Words and Images Courtesy of Heard Productions
The Virginia African American Cultural Center Inc. (VAACC) approved a subgrant of $152,000 funding from a Virginia Tourism Corporation grant to partner with Heard Productions and the Your Neighbor's Hood (YNH) Podcast starting this year and running through 2024.
The funding allows Heard founder, Hannah Sobol and YNH creator, Delegate Jackie Glass to travel the Commonwealth curating stories that connect neighbors to the local history of the land they inhabit, and how that has shaped the present.
"The power of storytelling has great potential for shifting culture, mindsets, and creating a common framework where transformation can occur in local and state public policy making," says Glass.
The 'Truth Be Told' audio series will provide Virginians access to the first hand experiences of how de facto and de jure racism and classism influence African American neighborhoods and livelihoods. The tour will also provide ways to act and interact with the bright side of the now and future.
Sobol adds, "Facts do not change minds, but stories do. Through shared lived experiences over several generations, we invite our community to understand the issues of systemic racism, connecting to things that are universal, and understanding experiences that differ from their own. This foundation of understanding is essential before we can move forward.”
With the support of The Dismantling Racism Working Community, Human Rights Commission, and Interfaith Alliance at the Beach, listeners will have options to engage beyond listening if they are so moved. As Dave Isay of Story Corps says “Listening is an act of love”, and Virginia is for lovers!
Interested in learning more, telling your story, or working with the project? Contact Hannah Sobol Heardofem@gmail.com
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