To change the system, we need to change the story.
As part of the California Racial Equity Commission’s work, data is critical to understanding the real-world impacts of policies in people’s lives and the unequal distribution of health and wealth across the state. But to build the kind of culture change that can shape hearts and transform sectors, stories are essential.
In a recent podcast episode with Open Media, the Racial Equity Commission’s Executive Director Dr. Larissa Estes and Commissioner Traco Matthews discuss why we’re now at a point of needing to expand our toolbox beyond data to become better storytellers in government.
Studies show that stories are a powerful driver of change. In an uncertain world, stories can help motivate new behaviors, help us bridge to future realities, and relate to and cultivate empathy and feelings of good will towards people unlike us. With this comes a responsibility to make sure that all people, and especially those whose stories are either overlooked or intentionally ignored, are centered in the stories crafted and shared by government.
Only six months into its community engagement process, the Racial Equity Commission has traveled to South Central Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Lamont, Delano, and Sacramento - with many more communities planned ahead. As these new connections are formed, the Commission is committed to recognizing and dismantling inequities in the process and creation of data, stories, and ultimately, policy.
The podcast covers:
The role of California’s new Racial Equity Commission.
Why and how we must supplement data by telling stories in government.
How to have conversations about racial equity in our communities and workplaces.
What does racial equity actually look like in communities? Strategies being tested in communities to advance equitable outcomes for all.
The role each of us plays in the movement for justice and equity.
Learn more and connect:
Learn more about California’s Racial Equity Commission:
Connect with Dr. Larissa Estes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissaestes-drph/
Connect with Commissioner Traco Matthews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traco-matthews-mba/
Share this post