What is public narrative?

Public narrative is a leadership practice that enables people to act on shared values and join together in collective action. By telling our story of self, story of us, and story of now, we can articulate the origins of why “I” care (who am I), why “we” care (who are we as a community), and why “now” (urgency), and motivate people to join us. Learn more about public narrative here.

James was a student of Public Narrative at Harvard’s Kennedy School. His call to action was asking fellow students to join the “It Gets Better” campaign by telling their own stories of hope for teenagers who were being bullied for their sexuality. The “It Gets Better” campaign is now considered one of the largest storytelling efforts to uplift LGBTQ+ youth in the world.
This video contains descriptions of suicide by LGBTQ+ youth. 

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For Trainers / Workshop Coaches

A great example of the Story of Self, Us and Now given by James Croft at a rally in 2010 to call people to act against homophobic bullying in schools.

• “What experiences shaped his values?
• Whose choices were they?
• Why are they stories?
• Who is the “us” to whom he appeals?
• What moments of choice does he recall?
• What are the values?
• What challenges to those values does he describe?
• What’s the source of hope?
• In what action does he ask us to join?
• Why does James Croft begin as he does?
• What challenge, choice, and outcome are at the core of each story he tells?
• What details, images, moments do these stories bring alive?
• What values do these stories communicate?”

Questions sourced from – Leadership, Organizing and Action: SEED Organizing Workshop Participant Guide August 7-9, 2015