The stories we tell about a place form a kind of DNA– shaping what that place is and what it can become.

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Detroit Narrative Agency (DNA) was founded in 2015, by ill weaver and adrienne maree brown, with help from Jeanette Lee from Allied Media Projects, with a primary focus on disrupting harmful narratives about Detroit. For too long, the stories that circulated about Detroit defined it as broken, violent, and in need of saving from itself. After Detroit’s emergence from bankruptcy in 2014, there was a new strand of stories about Detroit: stories of resurgence led by white billionaires, scrappy entrepreneurs, and pioneering artists. Invisible from that narrative was the Detroit that was saving itself all along, the Detroit that pushed back against marginalization and erasure, the Detroit that had a vision for the future based in liberation and justice. 

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The Detroit Narrative Agency is amplifying that Detroit, incubating authentic and compelling stories that shift the dominant narratives about this place by putting the power of story back in the hands of Black, Indigenous, People of Color. We focus on non-extractive media storytelling, centering and amplifying the voices of our city, and providing skillbuilding opportunities within film and media production with a focus on community impact. DNA also contributes to the growth of the film and media ecosystem in the Detroit area and globally.

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DNA is currently directed by Ashley Calhoun, Interim Executive Director.