Social progress requires a continuous and multi-disciplinary commitment to create sustainable gains – it takes decades of hard work by organizers, activists, policy makers, and lawyers. But history has shown us that social progress also requires that our best communicators – journalists, photographers, filmmakers, politicians – purposefully tell a story to the public that makes the case for such progress. These communicators lay the cultural foundation upon which social progress can flourish.

Last month, at the inaugural Dial Fellows Summit, civil rights lawyer and president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc Sherrilyn Ifill and former Mayor of New Orleans and founder of E Pluribus Unum Mitch Landrieu discussed the important role that narrative and communications plays in their own work building social movements. Watch highlights from their conversation below.

Civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill on the never-ending narrative battle over civil rights.

Former Mayor of New Orleans Mitch Landreiu on knowing when to speak up.