The Importance of Community

Hello friends,

One thing I've learned in several years of my anti-racism practice is that there's great power in community. That's not news, of course, but it's still something I reflect on from time to time.

Yes, as anti-racists we all have our own learning to do, which is why we read books, subscribe to newsletters like this one, attend events, pay reparations, make donations, and so on.

But if you're the only anti-racist in your vicinity, or the only one in your friend or family group on this particular path, or the only one in your corporate office who's willing and ready to talk about diversity, it can feel lonely and isolating.

Plus in a climate where the "post-truth" folx are in power, and where far-right narratives are on the rise globally, and where discrimination can be left unchallenged and even normalised, that sense of aloneness can bite even deeper.

We Need Each Other

Hence, community. And it's not just for those starting their anti-racism journey.

It's important for activists too, to have somewhere to get support when the work you do feels like rolling a big rock uphill or, as I often like to say, wading through treacle. We, too, can find it difficult to keep going in the face of pushback, adversity and outright racism. In the last year, the DEI backlash has seen some in this space protect their wellbeing by stepping away, and others doing the same by rebranding to focus on the core of the work. Still others are doubling down, but they're not doing it alone.

Nor should you.

Questioning everything you've taken for granted can be unsettling, and having support helps. I know that being in the anti-racist groups I helped to facilitate, and joining others has helped soothe my spirit on the days I felt most alone in this work, because I could talk to others who understood.

Leaning Into Community

And that's why I'm so happy to see so many of my fellow activists leaning into community, and thinking about how we move forward together.

One of the reasons I founded the SHHARE anti-racism membership community was to create another supportive space for learning and action (can we ever have too many of those?), and to try something new in terms of how it operates, building on ideas and concepts that have come from the work I've been doing in other spaces. We've emerged from our beta phase and are open to new members once again. I hope some of you will join us.

Returning to the community idea, one of the launches I've been most excited about recently is the Accomplice Accelerator community, run by Erin Corine Johnson. founder and chief proponent of the Reparations Race. It's early days, but the engagement and sense of shared enterprise are palpable.

(And I'd like to add that fighting racism isn't only about being aware of trauma. Communities that give people space to breathe or help them achieve their goals also count.) Check out Lisa Hurley’s The Great Exhale for this approach.

Take Action

My action point for you: find a community to support your anti-racism journey (and if you want to learn more about how to do it, feel free to borrow my brain and let's talk about it.)

Finally, one of the ideas that's been percolating in the last few months is how all these communities can work together on a shared enterprise for even greater impact. I'm not the only one who's thinking about it, so watch this space and see how we rise together!

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.

I am an anti-racism educator and activist, the author of “I’m Tired of Racism”, and co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2025. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).