• In “The way we get through this is together: the rise of mutual aid under coronavirus,” Guardian columnist Rebecca Solnit writes about how and why most people genuinely want to help others, especially when disaster strikes.

• Another story of inspiring mutual aid is “Native communities in Nevada turn to tradition and each other during pandemic crisis” by two reporters for the Reno Gazette Journal. 

• Diné Ride to the Polls 2020  is a short film about the story of a Navajo group that inspired youth voting by incorporating the journey to the polls into their own traditions. And there’s also a “Ride to the Polls” music video.

• Lizzo's “About Damn Time” makes it really hard to do anything but feel joy. 

• Jon Batiste sings impassioned stories of identity, joy, and freedom. A joyous example is this 2022 performance of “Freedom” on a street in New Orleans.

• Mr. Beast, a Youtube creator who appeals to an audience that Harmony calls “If You Say So” has done amazing climate work through two campaigns: “I Cleaned The World’s Dirtiest Beach #TeamSeas” and “Planting 20,000,000 Trees.” His style of storytelling might not work for all of us, but it works for an audience that is otherwise skeptical about their role in climate solutions. And, to plant 20 million trees, they raised $20 million…in just two months. So his work is having both scale and impact. 

• Ms. Marvel is Marvel Studios’ story about a Muslim girl who becomes the superhero of her dreams.

• Declaring  “You’re not a part of the team, man”, Joe Rogan applies his own style to telling the tragic stories of migrants being separated from their babies at the U.S. border (and other topics). 

• The Try Guys manage to make the challenges of growing old resonate with a younger audience in “The Try Guys Live Like 80-Year-Olds For A Day.”

• Black futurism is the genre for the video “Black Futures: An Ode to Freedom Summer,” in which the voice of the past speaks to future generations of the “future you deserve.”

• The Fix: Imagine 2200 Fiction Series encourages futuristic stories that show climate solutions. 

• Amber J. Phillips challenges us to be exactly who we are and to imagine more for ourselves and our communities in her award-winning 3-part storytelling film “Abundance,” a Black Star Film Festival 2020 selection.

• This video from the Leadership Lab reveals the persuasive power of deep canvassing — using personal conversations and true stories for civic organizing. Leadership LAB Conversation with a Voter about Transgender Rights 

• The Homestretch is a full-length movie that tells the stories of three homeless Chicago teens and their commitment to get an education and have the life they want against all odds.

• The Sea Level Rise Project documents the multi-year, multi-faceted efforts of Boston Dance Theater, a highly innovative contemporary dance group, to “share stories, build on existing narratives of resilience to climate change, and envision a thriving future for the community through artistic presentation.” Here is a quick clip. 

• An Indigenous People’s History of the United States, by Native historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, is an example of how powerful it can be to tell an historic story from a completely different point of view.

• “Malcolm X and Yuri Kochiyama's Barrier-Breaking Friendship” celebrates the power of solidarity and memory with the story of two iconic activists, blending personal and societal history. It is a film from the May 19th Project. Also great from this series is “Bruce Lee’s Fighting Stance on Belonging”. 

In a continuing effort to provide useful resources to artists and organizers who are working to change the world for the better, we maintain this online library of storytelling examples. Each of these examples probably uses more than one of the rich storytelling areas listed in The Storytellers’ Guide to Changing Our World. Some examples actually contain all the values and concepts embodied in all seven of the story threads. We’ve tried to provide some inspiration here and you’ll see we’ve reached out to the worlds of pop music, journalism, podcasting, contemporary dance, and more to show the range of approaches and media that can deliver potentially world-changing stories. Consider this an invitation to look through a random sample of these stories and think about who they speak to and why they were told. You might want to think about every story you encounter this way, whether it’s a new movie or a conversation with a friend.