“Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has!” is one of my favorite quotes by Margaret Mead.
At the heart of any change and particularly, every significant change, from civil rights movements to environmental activism has been a small group of committed citizens who questioned, protested, and fought for justice. These groups often faced immense obstacles—resistance from the powerful, limited resources, and fear. But what they possessed in abundance was conviction and courage: the belief that their actions, no matter how small they seemed in the moment, could lead to something greater.
This quote, personally, gives me purpose, drive, grit, and motivation to know that someone ordinary can act towards the extraordinary.
Upon reflection of my storytelling class, I had thoughtfully brainstormed different people, events that had helped humanity and that I could share with the rest of the class. I kept getting pulled to folks who have made a big difference for others and have also inspired me to do better. The characters selected in my stories were unassuming YOUNG people who took bold actions to help their communities. With the awareness that they may be forced to leave their towns, face ridicule, and, at worst, risk losing their lives. Yet, they acted and made significant changes for their communities and even their countries. Whether they received credit or not…it did not matter. The cause was much bigger than them!
Because of these folks that I call heroes/sheroes, creating and telling fact-based and historical stories has become an obsession for me—throughout the research process from deciding on the subject, to reading, interviewing and learning more about a person or event, it is undeniable that there is a thrill and joy to give these stories a voice. It is also as exciting to receive feedback or nuggets as one relates stories to others that will only make the stories even more enjoyable. Yet, the process of crafting the stories is not easy. I have learned that there are many ways of crafting a story and it is a matter of personal preference. For me, it has been helpful to write out the entire story. As a factual storyteller, I do have to balance the desire to keep my audience interested with the need for accuracy, ensuring that the emotions and perspectives of the characters are conveyed in a way that feels real and is historically factual. I have also learned from fellow storytellers that stories can be about anything, but one of the main ingredients for storytelling is a strong connection to the story, so you can relate the story with joy and for the audience to remember something about a story.
More than anything, I have learned that there are so many courageous individuals in our community and the world, and their stories must be told!
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