The Narrative Arc Bends toward Justice: Storytelling in Classroom and Community

The paper presents practical ways in which narrative and storytelling can be used as empowering tools for students of political and social change. The perspectives and applications I discuss have emerged from work with non-traditional and minoritized students in classroom and community contexts. Thematically, the paper will focus on two key ways in which students may engage with narrative. First, students may come to understand and analyze stories as forms of knowledge that are not often valued. Second, students can evaluate and practice storytelling as a strategy for social change. For each broad theme, I briefly discuss relevant scholarly work to situate the various applications presented below. In the sections that follow, I present models for how narrative can build inclusion in the classroom and promote engagement in the community.