Declaring our Independence
“Narratives are a form of power that can mobilize and connect, as well as divide and isolate. Social, public or dominant narratives help to legitimize existing power relationships, prop them up or make them seem natural.” Oxfam, “Narrative Power and Collective Action”
On this day, February 27th 2024, we declare our independence from over-simplified historical narratives.
We declare our independence from the erasure of the African contribution to the Dominican Republic.
We declare our independence from the practice of praising our colonizer and hating and hurting our closest neighbors and island kin.
We declare our independence from the politics of anti-Blackness and anti-immigration.
We declare our independence from toxic nationalism.
At In Cultured Company, we challenge the status quo by changing the narrative and building Narrative Power. On our instagram page, and via our curated reading list, we have created the tools for you to be able to declare your independence and craft a new narrative.
IG Post: What to the Afro-Dominican is the 27th of February?
When you drop our posts and videos into your family’s whatsapp chats and have engaged conversations with your people, know that you are participating in narrative change and building narrative power too.
“Narratives are made up of many stories, tweets, visuals, videos, memes, online content, offline conversations, keeping deeply held ideas about society and people in place.”— Oxfam “Narrative Power and Collective Action”
But what is narrative power?
According to this Oxfam Study on Narrative Power building around the world, narrative power is the ability to reshape the stories that we tell ourselves in public about certain social phenomena and injustices in order to move towards collective action. These stories accumulate over time into a shared sense of the world and the people in it. Every time that we question these stories, we have the capacity to move towards meaningful collective action.
This month of March, we will be exploring what Narratives and Narrative Power are more in depth. Why? Because the tired narrative of nationalism is hurting Black communities around the world now more than ever.
What is beyond nationalism?
Joy (Shout to Kleaver Cruz’s Black Joy Project!) Power! Healing! Wellness!
For all people, especially Black and Indigenous people.
How do we get there?
We have to (Un)Learn, Heal, Dream and Do together.
That is what In Cultured Company Stands for and what we want to create.
But we need your help.
Please donate on our website, or subscribe to our substack newsletter as a paid contributor.
Thank you all so much. Let me know below what are YOU declaring independence from this February 27th!
Dr. Saudi Garcia
ICC Executive Director