Washington, DC —  As the United States navigates a period of significant social and economic change, Shreveport, Louisiana native and Hip Hop Caucus President and CEO Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. has been selected to share his firsthand experience as part of “OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment.”

The national oral history initiative, which recently surpassed the 100th story milestone, captures short-form, “in-the-moment” accounts that document the current circumstances in the United States that are deeply impacting Americans and others around the world. Rev Yearwood’s contribution, titled “Why the Hip Hop Caucus Mobilizes from Louisiana to Venezuela,” offers a local perspective on democracy & the arts. His perspective focuses on how recent shifts in political, social, and cultural landscapes are influencing the role that the arts and humanities play in democratic life. 

“OurStoryBridge Listens centers our human experiences, while documenting history in real time,” says Rev Yearwood reflecting on his own story.  “Sharing our stories with each other bridges our experiences and helps us to feel less alone and more connected. In today’s rapidly changing world, bridging community and connection through the power of storytelling couldn’t be more vital.”

The “OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment” project is a nonpartisan effort by OurStoryBridge Inc. to document current history as it happens, ensuring that the voices of everyday citizens—not just policymakers—are preserved for the future. Stories are available online in a format designed for today’s fast-paced digital environment.

Listen to Rev Yearwood’s story here: https://app.memria.org/stories/public-story-view/8b848c6388b849d09bedf65413e7a09e/ 

By highlighting individual narratives like Rev Yearwood’s, OurStoryBridge Listens creates a “bridge” between different life experiences, fostering empathy and understanding across the country. Listen to all the stories at ourstorybridgelistens.org and email listen@ourstorybridge.org to learn more about telling your story.

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About Hip Hop Caucus 

Formed in 2004, Hip Hop Caucus is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that leverages Hip Hop culture to encourage young people to participate in the democratic process. Through a collaborative leadership network, Hip Hop Caucus addresses core issues affecting underserved communities. Hip Hop Caucus programs and campaigns support solution-driven community organizing led by today’s young leaders.

About OurStoryBridge Listens
“OurStoryBridge Listens: Present in the Moment” is the new, non-partisan Partner Project by the nonprofit OurStoryBridge Inc. that documents the current circumstances in the United States that are deeply impacting Americans and others around the world. Using our signature methodology for collecting and free sharing of digital short-form oral histories of three- to five minutes each with scrolling photographs using community crowdsourcing and curation, this project 1) captures digital history in the moment before the stories are lost; 2) helps those impacted by providing a dedicated and shared space for their voices; and 3) creates opportunities to communicate these real-time stories to others who can use them to contextualize and amplify their changemaking and research efforts. To listen, visit ourstorybridgelistens.org.