About Us
In a time fraught with false binaries and seemingly unshakable divisions, we believe the most direct route to social change is relationship-building.
Norma Johnson
Storyteller | She/Her
Norma is a healer, inspirationalist, poetic storyteller and racial justice facilitator who brings a creative background into her distinctive presentation form of activism and education. Using oral forms of storytelling, as a spoken word artist, as a playwright and through community engagement, Norma highlights stories of our shared humanity, history, and heart.
Amanda Cherry
Educator | She/Her
Amanda is an educator who has taught sixth-grade language arts and reading at Southern Hills Middle School in Boulder for 13 years. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are at the heart of her work. From community-building to literature, Amanda is purposeful in creating a classroom that fosters inclusion and encourages students to critically examine the world around them.
Our Partnership
Norma and Amanda established Who Tells the Story in May of 2021 to support equity in education. The partnership is supported by the YWCA Boulder County and its donors and foundations committed to social and racial justice, as well as Southern Hills Middle School.
During the 2022-23 school year, we continued to grow and develop our partnership working together and with our community. Our work centers around two main focuses: classroom collaboration (focusing on students) and equity in education (focusing on adults). We are honored to have been able to expand our program through increased support from YWCA Boulder County donors and foundations committed to social and racial justice.
Our Community
Social change engages relationships. We represent the power of partnering across differences, and a critical element in that partnering is our connection with the communities we serve. The audiences to whom we present aren’t simply passive listeners. They are active participants in shaping our message. Together, our stories shape our lives, our inspirations, and how we think about ourselves and each other. The students, educators, families, organizations, and community members we work with become not just colleagues but partners, therefore reinforcing one of our core messages–that lasting social change stems from creating and sustaining authentic relationships.
