The Narrative Pyramid Analysis: A Tool and Worksheet for Communicators

Overview

Developed by Race Forward 

Over time, narrative strategies for racial justice create the conditions for narrative justice and power for people of color — so that experiences, analysis, and solutions stemming from communities of color are amplified and become the norm. It involves thoughtful visioning, design and planning, in order to align alternative deep narratives and narratives, along with race-explicit stories and messages.

Too often, we focus exclusively on tailoring messages and developing stories — without adequate attention to work on deeper, more entrenched narratives and deep narratives. Our attached Narrative Pyramid Tool shows how deep narratives produce narratives, which in turn are manifested and transmitted through stories, and carried farther through messages.