The Race Class Narrative: A race forward messaging framework to engage the base and persuade the middle

All too often, progressives are asked to keep issues of racial justice and economic well-being separate — or told we need to remain silent about race so we don’t lose the mythical “middle.”

But research has empirically shown that the way we win is by mobilizing our base to relentlessly repeat a message that excites and inspires them - and it is this repetition and inspiration that moves the middle to our side

But to get our base excited and move the middle, we must speak effectively on issues of race and class, together. Not only has research shown that the Race Class Narrative framework on multi-racial democracy excites our base and engages persuadable voters, it also acts as a critical response to the division and fear that our opposition keeps peddling.

Watch this recording of an exclusive 2-hour workshop with Eleonore Wesserle and Tinselyn Simms of We Make the Future Action for an introduction to the Race Class Narrative.

Resources to help you use the Race Class Narrative

• Guide To Messaging Our Freedoms - The Guide to Messaging Our Freedoms gives sample messages for a wide range of issues, from our freedom to vote to our freedom to be ourselves. The guide also links to additional messaging resources that give detailed insights and more comprehensive guidance, so you can find relevant resources on the topics you’re looking for all in one place.

• Race Class Narrative Example Language - In this resource, you’ll find sample language articulating how to follow these basic tenets of Race Class Narrative messaging:

  • Open with shared values that name (and/or show) race.

  • Name villains, their motivation, and how they use strategic racism and scapegoating to divide and distract us while they harm us all.

  • Uplift victories and/or everyday collective actions that solve problem(s).

  • Describe a vision for what will change that includes everyone coming together to achieve it.

  • Insert a specific call to action.

• Race Class Narrative Messaging Checklist - Use this quick guide to ensure that your campaign messages and communications materials - whatever they might be for - follow the basic tenets of Race Class Narrative messaging.

• Amplifying Organizing - Field and community organizers often face the challenge that many messaging resources are designed for communications professionals. This guide walks through how to use an RCN message in your public speaking and canvassing, how to use a layered approach to incorporate RCN in your organizing, and more.

Get additional messaging guides and other resources on the We Make the Future website.

Sign up for the Messaging Our Future newsletter to receive messaging guidance to meet the needs of our collective fights, digital content that you can use without need for attribution, open job listings, and examples of research-backed messaging in action.

Learn more about the race-class approach.

• We Must Talk About Race to Fix Economic Inequality - 4-minute video that introduces the concept of dog-whistle politics and the race-class approach

• Race-Class Academy - Learn about the race-class approach through 12 short videos and discussion guides.

• Merge Left: Fusing Race and Class, Winning Elections, and Saving America - A groundbreaking book that provides a road map to neutralizing the role of racism as a divide-and-conquer political weapon.

Presenters

Eleonore Wesserle is the Senior Capacity Builder at We Make The Future, the new organizational home for Race Class Narrative implementation.

For more than a decade, Eleonore has applied her skills in facilitation, curriculum development, and consulting toward building progressive partners’ knowledge and skills in narrative and strategic communications for social change.

Prior to We Make the Future, Eleonore was the founder and principal narrative strategist at Dreams to Power, where she worked with progressive communicators across Minnesota to align strategy and level up on narrative across issues and movements. 

Tinselyn Simms is the Co-Director of the new home for Race Class Narrative implementation, We Make The Future.

Prior to this role, she served as Assistant Director of Communications at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) where she led communications for the Racial Justice Center. She spearheaded the labor’s involvement in the groundbreaking Race-Class Narrative research. In 2019, she completed the Global Messaging Program in Melbourne, Australia.

Tinselyn is a proud graduate of Prince George’s County Public Schools in Maryland. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Temple University in Communications and African American Studies. She also has a master’s from Morgan State University in Telecommunications Management.

How can we help you?

PowerLabs supports organizations to design and run people-powered campaigns.

Organizers hire us when they know that power comes from both broad mobilizing and deep organizing and need a trusted advisor who can help them use evidence-based methods to scale their work and make a more significant impact.

Our commitment to capacity building sets PowerLabs apart from other firms. We approach coaching and consulting engagements like an organizer — our goal is to win while also developing the capacity of people and organizations to lead the work long after we are gone.

We offer three options for collaboration and support: consulting, team coaching, and individual coaching.

Get in touch if you’d like to explore working together.