Who Tells the
Story
Because...It matters.
Building authentic relationships to enact social change in education
Equity
Diversity
Inclusion
Belonging
Our MIssion
In a time fraught with false binaries and seemingly unshakable divisions, we believe the most direct route to social change is relationship-building.
We represent the power of partnering across differences, and, through our collaboration entitled Who Tells the Story, we aim to provide middle school students with opportunities to establish such relationships—particularly among people with whom they might not otherwise meet or connect.
Our Equity in Education efforts are targeted at teachers, school district leaders, parents and community members also engaged in this work, both to support the learning of students and to foster our own learning, connections and community.
Who We Are
Norma Johnson (she/her) is a healer, inspirationalist, poetic storyteller and racial justice facilitator who brings a creative background into her distinctive presentation form of activism and education. Using oral forms of storytelling, as a spoken word artist, as a playwright and through community engagement, Norma highlights stories of our shared humanity, history, and heart.
Amanda Cherry (she/her) is an educator who has taught sixth-grade language arts and reading at Southern Hills Middle School in Boulder for 13 years. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are at the heart of her work. From community-building to literature, Amanda is purposeful in creating a classroom that fosters inclusion and encourages students to critically examine the world around them.
Norma and Amanda established Who Tells the Story in May of 2021 to support equity in education. The partnership is supported by the YWCA Boulder County and its donors and foundations committed to social and racial justice, as well as Southern Hills Middle School.
During the 2022-23 school year, we continued to grow and develop our partnership working together and with our community. Our work centers around two main focuses: classroom collaboration (focusing on students) and equity in education (focusing on adults). We are honored to have been able to expand our program through increased support from YWCA Boulder County donors and foundations committed to social and racial justice.
Classroom
Norma visits Amanda’s classroom throughout the school year. These visits align with Amanda’s classroom thread words--which are words, like Courage and Identity--that guide each unit of study. Together, Norma and Amanda plan two lessons for each theme session: during the first lesson, Norma shares a poem. During the second lesson, students engage in an activity that helps them use Norma’s poetry and stories to make connections.
Additionally, Norma and Amanda partner with Ray Ramiréz, retired media coordinator for the Native American Rights Fund. Ray visits Amanda's classroom to share stories and making connections to Indigenous literature.
Equity in Education
This arm of our work helps to generate community, relationships, learning opportunities, and partnering across a diversity of people that are involved in, curious about, or supportive of DEI (Diversity Equity Inclusivity) in education.
To kick off this work in 2022, we organized a gathering of folks for connection over food and discussion, followed by attendance at the play, Alma, put on at Curious Theater in Denver.
We also distributed our first edition of the Jazzing on Justice newsletter in the spring of 2023 to our Equity in Education community: educators, Boulder Valley School District personnel, families, funders, and community members and organizations related to education. The newsletter included information about our Who Tells the Story program and articles by Katrina Miller, the director of the film, This Is [Not] Who We Are, and by Ray Ramiréz, former media coordinator of the Native American Rights Fund.
Spreading the Word!
A play at Su Teatro about Los Seis de Boulder (The Boulder Six) who were six Chicano activists and students killed in two car bombings in Boulder, Colorado. The students were protesting the negative treatment of Mexican-American students at the University of Colorado, Boulder at time of their death. Memorials to the bombing victims have been installed on the University of Colorado campus and in Chautauqua Park.
- Motus Theater
Article - The show is anchored in human voices, but the experience goes well beyond that.
Transformative Stories at CU Boulder’s Transforming Gender Conference
Transformative Stories at The Longmont Museum
Queer Immigrant Pride – Stories From Transgender and Queer Immigrants. Exploring Themes of Belonging and Freedom.
- NAACP Boulder County Events – From Black Talk Radio to Black Futures in Art exhibits!
The Cost of Living - This Pulitzer Prize winning play delves into the stark realities of navigating the world with physical disabilities while exploring the profound interdependence that binds us together.
Cullud Wattah - This time-bending play takes on the Flint Water Crisis and dives deep into the poisonous choices of the outside world, the contamination within, and how we make the best decisions for our families’ futures when there are no real, present options. This Regional Premiere features an intergenerational cast of all Black Women joined in song, in reckoning and in ritual.
- Diversity Book Club – at Boulder Public Library, Meadows branch, 2nd Tuesday of the month.
Contact Us
Thank you to our supporters
We are always looking for new ways to grow and deepen our work.
Please contact us with ideas, suggestions, thoughts, or just to connect!