Narrative Storytelling: Research & Interviewing Internship

Team: Narrative Storytelling

Reports to: Narrative Storyteller

Schedule: Full-Time or Part-Time

Start Date: ASAP

 About PJI

Promise of Justice Initiative (PJI) is a New Orleans-based decarceration organization that stands at the forefront of the fight for the dignity, freedom, and autonomy of those targeted and touched by the criminal legal system and mass incarceration. Because racism and mass incarceration are entrenched and pervasive, PJI’s approach is multifaceted, including collective action, legislative advocacy, civil and criminal litigation, and reframing narrative discourse. PJI:

• Challenges the notion that prisons keep us safe and that people with convictions do not deserve basic rights.

• Fights for freedom for people sentenced to die in prison.

• Blocks harmful legislation and pushes for legislation that heals and improves lives.

• Partners in and co-strategizes social movement work with hundreds of incarcerated people.

• Advances the voices of people impacted by violence and mass incarceration

• Builds powerful authentic stories, pushes counter-narratives, and changes discourse.

PJI’s methodology is client-centered and community-partnered. We use power building, narrative construction, and storytelling as core vehicles. Our proximity to impacted people, their partnership with us, and our systems-level work informs our strategy.

Narrative construction and storytelling are core to how people organize society, embody power, gain legitimacy, and understand themselves individually and collectively. Through dominant narratives, we have been indoctrinated to fear Black people and other people of color. This indoctrination creates public support and even demand for punitive laws, racialized (racist) policing, dehumanizing institutional treatment, and limited opportunity in prison and for families of people in prison.

To build power and win the freedom of people incarcerated in Louisiana, we must shed light on lived experience and culture. We research dominant narrative construction, power, and economics to determine pressure points, and create a strategy for public and counter-narratives while creating opportunities to elevate the experiences and voices of incarcerated people and their families.

Position Overview

Interning at PJI means that you will join a creative, dynamic team and work with other social justice advocates, incarcerated people, and their loved ones. During your internship, you will assist our team in building projects that could include artwork, exhibitions, written publications, PJI-produced films, graphics and story gathering to support organizing campaigns or litigation.

The research and interviewing internship includes the following activities:

Research

• Finding historical records, photographs, and footage

• Genealogical research, constructing family trees, requesting vital records, visiting libraries and

other records collections throughout Louisiana

• Reading

• Research on music available in the public domain

• Other duties as assigned by Narrative Storyteller and leadership

Interviews

• Assist with in person (on and off camera) trauma informed interviews

• Editing interviews, both AV and paper editing

• Transcription

Requirements:

• Commitment of a minimum of 10 hours per week

• Work remotely or in our New Orleans office

• The ability to travel within Louisiana would be helpful for some projects.

• Commitment to confidentiality

• The ability to handle difficult subject matter

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who wants to be part of a team working to illuminate and challenge the criminal-legal system as an oppressive cultural and economic feature of Louisiana, built to control and dehumanize people. Many times, we are faced with the challenge of telling stories about places we do not have access to. This position requires someone who is willing to confront these challenges in creative ways. The ideal candidate is someone who:

• wants to use their creativity for social change,

• has experience doing research,

• is organized,

• pays attention to detail, and

• is committed to seeing projects through.

How to Apply

Email Sara Gozalo at sgozalo@defendla.org to express your interest in the internship. No application materials are required for this position. Applicants are considered on a rolling basis.