To Be Human: Finding Community Through Storytelling

Keywords

journalism, photography, data visualization, storytelling, interviews, community

Disciplines

Digital Humanities | Journalism Studies | Photography

Mentor

Laurence José

Abstract

Our approach to cities is often reduced to billboards, fast facts, and slogans. For example, Grand Rapids is frequently labeled “up-and-coming, “Beer City” and “Cool City.” Through storytelling, this project offers a more authentic perspective on the human face of the city. Using foundational concepts from Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, the Durham Storymakers project (2016) and the work of filmmaker Nina Shapiro-Perl (2017) and information designer Giorgia Lupi (2018), this project provides a glimpse into the lives of Grand Rapids residents that public media rarely reaches. The display of selected quotes, photographs, and “data portraits” (Lupi, n.d.) will challenge viewers to see the complexity within their communities and seek out stories of their own.

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