Voices for Change
Black lives matter. Create a story to educate others, or share your experiences.
Prizes
Up to $2,500 donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which works to legally fight civil and human rights violations for the most vulnerable communities.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jun 02, 2020
Submissions closed
Jun 25, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 26, 2020
Prizes
Up to $2,500 donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which works to legally fight civil and human rights violations for the most vulnerable communities.
Status
CompletedTimeline
Submissions opened
Jun 02, 2020
Submissions closed
Jun 25, 2020 3:59 AM CUT
Results
Jun 26, 2020
About this challenge
In Lieu of Prizes
Up to $2,500 donated to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which works to legally fight civil and human rights violations for the most vulnerable communities.
About
We always tell you that as our creators, you're our partners. This means we’re here to support you, but also to amplify your voices and listen to what you have to say. This week, in light of the heavy weight on the most vulnerable communities and the pressing conversations that need to be had openly and honestly, we’re introducing you to a new kind of Challenge.
For this Challenge, instead of dividing you all in friendly competition, we’re challenging you all as a community to come together and have those conversations. There won’t be a winner chosen, and we won’t be giving a cash prize to any single individual.
Instead, we’re giving you an open floor to tell us what you want people to know in light of the international conversations sparked by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, and so many others lost to racist violence. Maybe that’s elaborating on your experiences as a Black person in America; maybe that’s you as a nonblack person sharing resources and lessons that you think your nonblack peers need to engage with. Create a story that takes the opportunity to educate others, share your own past experiences, or to share what you hope comes as a result of this huge cultural movement.
We want to challenge you all to share your voices, so our goal is to receive at least 250 entries to this Challenge by June 24 at 11:59pm EST. For the first 250 eligible entries we receive, we're pledging $10 per story to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which works to legally fight civil and human rights violations for the most vulnerable communities.
How to enter
In order for your story to be eligible, it must adhere to our Community Guidelines, and be applicable to, cognizant of, and respectful of the international conversations taking place about race inspired by protests around the United States. This Challenge is a place for the most vulnerable voices to speak candidly—entries that are determined by the Vocal team to be inflammatory, instigating, diminishing, or disrespectful in the context of these cultural conversations will be removed from the Challenge.
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Challenge resources
Out of Season Challenge Winners
We’re trying something new with our challenge awards structure. Starting with Out of Season , each challenge will recognize one grand prize , four winners , and ten honorable mentions . That’s 15 stories to celebrate, with a little extra love for the top pick. For this challenge, the strongest stories made the timing matter. Something showing up early or returning when it shouldn’t changed what people did, what they assumed, or how they saw each other. There was humor in trying to carry on as usual, and sadness in realizing why the usual schedule no longer worked. Sometimes the wrong time of year turned out to be just when someone needed it.
By Vocal Curation Team2 days ago in Resources
Already Here Challenge Winners
Useful tools can change your life before you think to question them. That’s really what made these Already Here entries interesting. Writers looked past the initial “how is this possible?” and paid attention to how quickly something remarkable becomes part of the routine. The strongest pieces didn’t ask us to choose between being impressed and being uneasy. They understood why people welcome these changes, then noticed what else shifts once we get used to them.
By Vocal Curation Team17 days ago in Resources
Last Call Challenge Winners
There were plenty of ringing phones and closing bars in Last Call , but the prompt took us to some unexpected places too. A fading birdsong, a goodbye that doesn't quite get finished, and people who don't suddenly become better versions of themselves just because time is running out. Some held on, some let go, and some missed their chance entirely. That's what made these stories stick.
By Vocal Curation Team24 days ago in Resources
