Saturday September 27, 2025
8:00am-1:00pm CST
Online or In-person
The liberation movement for justice and the well-being of all people is gearing up to play both offense and defense. To succeed, we must sharpen our storytelling and narrative strategies, as these are essential tools for building power and winning hearts and minds. One key aspect of power is the ability to make people desire change. Narrative plays a pivotal role in shaping how we interpret the world around us and has the potential to sway individuals to act—sometimes even against their own interests. Through workshops and interactive exercises, participants will learn how to breathe life into the narrative tactics that drive their campaigns and community work, empowering them to create compelling, impactful stories that resonate deeply with the people they seek to reach.
Ayanna Johnson Watkins (she/her/hers) , MLK50 Co-Executive Director of Business. Photo by Wiley Brown for MLK50
Ayanna Johnson Watkins strives to be an agent of change in her community, with a focus on transformation and innovation. She has served and led in the nonprofit arena for over 20 years, as a social worker, clergyperson, and community organizer.
Ayanna earned her B.A. in Sociology from Yale University and her Master of Divinity and MA in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. She is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and was contributing columnist for The Christian Century magazine for six years.
In 2019, Ayanna became the first Lead Organizer and Executive Director of MICAH — Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope — heading up the community organization for its first five years.Today, Ayanna calls Memphis home along with her husband and their two daughters.
Jia Lian Yang (she/they), MDiv/MSW, is a storyteller, cultural worker, and facilitator. Born and raised in San Jose, California, she came to St. Louis in 2012 to pursue a Master of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis and Master of Divinity at Eden Theological Seminary. They are the Director of Storytelling & Communications at Forward Through Ferguson, where they manage data storytelling initiatives such as #Transforming911 and craft narratives around grassroots efforts to advance Racial Equity. Previously, she served as the Co-Host/ Lead Producer of St. Louis Public Radio’s We Live Here podcast, and the Co-Founder/ Co-Host of Who Raised You? podcast. They believe that real, trusting relationships are the first step toward building power for systemic change.
