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Schools Need Counselors, Not Cops
As schools look to safely reopen, we must consider the lack of safety that Black, Latinx and disabled students face because of police presence in their schools. While the movement to end the school-to-prison pipeline has seen support from advocates, activists, parents, teachers...
Spitfire Spotlights: Lila, Rabiah, Ben and Brooke
Spitfires are passionate about a variety of things in our work and in our free time, and we're excited to talk about all the issues we care about, from advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and improving access to higher education to the best new books and TV shows. We're spotlighting...
Climate Denialism is the Worst. Doomism Isn’t the Alternative.
I read a headline in Axios today that said “What IPCC report?” They are referring to the essential report from the U.N. that tells us exactly how serious the climate threat is. The report got covered. People heard about it. When a small group of swing voters was asked what it...
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56 Years Later, The Fight for Voting Rights Continues
The late Congressman John Lewis once said, “Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part.” On the 56th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, his words have never meant more than they do right now. Voting is one of the most fundamental features of...
Spitfire Spotlights: Roger, Diana, Briahnna and Paris
Spitfires are passionate about a variety of things in our work and in our free time, and we're excited to talk about all the issues we care about, from advocating for the rights of immigrants and improving childcare policies to the best new books and TV shows. We're spotlighting...
Announcing the Smart Chart 4.0, featuring expanded analysis of frames, narrative, audience research and messaging
The first thing I tell people about the Smart Chart is that it is at the core of everything we do at Spitfire. The concepts and questions included in it are the foundation to how we plan for, write and implement communication campaigns. The tool itself is also central to Spitfire...
Spitfire pro-bono fund kicks off its second year
Spitfire is committed to supporting movements that advance racial, economic and social justice across the country. We believe it’s critical to center the voices of people who are most impacted by systemic injustice, which is what led the firm to create a $100,000 pro bono fund to...
Building a world beyond binaries
This July 14th marks the ninth annual International Non-Binary People’s day, and it serves as a salient reminder of the need to celebrate the non-binary people in our lives and continue working to build a world beyond binaries. Gender is a core part of our identities and it...
Communication Is Power: Use It Well
Communication is power and like all power, how you use it matters. Communication can shine a spotlight on problems, making them easier to see and offering a stage to popularize solutions. It can call people to the streets, and it can bring people together. Silence is...
A reflection on masks and messaging
Has anything been more polarizing than the wearing of masks? Instead of a simple and effective public health tool, it is a political statement, a social badge, a point of solidarity or conflict. During the past year, I became interested in how the request (or requirement) to wear...
How to talk about Pride without missing the point
After more than a year of quarantine, fear and anxiety, people across the country are clamoring for the excitement brought by the parades, marches, parties and events celebrating LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in the post-vaccine era. While joy is important to Pride, celebrated every June...
It starts with a map: How to understand your communications ecosystem
I am often asked to run strategic communications planning sessions. Anyone who works with me knows I am disciplined about starting with strategy and not tactics. The author of and evangelist for the Smart Chart, I always design agendas to spend much more time on goals and...