Lessons from Michelle Obama’s speech. The First Lady gave a terrific speech at last week’s Democratic National Convention. Poynter writing teacher and senior scholar Roy Peter Clark gives 8 lessons on writing that he draws from Obama’s speech — like how to liberate your language. (H/t the Communications Network e-newsletter.)

Yes, the White House was built by slaves. In her speech, the First Lady spoke about waking up every day in a house made by slaves. FOX News’ Bill O’Reilly criticized the speech, saying that those slaves were “well fed,” while other critics disputed Obama’s contention. The Smithsonian Magazine writes that yes, in fact, the White House was built by slaves.  For more on the value of history in nonprofit advocacy, read the “history” chapter in the Narrative Arts guide on “Storytelling and Social Change“!

Communications to end the death penalty. As part of the Communications Network’s article series in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, check out this piece on the Atlantic Philanthropies’ efforts to end the death penalty.

Publish your articles where people will read them. The good folks at frank — a community of progressive communicators — learned the hard way that it’s best to publish their articles, blog posts and other pieces in other publications that already have an audience — rather than their own blog. That is, if they want to get a big readership!