Houston—home of NASA, a crazy amount of bayous and, oh, like 20,000 nonprofits.

#ChaChaCha, No we aren’t dancing.

Houston—home of NASA, a crazy amount of bayous and, oh, like 20,000 nonprofits. Twenty. Thousand. Have you ever thought why? Because Houston is a giving city, people. We literally put our money where our mouths are and collectively help all kinds of organizations get what they need to thrive. But money is not the only way to support a worthy cause. Around the Black Sheep office, we’re always looking for ways to give back—whether that’s joining a nonprofit board, volunteering or learning about new causes.

Condensed

SO. MUCH. HAPPENING. VidCon started, so we’ve got hordes of screaming adolescent girls obsessing over top Viners in California.

FINALLY. The Bacon Has Arrived.

SO. MUCH. HAPPENING.VidConstarted, so we’ve got hordes of screaming adolescent girls obsessing over top Viners in California. Sorry Mom—we can’t imagine what it’s like to chaperone a party that goes on for three days. YouTube Red launched their original seriesEscape The Night, which has the incredibly original “death at a dinner party” theme going on. We’re still trying to figure out how that will fit into our already-strenuous Netflix regime.

June 17-23 Is The Official National Week of Making. #ThanksObama.

“Makers and builders and doers—of all ages and backgrounds—have pushed our country forward, developing creative solutions to important challenges and proving that ordinary Americans are capable of achieving the extraordinary when they have access to the resources they need.

“Makers and builders and doers—of all ages and backgrounds—have pushed our country forward, developing creative solutions to important challenges and proving that ordinary Americans are capable of achieving the extraordinary when they have access to the resources they need. During National Week of Making, we celebrate the tinkerers and dreamers whose talent and drive have brought new ideas to life, and we recommit to cultivating the next generation of problem solvers.” -President Obama

Panning way out, Facebook just graced 1.5 billion people with 360 Video.

A Literal Facebook Ollie

If you were living under a rock this weekend (or not checking in on our #52 Causes), then you probably missed out on Houston’s annual Hackathon.

What The Hack We Did This Weekend

If you were living under a rock this weekend (or not checking in on our #52 Causes), then you probably missed out on Houston’s annual Hackathon. The good news is that we got you covered. The bad news is that you missed out on some serious cool points.

Regular

#52Causes and Champagne Charity Chats: We Have Only Just Begun

Houston organizations that fight for the quality of life of all people.

52 Causes We Support.

Why everyone who works needs a break at some point.

How to Take a Rest.

5 Reasons You Should Use Your Creative Powers for Good

5 Reasons To Use Creativity for Good

PAY ATTENTION! Facebook is changing. Again.

Facebook is Changing.

Facebook’s annual developer conference is a two-day event focused on telling the people about their new creations (that no one really asked for).

While the event is aimed at developers, it’s the perfect stage for Facebook to announce some of its larger initiatives and to provide insights into the future of the platform. Here at Black Sheep, our layered digital strategies leverage such platforms, producing new ways for our clients to reach and engage with audiences.

This is why we made sure to catch the important nuggets to share. Here’s the need-to-know breakdown:

All of your messages belong to Facebook.
Remember that time Facebook purchased WhatsApp and then forced users to download their Messenger app? It paid off. With messaging app use on the rise, Messenger will support more direct communication between people and brands. Through a new bot platform, bots can be deployed to act as virtual assistants, allowing people to make online orders for a variety of things, to schedule a day or to fetch the latest news.

Saving your content to Facebook for later might start working like it should.
With Facebook pushing their Instant Articles feature, they rolled out a web button companion that says “Save to Facebook.” While saving your content to your Facebook account for later reading has been around, it hasn’t been well utilized. Now, articles and content from across the web have an insta-save button and help content reach that much further.

Inspirational quotes are no longer an Instagram thing.
As you browse through content on other websites and in other apps, such as Kindle, you could be seeing the option to share selected text directly to Facebook. No more having to copy and then paste quotes into a new post like some sort of commoner. Could this be the beginning of us seeing micro-metrics around what specific content pieces are performing well? We hope so!

Videos for everyone!
A real-time live video feature being called Facebook Live rolled out earlier this week, right ahead of the announcement . It is believed that this new tool will challenge services like Periscope and SnapChat, but not directly (but totally directly). The big difference is that Facebook Live will allow for live video to connect to any camera—including equipped drones. The core of this technology is also added to the Messenger update, allowing for FaceTime communication that isn’t actually FaceTime.

Quickly log into just about anything.
Facebook wants your data, even if you don’t use Facebook. With the new Facebook Account Kit, developers will be able to allow (mainly mobile) users to log into web services and apps using only a phone number. These types of features and tools are why data security will continue to grow in importance over time. This is also why SMS spamming is the new email spam.  


There were a lot of other updates and reveals but, overall, our buddy Zuckerberg is taking his company to a bigger playground. Over the next five years, the Facebook team will focus on beefing up their tech arm by creating and facilitating the connectivity of everything—going to new places with artificial intelligence and extending their virtual and augmented reality tools.

We’re still waiting to know whether or not the poke feature is going to get an upgrade.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: IT’S GIVE A DAMN DAY

Give A Damn Day.

No matter what you decide to do this Valentine’s Day, just remember: As long as you care and put in some effort, you’ll do just fine. 

Valentine’s Day For Rebels

Scott Pilgrim took on the world. Han Solo? Encased in Carbonite. That one dude from the Proclaimers even walked 500 miles for love.

Making room at the tables in our offices, in our communities and in our cities for all voices to be heard

Why We Worked on MLK Day

Making you New Years resolution to do better

BED HEAD: Thoughts for 2016

Different impact causes and ways you can get involved.

Beyond #GivingTuesday: 52 Causes

Black Sheep + Bun B Present Holiday Jam | December 2

Black Sheep celebrates the holidays with Bun B

Saying Things Out Loud Makes Them Happen: Introducing Better Make Room

Black Sheep's journey with Better Make Room Campaign

DC Diaries 2: YOFO

Connect, Collaborate, and Co-create Solutions for Your Organization

Capacity building to increase your reach in your business

At Black Sheep, we know storytelling isn’t just about awareness. It’s about disruption, transformation and cultural change. That’s why we loved our Account Director Shauna Garriques’ LinkedIn article, Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Performance Was More Than Music—It Was a Masterclass in Impact Storytelling where she unpacks how Lamar turned the world’s biggest stage into a powerful commentary on racial injustice. His use of symbolism, risk and raw emotion sparked conversations far beyond the 13-minute performance.

We won’t rehash her insights here—and encourage you to read the full article—but we do want to build on them. Because what Kendrick Lamar did wasn’t just an example of impact storytelling. It was a lesson in narrative power—who gets to tell stories, how those stories shape public consciousness and why discomfort is often a sign you’re doing it right.


Owning the Narrative vs. Being Part of the Narrative

For decades, the Super Bowl halftime show has been about spectacle. Big names, bright lights and choreography built for mass appeal. But Kendrick Lamar didn’t just step into that tradition; he bent it to serve a deeper message.

That’s a crucial lesson for social impact leaders. Are you shaping your own story, or are you adjusting it to fit someone else’s expectations? Too often, organizations working in justice spaces are asked to soften their message for broader appeal. 

You write in order to change the world… if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it. - James Baldwin

Real impact happens when stories are told with honesty and audacity, not when they’re polished into something more digestible.


Symbolism Isn’t Just an Aesthetic Choice—It’s a Strategy

One of the most striking aspects of Lamar’s performance was his use of visual storytelling. The prison yard set. The red, white and blue draped over Black bodies. The synchronized marching. The video game references. None of it was accidental. Every detail was designed to deepen the emotional impact of his message.

We believe the same is true for social movement storytelling. Symbolism isn’t decoration—it’s a strategic tool. The picture-superiority effect suggests that a well-placed visual cue is far more likely to be remembered than words alone. When we work with social impact organizations fighting challenging battles for issues like reproductive rights, labor justice and trans visibility, we ask: What do people need to feel before they understand what you’re saying? Because facts inform, but emotion moves people to action.

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Lamar’s performance is that discomfort is not the enemy—it’s the point. Social impact work should challenge assumptions, shift perspectives and push audiences to engage with hard truths.

As Shauna said, “Bold storytelling sparks dialogue, and dialogue is where change begins.”  Kendrick’s performance didn’t just make people watch—it made them feel. And for movements that challenge power, creating that kind of discomfort is often the first step toward a cultural shift.

Emotional resonance isn’t just a storytelling tool—it’s what makes messages stick. Research shows that people are far more likely to remember a message when it triggers an emotional response—especially when it highlights injustice. This reinforces a truth that every major movement for change has understood: growth comes from friction. Progress doesn’t happen passively. It requires people to engage with discomfort, challenge the status quo and push conversations forward, even when the path isn’t easy.

If you’re interested in active, powerful storytelling that sparks real impact and are ready to challenge the status quo with your own message, let’s talk. As Kendrick showed us—culture shifts when voices refuse to be silenced.

Kendrick Lamar Didn’t Just Perform—He Provoked. Here’s What We Can Learn About Narrative Power and Cultural Change.

The Power of Disruptive Storytelling

The Black Sheep blog is turning up the volume on community engagement, social media strategy, Houston happenings and what it means to lead a purpose-driven life.

The Black Sheep Agency | Social impact and nonprofit blog

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