The Great Battlefield Creative Ways to Combat Trumpism with Alan Jenkins
Mar 2, 2026
Alan Jenkins, law professor and long‑time civil rights and human rights advocate, former Ford Foundation human rights director and co-author of the One Six graphic novel. He discusses combining litigation, narrative, and communications to fight authoritarian threats. He explains creating One Six, distributing action guides to schools and officials, and practical ways communities can defend democracy.
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Saving A Gullah Geechee Community With Law And Narrative
- Jenkins litigated to protect a Gullah Geechee community on DeFuskie Island from displacement by resort development.
- He paired a land-use lawsuit with a communications narrative exposing 'plantation' marketing and settled the case quickly.
Narrative Is The Missing Legal Partner
- Narrative and communications are indispensable companions to legal strategies when seeking social change.
- Jenkins built the Opportunity Agenda to combine research, messaging, and culture work so communications could tip campaigns at critical moments.
Invest Communications Where They Can Tip The Outcome
- Choose campaigns where communications can tip a contest at a critical moment.
- The Opportunity Agenda avoided sure-wins and lost causes, investing only in tipping-point fights like Trayvon Martin messaging and ballot initiative battles.