We believe nothing shapes and shifts culture like its stories. At this critical moment
when radical efforts towards racial justice are taking root across the nation, our
goal is to center those directly impacted while applying the lenses of gender and
sexuality in the storytelling.
In 2016, Shontina Vernon was awarded the Robert Rauschenberg “Artist as Activist”
Fellowship that launched the Visionary Justice StoryLab as a multi-year performance
and media-based project utilizing story to address the impact of incarceration and
systemic oppression in communities of color. It grew to include story-based training
and workshops utilizing our art and media as a basis for dialogue and coalition building.
Our primary focus now centralizes media and content creation. We believe it is one
of the most powerful vehicles for driving cultural change. Our team members and partners
prioritize and reflect the communities we aim to serve in our work. We are a largely
women of color and queer led collective. We are also artists and creatives working
in this capacity.
Visionary Justice StoryLab. “About Visionary Justice Storylab.” Accessed April 13,
2025. https://www.visionaryjusticestorylab.org/about.
