Black stories matter. Today, we pass the mic to nine brilliant individuals from across a variety of careers and backgrounds to talk about the art of storytelling and the importance of representation.

Thank you to Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist behind the 1619 Project; to Brian Michael Smith, the “9-1-1: Lone Star” actor who changed the industry by being the first Black transgender actor cast as a series regular; to Ruth E. Carter, the Oscar-winning costume designer who worked on “Black Panther”; to Matthew A. Cherry, the director behind the Oscar-winning animated short “Hair Love,” a film about a little Black girl loving her hair; to Titus Kaphar, the artist who is changing history through art; to Ruddy Roye, the photographer making sure Black stories are documented; to D Smoke, the rapper creating connection through music; to Nadia Hallgren, the filmmaker behind the Michelle Obama documentary “Becoming”; to Vashti Harrison, the author and illustrator making sure the next generation of Black children have faces that look like their's in storybooks.

As we close out this chapter of Great Big Story, we want to leave you with a few final thoughts. Storytelling has the power to change this world, but whose stories are currently being told? Who is telling those stories? And to whom are these stories being told? Representation and perspective matter. Stories matter. Everyone has a Great Big Story, now go tell yours.

#Storytelling #BlackStories #Art

This story is a part of our Human Condition series. Come along and let us connect you to some of the most peculiar, stirring, extraordinary, and distinctive people in the world.