Arms Around Adams 14: Narrative Power for Social Repair
ContextAdams 14, a public school district in Commerce City, Colorado long impacted by environmental and economic racism, was at risk of closure by the state as a result of harmful narratives and racist tropes around student and educator performance.
Our Work
We designed and launched an inclusive, bilingual reparative narrative campaign.
From conducting research to brand development to drafting press releases to organizing rallies to leading teach-ins to activate the public, we collaborated and co-created with our partners to reclaim the public narrative around Commerce City and its schools. We leveraged the expertise of parents, students, educators and community members across the district to create a reparative narrative campaign rooted in the truth of Commerce City values, that people were proud to socialize.
We won the campaign, securing the preservation of local autonomy for the school district and, through state policy, safeguarding against the future targeting of any other marginalized school district or community in Colorado.
The Impact
Established deep and connected relationships with local voices, including a dynamic local school partnership that ignited energy and creativity through engaging messaging workshops for The Eagle Eye, Adams City High School's newspaper staff
Reclaimed the public narrative surrounding Commerce City and the Adams 14 School District by garnering extensive media coverage from prominent outlets including Univision, Denver 9, and Chalkbeat
Marked a significant step toward justice and systemic change as Adams 14's case advanced to the Colorado Supreme Court
In collaboration with:
