In this episode, Joe sits down with Dr. Anneshia Hardy, Founder and Executive Director of Alabama Values and Alabama Values Progress, to discuss the power of narratives, how they shape our beliefs, and how we can use them to reclaim liberation.

Alabama Values is a nonpartisan grassroots communications and messaging hub working to build civic awareness and community power in Alabama and across the South. Its sister organization, Alabama Values Progress, a member of the Groundwork Organizer Network, is a media advocacy organization working to hold officials accountable, disrupt misinformation and disinformation, and amplify pro-democracy voices and values.

Dr. Hardy emphasizes the importance of dismantling anti-Blackness, fostering accountability, truth-telling, and power-sharing within marginalized communities. The Southern Narrative Project, an initiative of Alabama Values, shifts the narrative around social issues in the South and amplifies narratives that portray Alabama and Southern communities as active, engaged participants in the fight for freedom, justice, and democracy.

Storytelling is a universal language that influences public perception — and is a tool to reshape ideological power and empower our communities. Watch the full episode to learn more about Dr. Hardy’s work.

Inspired by Dr. Hardy’s work? Support Alabama Values directly by donating here.

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