Building Race and Class into the Narrative of Policymaking

The Race Class Narrative (RCN) is an empirically tested framework developed to counteract dog-whistle racism and build broad support for economic and racial justice policies. Initiated in 2017 through collaboration between experts like Heather McGhee, Anat Shenker-Osorio, and Ian Haney López, alongside organisations such as SEIU and Demos, the RCN research aimed to create a narrative that resonates with communities of colour while also engaging white audiences in justice-oriented solutions.

In 2020, the Race Class Narrative Action Project expanded this work by equipping state partners with high-quality, state-specific narrative and messaging research. The emphasis on communication ensured that narrative formation was embedded in all materials, creating consistent and streamlined messaging. Through active collaboration channels, and research briefings, the project maintained alignment and readiness to address evolving issues like the COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism. These efforts also informed new working groups on climate and racial justice, led by state leaders, artists, and organisers, amplifying the narrative's impact across diverse initiatives.