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Storytelling - Bella

 One thing that stuck out to me from this week’s reading was the duality of storytelling and the outreach it provides to otherwise marginalized voices and communities. Previously, I had thought of storytelling as just the re-telling of fictional stories mostly to an audience to learn a lesson but reading this chapter, it is used for so much more than that. Through storytelling, one can share their truth and can never be wrong because it's their personal experience. But in the sharing, there is a promotion of solidarity because other people can resonate with that story or experience. I really liked what Rosa shared with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the chapter. The idea is that if a plant is dead or dying and you plant another seed near that plant and it grows, the dead plant will catch on and grow too. I think this also applies to the communities in Brooklyn and urban areas, once they see that these areas have been successful with urban gardens, it inspires them to start their own. Storytelling allows people to receive recognition for what they have to say, they listen to each other's stories and create conversation about it after everyone is done. Through this recognition, even a small story can spark social change when with the right people. 


This chapter reminded me of RISE: Untold Stories of Bowdoin Women. I wasn't able to attend but I heard about the stories from my friends. This performance allowed for the sharing of personal stories and experiences anonymously that otherwise, wouldn't have had a voice. It gave a voice to women at Bowdoin who struggle with sexual violence, dating abuse, childhood sexual abuse, mental health, racism, suicide, and disordered eating and created a platform for them. Conversations were started with my friends and me about our own experiences. I couldn’t find any clips but I screenshotted a photo of the group off Bowdoin FemPower Instagram. 

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