In Our Own Voice Launches Narrative Power for Justice Initiative

Blending research and cultural strategy, the initiative aims to advance Reproductive Justice policy through storytelling and narrative power

NATIONWIDE — Today, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda announced the official launch of Narrative Power for Justice, a bold new initiative designed to strengthen the narrative power necessary to advance Reproductive Justice policy nationwide by integrating groundbreaking research, narrative strategy, cultural influence and storytelling.

Narrative Power for Justice is grounded in the clear understanding that culture shapes policies, and narrative power determines what solutions the public and policymakers believe are possible. Building on In Our Own Voice’s research lineage and narrative leadership of more than ten years, the initiative moves beyond simply identifying harmful tropes. It is focused on building the narrative infrastructure necessary to sustain long-term policy progress for Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people.

Through rigorous national qualitative and quantitative research, public opinion analysis, message testing and deep engagement with the cultural storytelling ecosystem, Narrative Power for Justice will map the dominant narratives shaping public understanding of Reproductive Justice and generate evidence-based strategies to shift them at scale, equipping advocates, policymakers, and cultural leaders with the tools needed to transform public conversations.

“At In Our Own Voice, we know that narrative power is foundational to advancing Reproductive Justice because policy does not exist in a vacuum—it moves when culture moves,” said Regina Davis Moss, President and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda. “When Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people are portrayed through distorted or incomplete narratives, it is challenging to secure the resources and protections our communities urgently need. That is why Narrative Power for Justice is so critical for this moment. It is not a new belief, but rather doubling down on the work we’ve done for over a decade. Our research-backed, evidence-based insights will help flip the script on who gets to tell our stories, and in doing so, strengthen the path toward policy change that reflects our autonomy, dignity and leadership.”

A core component of Narrative Power for Justice is its robust research agenda, which will include:

• Conducting large-scale qualitative and quantitative media and culture research, public opinion research and message testing to understand how narratives resonate across audiences;
• Building on insights from the What Black Women Want to See research to surface what Black women actually prioritize, value, and want policymakers and culture makers to understand;
• Identifying the cultural assumptions, storytelling gaps, and narrative assumptions that shape perceptions of Black women and Reproductive Justice;
• Developing data-grounded narrative guidance to support advocates, policymakers, media partners and cultural influencers.

To deepen the connection between research and real-world narrative change, Narrative Power for Justice will also be working with a group of influential cultural storytellers and narrative strategists across film, television, and emerging media committed to shaping transformative narratives. In Our Own Voice will equip creators with research-backed insights, messaging tools, and strategic guidance to help navigate beyond reacting to harmful tropes and seed affirming, accurate narratives that reflect the full leadership and lived experiences of Black communities.

Narrative Power for Justice builds on In Our Own Voice’s longstanding leadership in advancing a comprehensive Reproductive Justice policy agenda at both the national and state levels. By aligning cultural influence with policy advocacy, Narrative Power for Justice will strengthen the narrative foundation necessary to advance Reproductive Justice and ensure that public discourse reflects the lived realities, leadership, and visions of Black women, girls, and gender-expansive people.

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In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda is a national-state partnership focused on lifting up the voices of Black women leaders at the national and regional levels in our fight to secure Reproductive Justice for all women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals. Our eight strategic partners are Black Women for Wellness, Black Women’s Health Imperative, New Voices for Reproductive Justice, SisterLove, Inc., SisterReach, SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW, The Afiya Center and Women With A Vision.