The Harry Potter Alliance Announces New Name

by · Published · Updated

The nonprofit organization formerly known as the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) has announced its new name: Fandom Forward.

The name change comes following a vote by supporters of the organization earlier this year, as noted in the press release announcing its rebranding. According to Katie Bowers, Co-Managing Director of Fandom Forward, 99% of those who voted on the possibility of a name change voted in favor of changing it. In a quote, Bowers assured supporters that the organization itself won’t be changing, but its name will be more reflective of what it has done and hopes to accomplish in the future.

We’re still going to work with all the stories you know and love – and we wanted a name that reflected that. In fact, more than 1,000 members weighed in on our name change decision – and literally 99% voted in favor of changing the name! For nearly ten years we’ve worked with a diverse community of fans in and outside of Harry Potter – and it’s time for our name to reflect and welcome our full, incredible community.

This is also reiterated in the text of the press release:

The non-profit organization has organized in multiple fandoms for over ten years. By rebranding to a more inclusive name, Fandom Forward will expand its reach to include more fan communities and to provide a larger audience of fans [with] the resources and tools that they need to become leaders and further the belief that activism should be accessible for everyone. Fandom Forward utilizes experiential training programs and real[-]life campaigns to develop compassionate, skillful leaders who learn to approach our world’s problems with joy, creativity, and commitment to equity.

The Harry Potter Alliance teased its new name via social media, including the hashtag #TheHPAIsEvolving and a reference to Doctor Who.

 

 

Under its previous name, Fandom Forward’s campaigns have included the long-running Accio Books! campaign, the Granger Leadership Academy, and Dumbledore’s Army Fights Back, among many others. At this time, it is not clear if these initiatives will be receiving new names as the organization undergoes its rebranding.

The social media handles for Fandom Forward have changed too. It can now be found on its new official website and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube.

Press Release

The Harry Potter Alliance Announces Rebranding Campaign
Fan [o]rganization believes that every fandom has the power to change the world

June 8, 2021 -- Since 2005, [t]he Harry Potter Alliance has been dedicated to utilizing storytelling and fandom as a means to create social change within its communities. Today, [t]he Harry Potter Alliance is announcing its evolution to expand its reach to not just Harry Potter fans, but to unite fandoms from across the globe to come together to ensure activism is accessible and sustainable for everyone. With this expansion, [t]he Harry Potter Alliance is excited to announce its new name of Fandom Forward. Fandom Forward will encompass everything that [t]he Harry Potter Alliance was known for and expand into the universes of some of our fan’s [sic] favorite stories, including the worlds from Percy Jackson, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so much more.

“We're so excited to put this name change into action because it's catching our name up with the work we've been doing for ten years. We’ve run campaigns and created tools using Star Wars, Black Panther, Wonder Woman, [T]he Hunger Games, and literally a dozen more beloved stories,” said Katie Bowers, Co-Managing Director of Fandom Forward. “We’re still going to work with all the stories you know and love - and we wanted a name that reflected that. In fact, more than 1,000 members weighed in on our name change decision - and literally 99% voted in favor of changing the name! For nearly ten years we've worked with a diverse community of fans in and outside of Harry Potter - and it's time for our name to reflect and welcome our full, incredible community.”

Fandom Forward believes in the power of storytelling, but not from just one story. We believe that the stories we love can inspire and mobilize fans to create a better tomorrow for the world around us. With this in mind, we will continue to create an inclusive community for anyone who believes in the power of stories and the communities that love them to change the world.

“This year marks my 10th year of involvement with this community, and I'm incredibly excited and proud to see it enter a new period in its history,” Co-Managing Director Janae Phillips said. “This rebrand is representative of work that has been happening for many years, made possible by the dedication of countless staff, volunteers, and members. Fan activism is a powerful tool in every fandom, and it's time our name reflected that!”

The non-profit organization has organized in multiple fandoms for over ten years. By rebranding to a more inclusive name, Fandom Forward will expand its reach to include more fan communities and to provide a larger audience of fans [with] the resources and tools that they need to become leaders and further the belief that activism should be accessible for everyone. Fandom Forward utilizes experiential training programs and real[-]life campaigns to develop compassionate, skillful leaders who learn to approach our world’s problems with joy, creativity, and commitment to equity.

The Harry Potter Alliance was founded by 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. Fandom Forward will continue this tradition and will support social change issues such as LGBTQIA+ rights, climate change, gender equality, mental health, media reform, and much more.

Visit Fandom Forward on their new home on the [W]eb at www.fandomforward.org, or social media at the following links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | YouTube.

 

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Mary W.

I am a Slytherin, a lifelong fan of Harry Potter, and a member of MuggleNet staff since 2014. In my Muggle life, I am passionate about human rights, and I love to travel around the world and meet new people.