Jordan Brand Partners With StoryCorps To Launch Brightness In Black Initiative, Amplifying Diverse Black Stories

The multi-year initiative will celebrate its launch in Philadelphia, one of its anchor communities.

StoryCorps has partnered with Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand to launch the Brightness in Black initiative.

Since StoryCorps’ inception in 2003, the nonprofit has aimed to uplift humanity and encourage understanding through recorded interviews. Brightness in Black is multi-year endeavor will promote and collect these diverse stories.

Aligned with the Jordan Brand’s Black community commitment, these narratives will further shape the nuance, complexity, and beauty of Black life in America. The Library of Congress will also archive these pivotal stories.

In its inaugural year, Brightness in Black will focus on its two anchor cities of Philadelphia and Atlanta. Working alongside these local communities and media outlets, the initiative will document the lives of these vibrant hubs. While its other four anchors remain under wraps, StoryCorps will introduce a national distribution effort to connect Black experiences across the country.

StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE on this new endeavor’s mission and impact on the Black experience.

“Listening impacts so much of how we think about ourselves as Black people, how we think about each other, and how others think about us too,” Clark says. “So the opportunity for us to launch Brightness In Black and counter the pervasive narratives of black life in America, which too often are limited and framed in our deficit, as opposed to our assets, is an opportunity for all of us to reclaim the story.

“The real opportunity here is that the Jordan Brand has this incredible platform and a cross generational reach that will help expand [StoryCorps],” she adds. “These stories will be distributed in ways we have not done before, as we plan to work with black publishers across the country. Having a multi-platform distribution is important for the Black community to be able to experience, share and see these stories, but also for those outside the community to see these stories and understand a depth of experience that they perhaps may not understand.”

Moreover, the Brightness in Black HBCU Fellowship program has invited select students in these anchor communities to engage in personal and professional development. They will assist in archiving interviews while receiving guidance from the StoryCorps community team.

StoryCorps will start Brightness in Black will a celebratory event in Philadelphia on Sept. 14. The free and family-friendly event will feature live performances, panel discussions, and activations, with the additional opportunities for Black families to begin sharing their stories.

Brightness in Black will also have a mobile tour for families nationwide to participate in the groundbreaking initiative. Those interested may learn more of future stops through its website.