ABOUT BETTER TO SPEAK

We are a movement media platform for young and emerging Black storytellers working to transform silence into language and action.

 

MISSION

 

Through content, community engagement and communications, Better to Speak works to…

  • amplify the voices and stories of Black people and communities,

  • equip our peers with storytelling tools, and

  • cultivate a cultural narrative of self-actualization.

VISION

 

We strive to help build a world where Black people are free and a culture that empowers Black youth and young adults to explore and actualize the power of our voices and stories.

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

 

Better to Speak is led by young Black folks who work at the intersection of social activism and media. 

We maintain a peer-led space for and by Black youth to support other Black youth, we can support one another as we build the confidence, conviction, community, and capacity to engage in this work sustainably.

VALUES

 

ACCOUNTABILITY

We hold ourselves accountable to our communities – to Black people globally – as we take on this work. We give ourselves permission to embody alternatives to social justice careerism, Black capitalism and the non-profit industrial complex as a means to Black liberation.

 

BLACK FEMINISM

We intentionally center the margins and cultivate a share of voice informed by Black Feminist principles in the narrative landscape online and in real life.

SELF-BELIEF

We believe that we hold the intrinsic power and capability to create the conditions for both self and social actualization.

“We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.” – June Jordan

 

AUTONOMY + AGENCY

We hold space for folks to use their voice and share their story in a way that's personally meaningful to them, as opposed to attempting to control or exploit their narrative.

CO-CREATION

We see clients, beneficiaries, contributing writers, donors, volunteers and community members as equal stakeholders of Better to Speak’s mission and impact. We view other aligned people and organizations in this work as partners, not competitors.

 

SOLUTIONS + MOVEMENT MEDIA

We use storytelling to build awareness of short-term solutions to sociopolitical issues, provide context to the long-term root cause, AND provide our audience with actionable steps for each.

BEING PRESENT IN THE PROCESS

We value the process just as much, if not more than the product – we are all working towards Black liberation, and we need a variety of creative approaches and solutions that allow us to learn, grow, build, and connect throughout the journey.

 

JAMII

We contribute to building communities that acknowledge and value the roles of individuals, families, neighborhoods and other community networks; just as much as large and wealthy companies and public figures/elected officials.

 

APPROACH

OPERATIONAL PILLARS

CONTENT

At our roots, we are a community media platform that lives for stories highlighting multifaceted, intergenerational and diasporic Black experiences across multimedia platforms.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

In addition to digital and editorial content, we prioritize holding space for real-time connections with our community, and real-life work to achieve social change and transformation.

PARTNERSHIPS + SERVICES

We offer content strategy consultations and community workshops for emerging Black social advocacy leaders and organizations that are led by or serve Black youth and young adults.

CORE FOCUS AREAS

Check back soon for social toolkits to Learn More + Take Action!

 

OUR HISTORY

Transforming silence into language and action since 2017.

 

Better to Speak's story began at Normandy High School in St. Louis, Missouri – the school Michael Brown Jr. graduated from – when our founder Kési Felton visited as a volunteer with Howard University's Alternative Spring Break Program.

She was inspired to launch a book drive to collect books by, for and about Black people, to offer positive representation of our stories to Black children through literature.

Better to Speak: The Book Drive launched in 2018, and since then, Better to Speak has worked to use storytelling to highlight important sociopolitical issues through the lens of Black youth and young adults.

Learn more about our journey below:

  • Better to Speak: The Book Drive launched in partnership with Reading Partners D.C. and Black children's book authors across the U.S.

    We collected over 30 books with the support of Black authors across the U.S. who personally donated their works, and hosted a volunteer day with Howard University students at City Arts + Prep in Washington, D.C.

    We also hosted our first Community Conversation event to discuss Black Women’s Political Power. Panelists included Howard’s NAACP student chapter, the Obama Foundation, IGNITE National, Black Girls Vote, among others.

  • In 2019 we hosted our second Community Conversation event on masculinity and mental health in the Black community.

    Additionally, the Talk About It Tuesday series, a series of social media campaigns that brought awareness to issues like diabetes and domestic violence launched in Fall 2019.

    The series featured Black women leaders such as Christine Platt, author and antiracism advocate; Ashlee Wisdom, founder and CEO of Health In Her HUE; and Mutima Anderson, President and CEO of the Ruby A. Neeson Diabetes Awareness Foundation.

    These important discussions turned into ‘In Conversation’ audio interviews and, ultimately, Better to Speak: The Podcast.

  • Better to Speak: The Podcast was officially launched to cover and address issues relevant to the Black community, including the 2020 presidential election, COVID-19, and the racial reckoning in response to police violence against Black people.

    Later that year, we published our first zine, titled “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” on Black civic engagement in 2020. Some proceeds from the physical copies were donated to support Fair Fight Action and its work in the 2020 Senate runoffs in Georgia.

  • Better to Speak Communications launched and began partnering with Black storytellers and changemakers who work in civic engagement, youth leadership, public health, and more.

    We also had the opportunity to participate in various community events and workshops to discuss storytelling as a tool for social change with our peers and Black youth.

    Partners included Howard University’s Multicultural Media Academy, VOX ATL, and the Black Student Union at John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

REACH OUT

 

 

We’re always looking for new folks to connect and build community with! Even if you don’t necessarily have a project, pitch or idea in mind, schedule time during our community hours or send us a message!

You can also reach out to offer your feedback and let us know how we’re doing and where we can improve!

 

Here are some other places you can reach us:

hi@bettertospeak.org

With love from Metro Atlanta, GA 💛