Storytelling Networks that Build Community Power: Urban Equity Advocacy From a Communication Infrastructure Lens

Abstract

Urban scholars suggest that communication can be key to equity advocacy and organizing for social justice in cities, but a gap exists in studies grounded in communication theory. This article theorizes everyday urban equity advocacy through communication infrastructure theory (CIT), an ecological framework grounded in the notion that communities are discursively constructed. Sourced from 34 semi-structured interviews in Chicago, this article examines how organizers from social change-focused organizations activate community storytelling network actors (residents, community organizations, and local media) to advocate for equity. I find that organizers activate this network to cultivate consciousness, build capacity, and amplify equity work for marginalized communities. The study is important in demonstrating how advocating for equity is best when it is an intentional process that activates multi-stakeholder engagement in urban neighborhoods year-round.