Oftentimes, what’s positive isn’t what’s promoted. And that’s been one of my biggest frustrations. They want the drama. They don’t want the uplifting story that our communities are yearning for. — Avrell Stokes, president BeGreat Together
Who gets to tell the stories of Black and Brown communities? In Kansas City, Be Great Together is shifting the narrative through DocuCourse, a grassroots media platform that amplifies the voices of local changemakers.
In this episode of the Convergence Partnership Podcast, we hear from Averell Stokes, the creator of DocuCourse, along with featured activists Justice Gatson of Real Justice Network and Hakima Tafunzi Payne of Uzazi Village. They discuss how documentary storytelling can be a tool for social change, providing communities with the power to define their own narratives and push back against the media’s focus on trauma over triumph.
DocuCourse isn’t just a platform—it’s a movement that challenges traditional media, highlights solutions created “for us, by us,” and strengthens grassroots organizing efforts. With national recognition at film festivals from Hollywood to Philly, these stories are reshaping the way Black and Brown communities are seen and supported.
This podcast series serves as a final grant report for Convergence Partnership’s most recent grantee cohort. Through the voices of our grantees and their partners, we explore how civic narrative, mutual aid, and economic power shape the fight for racial justice and health equity.
To learn more about the Convergence Partnership, visit www.convergencepartnership.org.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!