For over 15 years we’ve turned fans into heroes as The Harry Potter Alliance. Now we’re entering a new era as Fandom Forward.

The Harry Potter Alliance was founded with a simple idea: what if fans used their passion and creativity to make the world a more loving, equitable place? That idea has driven hundreds of thousands of fan activists to do exactly that, and the world is demonstrably better for it.

But this place we’ve built? It doesn’t belong to just one fandom. No singular story can hope to represent every time, every question, or every lived experience. This movement is for anyone who believes in the power of stories and the communities that love them to change the world. It’s for everyone, and our name should reflect that. So on June 8th, 2021 we officially changed our name to Fandom Forward.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already rising tide of disinformation campaigns and fear-based, ultra conservative leaders whose message is grounded in white supremacy and oppression of people of color, women, and LGBTQIA+ people. It’s an onslaught that has led the United States and much of the world to high levels of division, disinformation, and trauma. We desperately need a revitalization of civic imagination, and we know fan activism can rise to this challenge.

Fan activism is an organizing strategy that draws parallels between beloved pop culture and real world issues of inequity to mobilize fans for social good. Fandom Forward has been a leader of the field for over 15 years, and our proven track record demonstrates the efficacy of this power-building methodology. We approach our work in three ways: providing accessible training, engaging fans in campaign experience, and building community.