500 Pens is a coalition of writers and photographers who believe in the power of stories to help us learn from and better understand one another and to serve as a reminder that there is more that unites us than divides us.
Their project began in November 2016 when their founder approached the Southern Poverty Law Center and volunteered to help cover news related to social justice, advocacy and anti-bias programs. Hoping to gather a handful of writers to help, she posted on Facebook. In a few days, more than 500 writers responded. Soon, the project was expanded to include more storytellers and to produce more stories. The result was 500 Pens, an anti-hate news project entirely run by volunteers, which launched in May 2017.
