Public Narrative has been named a 2023 recipient of the Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand’s Community Grant, a program of the joint 10-year, $100 million Black Community Commitment (BCC), created in 2020.
Jordan Community Grants are awarded once a year to grassroots, nonprofit organizations that are driving action and leading sustainable solutions to improve Black lives in their neighborhoods. As part of the 2023 BCC Community Grant cycle, and in honor of Michael Jordan’s 60th birthday, $2.3M in funding was awarded to 48 organizations, including Public Narrative, with a local connection to the initiative’s four key focus areas of economic justice, education, narrative change, and social justice.
Building on the BCC’s efforts, Public Narrative will use the grant funds to take action through its mission to cultivate media literacy through communications training and other resources. Additionally, Public Narrative will invest further in community-engaged narrative change, expanding its programs to equip more youth and leaders from communities of color to be catalysts for social justice and narrative change.
“We were built on the strength of community voice,” says Jhmira Alexander, Public Narrative president and executive director. “In our 34-year history, we’ve held space for Chicago to tell better stories. For us, equity in the Black community means honoring the uniqueness and complexities of our lived experiences through balanced storytelling from the press to the people.”
“Creating more equitable futures for Black people starts with an intentional journey. So, as our Jordan Brand family celebrates Michael’s 60th birthday, we are thrilled to welcome these organizations committed to accelerating progress in their communities,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President.
About Public Narrative: Public Narrative is Chicago’s premiere cultivator of narrative change and supporter of community-oriented journalism since 1989. It facilitates training, programming and resource building focused on cultivating media literacy, uplifting community voices in media, and shifting narratives around public health, public safety, and public education. Public Narrative supports more than 200 community and ethnic news outlets and for-and not-for-profit organizations through its initiatives. And it builds meaningful relationships among stakeholders to shift existing community narratives and amplify more inclusive and complete storytelling across Chicago, greater Illinois and beyond. See publicnarrative.org.
For any inquiries regarding the announcement, please email our director of journalism and media engagement Olivia Obineme at oobineme@publicnarrative.org.
First image: Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand Black Community Commitment Award Grantee logo. Provided.