Digital Storytelling for Social Justice

Group photo of attendees at the Chester Justice Celebration on July 30, 2022.

Help discover how digital storytelling can advance social justice initiatives

Project description

Digital storytelling provides opportunities for historically marginalized and silenced communities to share experiences, ideas, expertise, lessons, and perceptions about advancing social justice. This project is centered around meaningful collaboration, in which local residents of Chester, PA, (an at-risk community just outside Philadelphia) develop their stories on a wide variety of topics, such as education, affordable housing, gun violence, and anti-racism. Students assist in recording (we use Zoom) and saving their digital stories and help to disseminate them depending on the storytellers' interests and objectives (social media, websites,etc.).

Project outcome

Students will assist in the production of web sites, videos, and audio recordings made in collaboration with local residents and community-based organizations in Chester, PA. As an example, visit http://chesterdigital.sunycreate.cloud/rlbennett/.  

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Less than a semester (1-2 months)
Start time Anytime
In-person, remote, or hybrid? Remote  
Level of collaboration Individual student project
Benefits Volunteer  
Who is eligible All undergraduate students

Core partners

Project mentor

Christopher Mele

Professor

Sociology

Phone: (716) 645-2417

Email: cmele@buffalo.edu

Start the project

  1. Email the project mentor using the contact information above to express your interest and get approval to work on the project. (Here are helpful tips on how to contact a project mentor.)
  2. After you receive approval from the mentor to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. (Learn more about ELN's digital badge options.) 
Start the Digital Badge

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Read seminal articles or books: Christopher Mele, Race and the Politics of Deception, NYU Press, 2017
  • Watch relevant videos: on digital storytelling https://chestermade.org/stories-make-chester/
  • Attend workshops or orientations: periodic zoom meetings with community organization leaders

Keywords

sociology; social justice; urban studies; digital media; social media; web development; race and gender