Stories as Power

Legend has it that when the great warrior Shaka Zulu was building his kingdom, late at night his soldiers would surround the tribe he wanted to acquire. At dawn, they attacked. The first person they killed wasn’t the Chief. It wasn’t the Medicine Man. It was the storyteller. Because Shaka Zulu knew that the Storyteller was the heart and soul of the tribe. By killing him, the tribe would much more easily be assimilated into his kingdom.

Founded by Claudia Lin and Charlotte Cao, students at Portola High School in Irvine, CA, Stories Empowered is a youth-led initiative striving to celebrate BIPOC narratives through different outreach projects and media platforms, such as writing and podcasts. Their goal is to empower underrepresented communities, break down cultural stereotypes, and encourage an environment of compassion and empathy.
Stories Empowered

When women and girls share their stories of personal triumph, they often find that telling their story is itself an act of self-empowerment. And then others are inspired and changed by reading real stories of overcoming struggles with fear, with lapses of confidence, or with cultural norms. Sharing stories of personal triumph has the potential to give hope, to inspire, and to help change lives. Say It Forward
Say It Forward