Counternarrative

/ˌkaʊntərˈnærətɪv/ noun

Definition

An alternative story or account that challenges or opposes the dominant or official narrative about an event or subject.

Etymology

From counter- (against) + narrative (from Latin narrare, 'to tell'). A modern term popularized in postmodern criticism, cultural studies, and social movements.

Kelly Says

Historians now study counternarratives alongside official histories—enslaved people's accounts of slavery, or Indigenous perspectives on colonization reveal truths that dominant narratives actively concealed.

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