Examples from the Field: Storytelling Communities - How the Voice of Communities Can Change Community Health

In communities hardest hit by COVID-19 and underrepresented in research, multiple approaches to storytelling have been helping researchers connect with local, national, and global communities to address disparities and become mobilized for action. In fact, storytelling has a long history in community engaged research and community health improvement. This tool amplifies the voice of the community and may be done through autobiographies, journals, spoken word, field notes, conversations, interviews, family stories, videos, and pictures. Stories capture the community's voice, emotions, and personal values while allowing a unique connection for communities to share where they have been and desire to be! Storytelling is also a powerful tool in research allowing researchers and communities to work collaboratively to address the complexities of culture and society and formulate data with real impact.