In moments of social and political upheaval, the best way to get attention and action is to focus on common ground, highlight our interconnectedness, and foster solidarity, communications research tells us. In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, that is exactly what we are seeing from grant makers like the Ford Foundation’s Darren Walker and advocacy networks like People’s Action, which are stepping up and advancing messages that unite and push us toward a better future.
These messages spark hope that a more inclusive and equitable world might lie ahead, that the new normal might be closer to the one we have been working for.