Using Storytelling as a Strategy for Systemic Change

Beyond disagreement lies deeper understanding. Christabel Nsiah-Buadi FRSA and Esther Armah delve into storytelling’s role in healing and systemic change.

Storytelling is central to how we understand ourselves, our place in the world, and each other. It guides how we connect, heal, and envision new futures.

As changemakers and community-builders, stories are powerful tools for fostering deep and lasting social connections. However, impactful connections and change require open listening, honest action, and a willingness to embrace discomfort. Without these, change can feel performative and, in some cases, cause more harm than intended.

So, what does it truly take to use storytelling to inspire meaningful change?

We will explore this question in a conversation between two brilliant storytellers and truth-tellers: Esther Armah, Playwright, Filmmaker, Founder of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice, and author of “Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing,” and Christabel Nsiah-Buadi, Host, Executive Strategist, and founder of “Your Podcast Pipeline.” They will delve into the power of storytelling as a strategy for systemic change that empowers and transforms; and the consequences of “framing harm as disagreement. ” This hour-long virtual gathering will be a fireside chat, rooted in honesty, connection, and community.

Join us for a thought-provoking, heart-centered conversation that goes beyond narratives and into the emotional frameworks and cultural strategies that drive real change.

Speakers

Esther Armah

Esther Armah is the Founder and CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice (The AIEJ). She is also the author of ‘Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing,’ which was a #1 new release on Amazon for six weeks in the General Sociology of Race Relations category, and a Top Summer 2023 Pick by the Stanford Social Innovation Review.

Esther is an award-winning former international journalist, playwright, filmmaker, and international speaker on Emotional Justice. Her five plays include “Forgive Me?” and in 2025, she directed the short film, ‘Goodbye to the Emotional Mammy,’ which examines how Black women shoulder the weight of the world and the wellness they deserve. The film, screened in the United States, Ghana, South Africa and Washington DC, has sparked powerful and healing conversations across the Black Diaspora community.

Esther has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, the BBC, and Channel Africa. She was the Spring 2022 Distinguished Activist in Residence at NYU’s Center for Black Visual Culture.

Christabel Nsiah Buadi FRSA

Christabel Nsiah-Buadi is an executive strategist and the Founder of Your Podcast Pipeline, a narrative development coaching program for thought leaders, journalists, creative founders, and public speakers seeking to amplify their mission and message through audio – and embrace their voice.

Christabel, once described as an “empowering creative” who “listens powerfully,” possesses a gift and passion for distilling big, complex ideas into their core truth and meaning. She leverages this ability to shape shows, develop concepts, and build connections through storytelling. Before this, she built and led creator accelerator programs at Spotify, including the renowned ‘Sound Up: Behind the Mic’ production accelerator.

As a journalist, she has worked across three continents, leading breaking news teams and hosting shows for networks like NPR, the BBC, and American Public Media. Her writing has appeared in ‘The Independent’ and ‘British Vogue,’ and she has appeared on ABC News.

Photo attribution: The original image can be accessed via Unsplash and is the work of Kevin Erdvig

Taking part in RSA US online events

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