The gifts we share are also sometimes very heavy to carry through our work. Community Change Communications Fellow and award winning slam poet Ayanna Albertson (TikTok @untouchableyann YT @ayannaalbertson) shares in her original poem "Difficult Conversations" how being a storyteller in the fight to grow democracy isn't an easy path. It often means opening herself up to all kinds of reactions - but it doesn't mean she will apologize for speaking out. She will continue to sow seeds of resistance with her gift, looking forward to the benefits of that labor.

Ayanna's poem kicks off ChangeWire.org's first all-cohort project "People Power: Democracy Stories from the Ground Up", which will feature all new stories from the Community Change Communications Fellows as they investigate the role our voices play in deepening democracy. Subscribe to stay in touch at ChangeWire.org.