Part 1: Storytelling as the Heart of Organizing
IN THIS LESSON
Bev opens this course with a story about sitting in a hotel cafeteria in California, newly arrived from Texas, homesick, and missing her mom's flour tortillas. That small act of sharing — being vulnerable and human — opened up a table of quiet women and started a conversation that changed everything. That's what storytelling does. It starts something.
In this module, Bev and Marcela explore why stories are at the core of organizing and why data alone is never enough. Marcela brings the investor perspective: in a world that reduces workers to "human capital" and data points, stories are what close the distance between a corporate boardroom and the people whose lives are affected by the decisions made there.
Key Takeaways:
Stories build solidarity and shared identity among workers
Personal narratives reveal the common struggles that unite us
Organizing begins with one person's story and multiplies from there
In the investment world, stories help translate lived experience into the language of accountability
Reflection Prompt: Think of a moment at work or in your community where you felt something wasn't right. What happened? Who else was affected? Write it down in a few sentences. That's the beginning of your story.
Downloadable Resource: My Story Worksheet — A one-page reflection tool that helps you identify the core elements of your personal story: what happened, who was affected, what you felt, and what you want people to understand. Includes prompts for connecting your story to a broader workplace or community issue.