st. louis
Neighborhood Storytelling Practice
We all have unique lived experiences. That makes each of us an expert in our community — and a teller of stories worth sharing and uplifting.
Memorialize the Past | Magnify the Present | Manifest the Future
Stories are essential to how we understand ourselves, our communities, and the world around us.
What is a neighborhood storytelling practice (NSTP)?
The St. Louis Neighborhood Storytelling Practice strives to replace the prevailing narrative about North St. Louis Black neighborhoods by mobilizing and collaborating with residents to create, collect, and distribute stories that elevate a broader and richer narrative about their neighborhoods and communities and establish a deeper sense of community.
This practice is one way Invest STL is addressing one of our core pillars to reframe narratives in order to shift our collective understanding and awareness of St. Louis residents and neighborhoods.
A NSTP is a space where everyday people can:
- Learn how to identify + tell stories in various formats
- Share multidimensional truths in powerful, creative ways
- Connect with + support each other in community
- Reflect the legacy + future of our city
What does this NSTP entail?
The St. Louis Neighborhood Storytelling Practice aims to replace the prevailing narrative about North St. Louis Black neighborhoods by mobilizing and collaborating with residents to create, collect, and distribute stories that elevate a broader and richer narrative about their neighborhoods and communities.
Practice participants will:
- Hear from storytelling experts
- Be exposed to + learn new skills
- Connect with neighbors + community members
- Shape + share their story
- Participate in a cohort with educational + experiential programming
If you’re interested in:
- Learning how to identify and tell your story in various formats
- Helping people care for and share your own stories
- Building a network of community-based storytellers
- Creating joyful, creative ways to uplift local voices
- Connecting stories across neighborhoods and across the city
- Replacing current prevailing narratives of Black neighborhoods
- Inspiring pride, engagement, personal agency, collaboration, community accountability, and public will
… then this might be a great experience for you!
What are our guiding principles?
RESIDENT-LED
Community members shape what stories are told and how.
DIGNITY + JOY-CENTERED
Stories reflect a more complete and nuanced accounting of the people, power, challenges, and dreams in predominantly Black St. Louis neighborhoods.
ACCESSIBLE
Participation does not require technology, writing skills, or public speaking. It’s about the experience, not the output.
HEALING + RELATIONSHIP-ORIENTED
Sharing and listening to stories fosters trust, care, and belonging – encouraging storytellers to be story conductors.
Our NSTP aims to create space for North St. Louis City residents to tell their own stories — of resilience, love, leadership, and legacy — in ways that honor their power, deepen neighborhood connection, and reframe dominant narratives about North STL.
Why should we care for our stories?
Just like a home, a neighborhood, or a loved one — your story is a place you dwell in. It’s worth checking in on. How is it doing? What does it need? Where is it leading you?
STAY TUNED!
Interested in telling your story or learning more about the practice?