50th Anniversary Racial Justice Storytelling Project

ILSR’s work is rooted in a vision and mission to build a just society formed from thriving, diverse, equitable local communities. And though so much of our work is grounded in principles and policies that advance racial justice, the nature of the relationship between building local power, fighting corporate control, and promoting racial equity is not always obvious or explicitly stated.

As we approached turning 50 years old as an organization and gave thought to the current focus areas of our work, we felt it was important to make the implicit explicit and share stories that clearly portray why the work we do is essential in the fight for racial justice. These stories are a reflection and reminder of the commitment we make to ensure our vision becomes a reality — correcting this nation’s historical wrongs and creating an inclusive and sustainable path forward.

We chose the ArcGIS StoryMap format to present these stories because of the integrated set of tools it provides for the richest accounting of these stories. The mapping and multimedia elements create the fullest sense of where these stories take place, the people affected, and why the stories matter in these places and beyond. The collection of stories is best hosted within the platform as well.

Below, you will find links to stories from each of ILSR’s initiatives, as well as the full collection. There is no intent for you to start or end with any particular story. We encourage you to explore them all in the sequence that calls you, and we hope you’ll carry these stories with you as you engage with more of our work and continue with your own work to bring about a more just society formed from thriving, diverse, equitable local communities.