

Each video, website, campaign, or event we create is crafted to amplify voices that have long gone unheard, fostering connections and advancing healing with every project. Contact us at Buoyant to help you tell your story and make an impact.

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