Hello {{ first name | friends}},

Ghana has been making some moves. And it's not a surprise. As the country that had a year of return and welcomed descendants of enslaved people it's no surprise. One of the ones I'd been paying attention was the resolution to name the transatlantic slave trade (I'm using the original term rather than the more cumbersome but more accurate trafficking in enslaved Africans) as the "greatest crime against humanity."

The motion was proposed by Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama. It’s trying to ensure that the genocide and crime aren’t forgotten or denied. It also paves the way for reparatory justice.

As I've said before, I'm not a fan of comparing oppression, and yet it has to be said that the trade took place over centuries, affected some 12 million people (estimates vary) and the fallout is still with us today so there is no doubt that it is a huge crime and genocide.

However, that's not what I want to talk about today. The thing that sticks in my craw is how the vote went. And though I shouldn't have expected any different, it was nonetheless a slap in the face to see the results.

Opponents and Abstentions

Though 123 countries voted in favour, and the resolution passed, the USA, Israel and Argentina voted against the resolution. I wish I were surprised. Given the ongoing genocide in Palestine by the current leaders of Israel, and Argentina’s policy on blanqueamento (whitening) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it’s perhaps only to be expected.

And given the long history of oppression within the USA, (including Indigenous genocide and enslavement, among others), plus the complicity of the government in Israel’s actions, it's not to be wondered at.

Some of the abstentions weren't a surprise either, including the chief offenders in terms of colonisation: the UK, all 27 EU countries, along with Australia, Canada, and several Eastern European countries.

A Slap in the Face

But the justification for the abstention - so called - from the UK is another slap in the face.

It boils down to "it was legal at the time" and "we're not paying". The first is factually true, though that doesn't undermine the moral argument for making reparations. And of course, reparations WERE paid, but to the enslavers not the enslaved. That has never sat well with me.

Our history is full of crimes against humanity - but only SOME of the people oppressed by them have received some form of reparatory justice. With minor exceptions, that does not include the descendants of enslaved Africans.

I don't know what the result of this resolution will be, if anything. But at the very least, countries can't hide from the way they voted, which is at least something.

What do you think?

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Additional resources

How Sugar Built Britain's Wealth by the Repair Campaign

Instagram post

How Long Should We Pay Reparations - SARN Minis #23

Someone asked how long we should pay reparations to Black folks before that too becomes wrong. Of course, it was a white guy asking the question.

Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter • Sharon Hurley Hall

Who TF Is Saying Slavery Isn't Wrong? - SARN Minis #27

We also can't forget that just because something is unethical and immoral, doesn't mean it is not made legal.

Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter • Sharon Hurley Hall

Why Are Reparations Such A Problem? - SARN Minis #30

why it is that so many people have such a problem with the notion of reparations.

Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter • Sharon Hurley Hall

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

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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

I am delighted to introduce Ekua Cant, whom I first met within a coaching space. I was immediately drawn to her unwavering purpose. Later, I joined one of her challenges, with excellent results, as she mentions below. Please meet Ekua.

Ekua, tell me briefly about your background prior to founding the Get Paid to Speak global movement

There are some things you simply can’t unsee.

When I woke up on 6th November 2024 and saw that Kamala had lost and Trump had been elected, it was a difficult moment. But it was also a moment of calling.

Because I knew in that moment people would be afraid to speak up and share their truth. And when that happens, the voices most likely to disappear first are those from the global majority.

At that point I made a decision to pivot my business.

Until then I had been working broadly as a LinkedIn coach for professionals and business owners. But I realised I wanted to focus my work where I could make the biggest and greatest impact.

Today I support diverse speakers globally to build visibility, develop their speaker brands and get paid to speak on stages around the world.

My work sits at the intersection of visibility, advocacy and what I call speaker equity.

Speaker equity simply means that the people who bring expertise, insight and lived experience to stages are both represented and fairly paid for their contribution.

Because events don’t run on a lack of organisation!

They run on spreadsheets.

And when speaker budgets quietly disappear, the people most likely to be asked to work for free are emerging voices, women and speakers from the global majority.

This movement is not only for diverse speakers.

It is also for our allies. Because systems don’t change in isolation, and we cannot do this work alone.

Give me the elevator pitch for this movement

I run a global movement focused on speaker equity. My work helps diverse speakers become visible, build strong speaker brands on LinkedIn and adopt what I call the Paid Speaker Mindset. The Paid Speaker Mindset means treating speaking as professional work rather than a favour or an opportunity for exposure. It means negotiating opportunities like a lawyer and asking a very simple but often avoided question: “What’s the budget?”

And in more detail?

I am on a mission to help one million diverse speakers get paid to speak by 2030.

This mission is being delivered through what I call the global Get Paid to Speak movement, which combines visibility, education and community.

The movement includes my award-winning book Your Platform Power: How to Build a Profitable Speaker Brand in a Polarised World, a global LinkedIn speaker community, the Paid Speaker Connections network and my Paid Speaker Visibility Challenge.

One of the central programmes in this work is the Paid Speaker Blueprint, a six-month programme designed specifically for diverse speakers.

The programme provides a step-by-step framework for developing a personal speaking product, positioning your expertise publicly and building a sustainable paid speaking pipeline. Participants also take part in a dedicated stage day in London, or a virtual alternative for speakers joining internationally.

Alongside this, I run the free global Paid Speaker Connections Community, which meets monthly.

This is not a beginner workshop about how to become a speaker. It is a live virtual monthly, interactive commercial strategy forum for diverse speakers who already have experience but want to transition from free speaking to paid speaking, strengthen their fee positioning and build consistency in paid bookings.

Each session focuses on real commercial questions and practical strategies so that diverse speakers leave with a clear next action they can implement immediately.

What inequity were you trying to address, and why is this important?

The inequity I am working to address is both structural and systemic.

Across many industries, speaker fees have quietly disappeared from event budgets. Instead, organisers often say the same four words:

“There’s no budget.”

But events don’t run on goodwill.

They run on budget spreadsheets.

There are line items for venues, catering, marketing and production. Yet speaker fees are often the line item that disappears.

When that happens, the people most likely to accept unpaid speaking opportunities are emerging voices, women and speakers from the global majority.

In other words, the absence of speaker budgets disproportionately affects diverse speakers.

I saw this dynamic clearly through my own experience.

At one point I was invited by a UK public sector organisation, to design and deliver a one-hour leadership session for a group of entrepreneurs and startup founders.

The invitation was thoughtful and professional. It explained the event, the audience and the timing of the session.

What it didn’t mention was a speaker fee.

In the past I might have assumed the opportunity was unpaid and accepted it for the exposure.

Instead, I replied with a simple question:

“I’m interested, but I am not seeking unpaid speaking engagements at this time, so I would love to know your budget for this piece of work.”

Their response came quickly.

The fee was a four figure fee.

The budget had been there all along.

I accepted the opportunity, explained that it was slightly below my usual rate but that I was happy to collaborate, and confirmed my professional terms: a 50 percent deposit to secure the booking and the remaining payment before the session.

The talk went ahead and received good feedback.

But the most important lesson came before I ever stepped onto the virtual stage.

What I realised in that moment was simple: every organisation protects its budget.

If diverse speakers don’t ask, the money simply stays where it is.

That experience led me to develop what I call Permission-Based Leadership.

Permission-based leadership challenges the idea that professionals should wait to be chosen before advocating for themselves.

Too many diverse speakers have been taught to wait.

Wait to be invited.
Wait to be validated.
Wait to be told their work is valuable.

Permission-based leadership rejects that idea. It encourages diverse speakers to ask, negotiate and advocate for themselves instead of waiting for permission.

How’s it going? What has the response been?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive from the diverse speakers this movement is designed to support, as well as from allies who recognise the structural challenges within the speaking industry.

There has also been some pushback from event organisers who argue that events are expensive to run or that exposure is a fair exchange.

My position is that diverse speakers should be paid.

However, I also recognise that in some situations a genuine value exchange can work.

A proper value exchange means something tangible that helps a speaker build future opportunities, such as high-quality speaking footage, professional photography, the ability to sell from stage or meaningful access to decision-makers who book paid speakers.

What does not count as a fair exchange is vague exposure or ‘free tickets’ when you’ll already be in the room!

What’s next? Any goals you're hoping to achieve?

My long-term goal is to help one million diverse speakers get paid to speak by 2030.

One of the ways I am working towards this is through the Paid Speaker Visibility Challenge, a free seven-day global initiative designed to help diverse speakers increase their visibility and communicate their speaking value.

During the challenge, speakers share their expertise online using prompts designed to help them articulate their paid speaking offer.

Participants support each other as they build confidence, visibility and community.

The results have been encouraging. Participants have reported increased engagement, new collaborations, podcast invitations and paid speaking opportunities.

One participant, Sharon Hurley Hall herself, secured two paid speaking bookings after taking part in the challenge. Another, Nafisa Shehu, secured opportunities for future work.

My hope is that in the future thousands of diverse speakers will take part in this challenge and use it as a catalyst to build sustainable speaking careers.

In relation to racism, what is your vision for the future?

In relation to racism, I believe we can move towards a world where racist beliefs become a true minority position.

I also recognise that human nature means there will likely always be individuals who hold those views.

The opportunity we have is to work collectively to unlearn racist ideas, stories and narratives that have been presented to us as normal or reasonable.

What we are taught shapes what we believe. But as adults we also have the power to question, to unlearn and to place ourselves in spaces where we actively learn how to be anti-racist.

This also means confronting other forms of bias within communities, including colourism. All Black people are equal and no shade or tone of Blackness is superior.

Within the speaking industry, my vision is to create a world where speaker equity becomes the norm.

That means stages that are more diverse in terms of race and gender, and a professional culture where paying speakers is standard practice rather than an exception.

It also means challenging the assumption that “there’s no budget” and building a culture where organisers design events that properly value the expertise of the people they invite to speak.

Is there anything I haven't asked you that you'd like to add?

While I recognise the structural inequities within the speaking industry, I also believe behaviour plays a role in maintaining the system.

Many diverse speakers, myself included at one time, have been taught to wait to be chosen rather than advocate for ourselves.

Part of my work is helping diverse speakers unlearn that habit.

To build a paid speaking career, speakers need to adopt what I call the Paid Speaker Mindset.

That means treating speaking as a professional service, negotiating like a lawyer intentionally and being proactive about building a visible paid speaking pipeline.

It means asking for the budget every time.

And it means having the confidence to move rooms if the value is not there.

The speaking industry does not change because organisers suddenly decide to be generous.

It changes when diverse speakers decide to lead and advocate for themselves.

As someone who’s taken part in Ekua’s visibility challenges, I know this works. Please check out her website , LinkedIn, and Instagram and let’s help this movement grow!

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

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© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

This issue is about calling things out: socialisation, racialisation, colonisation, extraction, misuse of language and much more. I didn't know that was how it would turn out, but maybe this is what we need right now: to call a thing a thing, so we can start to fix it. What do you think?

Here's this month's list:

1. We Were Taught to Be Useful Before We Were Allowed to Be Human by DeLisha Tapscott, Ed.D.

All I can say is: "whew". This is a powerful piece that unpacks the socialisation of girls and women, especially Black girls and women. I recognised some of the examples she shared, and there's much food for thought here.

2. Daggers by Naomi Raquel Enright

I missed this post the first time round. It's from Naomi's archives, and it's very powerful. She describes herself as "the brown-skinned biological mother of a son presumed to be white" and share how it feels. The piece also includes a critique of whiteness.

3. “I Am Somebody”: The Echo That Still Rises by Dr. Lynne Maureen Hurdle

When I was rewatching A Different World recently, the moment when our good ancestor Reverend Jesse Jackson encouraged the students to say: "I am somebody" loud and proud gave me chills. So I love this tribute, reflection and call to action from Dr. Lynne.

4. ‘These connections are overlooked’: how British companies profited from slavery in Brazil long after abolition by Tiago Rogero

For those who know some history, this may be a "water is wet" moment. For others, it's an opportunity to learn about the aftermath of enslavement and to examine how the wealth built then underpins many cherished institutions today.

5. Karens, State Surveillance, the black body and everyday racism by Asanda (Saule) Ngoasheng

This article is interesting because it links "Karen" behaviour around the globe, with particular reference to South Africa and the US. It also explains the dire, sometimes fatal, consequences of that behaviour for the Black people who are reported on:

6. Africa doesn’t need charity — it needs economic justice by Nqobizitha Mlambo

In this article, the author explains the continuing extraction by former colonial powers on the African continent, and I, for one, am glad to see some countries pushing back:

7. Black Women Across Generations: Medicine, Science, and Structural Change by Amanda N.R.

This piece introduces three Black women who have made and are making phenomenal contributions to medicine and science.

8. Dr. Gebru Was Not Disadvantaged... She Was Devalued... There Is A Difference by Chrissy K.

This is a piece about precision in language, and why it matters, about performative DEI, and about Black women being treated as threats.

9. Why is the United States Normalizing Erasure of Black History? by James M.

Well, we know why, but this author lays out many of the issues. It's worth a read.

10. "Inclusion" Cannot Fix the Structural Roots of Systemic Racism by Dr. Shereen Daniels

The author of The Anti-Racist Organization unpicks an engagement with the Metropolitan Police and draws some wider conclusions for all organisations in relation to structural racism and inclusion practices:

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Of Note - Things Worth Highlighting

• The Story of 10 Black Models Becoming Legends at the Battle of Versailles Fashion Show in the 1970s

• Cost of Black Excellence

• Interior Design - Crabs in a Barrel?

• Racist AI fakes are now a business — and a political tool (you'll need to sign up to read this for free)

• UN votes to describe slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

• The US-Europe love pact rekindles their colonial kink

As always, feel free to share, either by commenting below or replying to the email, what stood out to you from this month's reading list, and what's the next intentionally anti-racist action you'll take as a result.

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.

*Note: all articles linked here were free to read when I put together this edition. However, some may be paywalled by the time it is published, because capitalism. There’s not much I can do about that, but I hope the included quotes give you a flavour of the content.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

Coded Coverage: Why Negative News About Black People Is a Feature, Not a Bug - SARN Minis #86 Transcript

Hi, I'm Sharon Hurley Hall. Welcome to the Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter podcast, SARN Minis.

If you pay attention to media coverage, you'll probably notice something: that news coverage of those racialised as Black (and people of the Global Majority) is often very different from the coverage of those racialised as white.

This is not accidental. It's a feature; not a bug.

It goes back to a long history of othering as part of the justification of settler colonialism, extraction, trafficking and enslavement of Africans, genocide of Indigenous peoples and so on. This permeated both arts and sciences, leading to eugenics and books like Heart of Darkness and films like King Kong, all of which privileged whiteness while presenting blackness as evil and somehow subhuman. They weren't even subtle about it.

Once the Global South had been colonised, the aim was to maintain the separation - to talk about Black people in a way that enshrined their inferiority in people's - white people's - minds.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

With everything happening in the world right now, I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to talk about empathy. So, I’m rebooting this piece, first published in late 2023, and I don’t think much has changed. This piece is about genocide in Palestine, but we’ve heard similar rhetoric about many other groups since then. The original title is below:

Of Conditional Empathy

I was scrolling Instagram one day when I came across the question “does your empathy come with conditions”? It struck me forcibly, and when I shared it on LinkedIn, others had the same reaction.

You see, what I observed in the rhetoric about Palestinians (mostly Brown, mostly Muslim) was similar to what I’ve seen for other groups before, notably, but not exclusively Black people. It can happen to ANY group that is deemed less than in particular circumstances. [2026 update: just listen to what 47 says about the people he’s currently warmongering against. And to what most European leaders say about migrants.]

The playbook includes dehumanisation - watch out when one group starts calling another “animals”.

It includes impossible standards of behaviour - if the target group doesn’t show “good behaviour” then they are somehow less worthy.

It includes whataboutery - again, reinforcing the idea that actions from one group make them somehow less worthy of consideration and compassion.

It includes devil’s advocacy, which is very similar.

And it is all underpinned by a lack of empathy.

We see it all the time when Black people are shot and killed by the US police; we see it when Black and Brown people are displaced from their homes and seeking refuge; and we’ve seen it in relation to Palestine, as if to suggest that because of the actions of one group, ALL Palestinians should be exterminated. There is never an excuse for genocide which is something nobody should have to say but somehow we do.

You know where we don’t usually see the whataboutery and dehumanisation? When the people concerned have paler skin. I’m not looking to be divisive here, just noting how often media coverage and other narratives support the idea of empathy for those who have paler skin or are supported by those with paler skin. The coverage of those fleeing war in Ukraine versus those fleeing war in formerly colonised countries was an obvious example.

And let me be clear: I am not saying that any innocents deserved to die - they absolutely did not. Because I’m also watching with a beady eye those who think calling for Palestinian liberation is an excuse to attack Jewish people. It is not. In fact, that’s also part of the white supremacist, colonialist playbook, which as anti-racists, we should all reject.

As I’ve said before, I will not celebrate anyone's death. And I will not countenance Islamophobia or antisemitism.

But I worry that some people think they are the arbiters of who should have the right to live and thrive without oppression. Who think that oppression is sometimes justified because of what people look like. None of this is a surprise - as I said, this playbook has been running for centuries. [2026 update: we’ve seen it in the way some leaders talk about what’s been happening in Venezuela and Cuba, and in the lack of care if it’s not on their doorstep. Surely humanity dictates that we care?!]

But it’s worth pointing out that when people say “never again”, when they say that “we are better people now” and “the wrongs of the past won’t be repeated”, what ACTUALLY happens doesn’t support that at all.

Yes, we have the potential to do better and BE better, but many of us don’t take it. That makes me very sad.

#FreePalestine #FreeCongo #FreeSudan #FreeCuba

[2026 update: It seriously looks like we’re in the middle of world war three, with (mostly US engineered and backed) conflicts in several parts of the globe. Not to mention the inherent racism and colonialism in starting a war to extract resources - I could go on. More empathy and a recognition of how we’re all connected would go a long way.]

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Smart starts here.

You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.

Join for free today!

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Want to send a clear message that ending racism is EVERYONE's business? Then this is the t-shirt for you. Based on the title of a SARN podcast, it reminds everyone who sees it that they have a role to play in being anti-racist. A great way to wear your values.

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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

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Hello {{ first name | friends}},

It's almost predictable. As soon as Black History Month rolls round, organisations that don't appear to give a damn the other 11 months of the year suddenly trot out their Black employees or stock photos of Black people to make sure they look relevant. (Of course, in these times, maybe some aren't even bothering with that.) Or maybe they run an event and they put that sole Black employee in the spotlight.

But none of that adds up to true representation because image without action is worthless. What I want to know - and what the people considering working with you want to know - is what's actually happening within the organisation? Because that's where we can tell whether what looks like representation is actually superficial tokenism.

Here's what I look for when assessing an organisation.

• Presence

• Decision-making

• Organisational Priority

• The Real Experience

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

When I wrote recently about BAFTA-gate, it brought to mind a question. If you recall, the BBC apologised for anyone who "might" have been offended by hearing John Davidson utter the N-word during the BAFTAs broadcast (you can read my full take on it here). At the time I pointed out that anyone Black who heard the word definitely WAS offended and hurt and traumatised and, and, and...

And it got me to thinking about a common question: how does racism affect people? I can only answer based on my own experience and experiences from my nearest and dearest, but here's the overview: it affects people in different ways at different times, depending on what the experience is (slurs, microaggressions, trolling, systemic obstacles, pay gaps, housing difficulties, finance and education setbacks to name just a few) and where you are emotionally and personally when it happens. Let me give you a few examples.

The N-Word

As many of you know, the first time I heard the N-word I was around 7. I remember it feeling hurtful because I knew it was said with intent to wound, but it didn't have the full force it would years later. That was only the first instance, and I had my family to shelter me from its worst impacts. I know for a fact, though, that my parents were incensed, because they were at the stage I'd be at much later where they had experienced so much racism that it really hurt them (Plus as parents, what hurt their child definitely hurt them.)

Colourism

During my childhood, I felt the wound of colourism. As a dark-skinned child, I was somehow less favoured in the eyes of older Caribbean society (not my family, but others), and I felt that deeply. I didn't believe I was inferior, but I was very hurt that others did. As a child, I didn't know what to do with those feelings. Interestingly, my sister, who was deemed "the pretty one", has always been hurt that people assumed that meant she wasn't that smart, when she's ferociously brilliant. (The latest example of her brilliance is her multi-awarded book, Space to Exhale.)

Daily Racial Harm

The year that I spent in France was my first experience of daily racism in experiences big and small, from being underestimated, to sexual fetishisation, to racist remarks, to being followed, to numerous micro-invalidations. I felt that viscerally, in my body. I felt the dread of not knowing what particular form of racism I'd face that day, the discomfort verging on nausea in the pit of my stomach when I actually experienced it; the weariness of having to explain to well meaning white friends why certain things bothered me.

In France, I heard the N-word in multiple languages, and it skewered my heart in every single one. And even though I came out of that year determined not to treat others that way, I was not unaffected - not at all. And every new instance of racism can send me back into that remembered pain.

In Barbados, applying for a job, I realised that even in a majority Black country, who and how I was wasn't good enough for everyone - in fact, some workplaces wanted me to change my hair and demeanour to be more palatable to their Eurocentric norms.

Discovering My Anger, Feeling the Pain

And then there was England, my second home, which probably doesn't love me as much as I love it. I have talked and written at length about the racism I experienced there. That was where I discovered my anger, though I didn't often express it. The anger accompanied the now familiar pain. Even as I write about it now, I can feel the tension in my shoulders, the knot in my stomach, the lump of emotion of my heart.

Visiting the US and other parts of the world, I have been excluded from spaces, underestimated, ignored and more. Again, the combination of rage and pain is familiar. And it returns again every time I get trolled online, or someone sends me the N-word by email, when I see 3ks in an email address that's signed up for my newsletter. Fear, rage, pain, sadness throughout my body and mind.

All of this results in what's been called racial battle fatigue syndrome. We're tired, y'all!

What Keeps Me Going

But it's not all there is, because for me racism also renews my purpose, my mission to do my part to end it, my drive to support the underestimated and unheard to share their voice as I share mine. Because the bigots can't be allowed to win.

If you've experienced racism, how does it show up for you?

If you haven't, now you have the merest inkling of what minoritised folx go through day in, day out from primary/elementary school onwards.

I hope this encourages you to recommit to anti-racism and to support the people who are educating you with contributions to their self-care fund (here's mine).

Thanks for reading

Sharon

P.S. We are not a monolith, so other people will have their own experiences and feelings which may be different from mine.

Smart starts here.

You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.

Join for free today!

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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

Forget the Trust Falls! How About Transparency? - SARN Minis #85 Transcript

Hi, I'm Sharon Hurley Hall. Welcome to the Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter podcast, SARN Minis.

So, here's the thing. There's no point in investing in "allyship workshops" and "creating safe spaces" if there's no transparency around pay equity, promotion criteria, who makes decisions, and what happens to people who report racism and discrimination.

For many organisations, workshops are checkbox exercises meant to show that they have 'done diversity'. But all the trust falls in the world at your team building day won't mitigate against lack of transparency and accountability.

Because in many organisations, that opacity isn't an anomaly. It's a feature that protects the existing power structures. It lets leaders offer promotion based on socialising outside the workplace rather than the work employees do within it. It means your DEI commitment exists on paper rather than in practice, if it exists at all.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

It’s interview time again, and I’m delighted to introduce you to Altagracia Montilla. We met online some years ago, and I’ve always admired her work and clear vision. By the end of this interview, I’m sure you will, too. Please meet Altagracia…

Altagracia, tell me briefly about your background prior to founding Conflict Bravery

I grew up in a low-income, urban environment in the South Bronx in New York City. As a child, I was labeled “gifted,” which meant I was placed on a particular academic track, one where my intelligence was recognized, rewarded, and invested in. I was given more attention, more opportunities, and eventually encouraged by an educator to test into a school with significantly more resources.

That school was predominantly white and wealthy, an environment many families had been preparing their children for years to enter through tutoring and extra support. What I noticed, even at a very young age, was that this path separated me from the people I grew up with. I also noticed that the ways my intelligence showed up were celebrated because they fit a narrow, traditional definition of what intelligence is supposed to look like.

I deeply believed then, and still do now, that everyone I grew up with was brilliant in their own way. But not all brilliance has space to show up on paper or in systems that weren’t designed for it. That realization stayed with me. It planted a question that has guided every role I’ve ever held: How do I leave the world better than I found it? And how do I help create a world where people are truly celebrated for who they are and what they bring?

Every position I’ve worked in since has been a deeper layer of exploring that question.

Give me the elevator pitch for Conflict Bravery

Conflict Bravery is a framework and practice that helps people heal their relationship to conflict so they can remain rooted in who they are, deepen relationships, and build the courage and capacity to challenge unjust systems. Rather than focusing solely on terminology, frameworks, or intellectual understanding, Conflict Bravery helps people build the most basic and most necessary skills: nervous system regulation, self-trust, and the ability to stay present and speak up when it matters. This work supports individuals, teams, and communities in becoming strong enough, internally and collectively, to sustain meaningful change over time.

And in more detail?

Before founding my company, I worked across education and nonprofit spaces building college-prep programming for young people, designing and implementing equity strategies across school communities, and leading national organizations in developing more equitable approaches to serving communities. I’ve also designed anti-racist strategies aimed at interrupting and dismantling racist thinking.

Over time, I began to see a pattern: racism doesn’t just live in systems, it takes root in bodies, in fear, in disconnection, and in our relationship to conflict. So my work evolved. Today, my focus is on helping people be well enough, grounded enough, that racism doesn’t take root in the same way.

Conflict Bravery is about healing our relationship to conflict so we can engage it skillfully whether that conflict is internal, relational, or systemic. It supports people in building nervous system ease, clarity, and courage so they can challenge ideas that need changing, systems that need changing, and patterns that no longer serve us.

This work isn’t limited to any one identity group. It’s something all of us need. It helps communities deepen trust, strengthen relationships, and build the capacity to sustain movements, not just start them.

What inequity were you trying to address, and why is this important?

I’m deeply focused not only on what needs to be broken down, but on what needs to be built. I believe the world we want to see doesn’t have to exist someday, it can exist right now if we choose to live it, embody it, and practice it daily.

The inequity I’m addressing is the lack of capacity, individually and collectively, to engage conflict in ways that lead to healing, clarity, and transformation. When people are disconnected from themselves, afraid of conflict, or overwhelmed by it, unjust systems remain intact. By building inner capacity, relational strength, and courage, we create the conditions for real, sustainable change.

How’s it going? What has the response been?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. This work has supported thousands of individuals who were afraid of speaking up, afraid of exploding in conflict, afraid of losing themselves in conflict, or unsure how to engage hard conversations without causing harm.
People have deepened relationships, built confidence and self-trust, strengthened teams, challenged systems, and transformed how they see themselves. I’ve seen people love more intentionally, lead more clearly, and move through the world with greater grounding and courage. That’s been incredibly affirming.

What’s next? Any goals you're hoping to achieve?

We’re currently building a Conflict Bravery digital course so people can engage in solo learning at their own pace. We’re also releasing practical tools online, launching a cohort-based experience, and continuing one-to-one coaching.

The goal is to make this work more accessible so more people can build the skills needed to engage conflict with integrity, clarity, and bravery in their everyday lives.

In relation to racism, what is your vision for the future?

I often use the metaphor of a garden. In gardening, sustainability is everything and sustainability requires a relationship with conflict. You don’t avoid it or throw it away. You work with it. You compost. You nourish the soil.

My vision for the future in relation to racism is one where we deeply understand our relationality to one another and to all living, vibrating things. A world where shared humanity, not greed or accumulation, becomes the driving force behind our choices. Where collective elevation matters.

And at the same time, my vision is honest. It includes a future where we can say: racism existed. And we can study it, understand it, and use that understanding as a way to heal what has been broken in our humanity rather than denying it or repeating it.

Is there anything I haven't asked you that you'd like to add?

I would add that this work is ultimately about love, practiced love. Not abstract love. Not aspirational love. But love that shows up in how we speak to each other, how we repair, how we stay when things get hard.

The world we are moving toward is a reflection of the life we choose to live. We don’t build a just world later. We embody it now. We practice it in our homes, in our partnerships, in our friendships, in our teams. We become the world we want to see.

Conflict Bravery gives us the capacity to live bold lives with the people we love, to remain rooted in ourselves during hard conversations, to love without shrinking, to disagree without disconnecting, to stay in integrity. And when we build that kind of courage and steadiness in our most intimate spaces, we build the capacity to be bold everywhere else.

That, to me, is how movements sustain. That is how systems shift. And that is how we move from vision to embodiment.

Well, there are several standout insights I’m taking away from that interview. What resonated most with you? Follow Altagracia’s work and connect with her on her website, LinkedIn profile or Threads.

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Smart starts here.

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Read More Interviews

Building Our Own Table: Janelle Benjamin

Meet the founder of All Things Equitable, as we kick off a new interview series

www.antiracismnewsletter.com/p/janelle-benjamin

Meet Anti-Racism Writer and Activist Naomi Raquel Enright

Learn how Naomi Raquel Enright became an anti-racism activist with a passion for challenging racism.

www.antiracismnewsletter.com/p/naomi-raquel-enright

Building Our Own Table: Isvari Maranwe

Meet Isvari Maranwe, founder of Yuvoice and the Sentinel. Interviewed by author, activist and educator Sharon Hurley Hall for Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter.

www.antiracismnewsletter.com/p/building-our-own-table-isvari-maranwe

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

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

"So, I launched a new thing."

That was what I said to at a meeting of one of the communities I'm in. And in fact, I created three new things during early part of March.

What I Launched

The first thing was a new newsletter called The Recharge: Notes from the Desk of an Introverted Black Woman. I've collected all the introversion content I've been posting since 2025, and released a new piece towards the end of the month. The intention is to support the introverted women leaders and changemakers I'm working with by posting new notes twice a month or so.

The second thing was a new class called The Game is Rigged: Publishing While Black, which I'll be running on May 1st with my sister Lisa Hurley. In it we're sharing the strategies we've learned in our experiences of publishing, me as a self-publisher and Lisa as a traditionally published author. There are a couple of sponsored spaces available for minoritised folx who don't have the means to buy a ticket - reply to this email if you'd like to sponsor a space or know someone who would benefit.

And the third thing was a class on Marketing Strategies for Freelancers, based on my own experience as a query-free freelancer for more than 15 years. Though you can grab it as a standalone product, it's also part of the Academy for Changemakers and was included free for members.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

Welcome to another instalment in my own going series covering things white folks have said to me over the years.

This one won't be a surprise to anyone as it's something I've written about before. It's something most Black and Global Majority people have experienced at some point.

It's the double or triple whammy of two or three successive questions:

• Where are you from?

• Where are you really from?

• Where are your parents from?

The questions seem innocuous on the surface, but there's an unwelcome subtext that many marginalised folx will be aware of.

The Harm in Action

Here's an example of this in action.

A Black woman friend and I were returning to the UK some years ago when we were stopped by one of the officials, who asked where we were from.

Slightly confused at that point we answered: "From England", showing our British passports. To our minds, that should have been the end of the discussion and we should have been left to get on with getting our luggage and going home.

But it wasn't.

The official persisted.

"Where do you live?", he asked. We replied that we lived in Southampton, and again thought that would be the end of the questioning.

We were wrong.

"Where were you born?," he persisted.

"London," I responded.

Sure enough, that still wasn't good enough, and he continued with the interrogation.

"But where were your parents born?"

When I said that my parents had been born in the Caribbean he looked satisfied, gave us our passports and another hard look, before letting us through. (I could have said that thanks to colonialism my parents were born British citizens before claiming their current identity in their 20s, but that would probably have prolonged the agony.)

Othering is the Goal

This interaction is a form of othering. It's a way of letting you know that you don't belong and you will never belong.

It says: "I have taken one look at your Black skin and I have determined that you are not one of us and you never will be. I have determined that I have the right to question your presence and existence until I get an answer that confirms my biases."

This, my friends, is peak whiteness. (Which, by the way, can also be enacted by people of different identities, but that's another story.)

So if you want to start a conversation while avoiding this pitfall, what are your options. There are many. One of the ones that's sitting well with me right now is: "where's home for you?" I also like this author's suggestion of: "what culture do you identify with?"

That being said, if othering is the goal, then it won't matter what question you ask, because people like me who have been affected by this question will recognise the intention no matter how it's dressed up.

Black and Global Majority folx, how often have you been asked this question?

Other folx, how do you assuage your curiosity without causing harm?

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

Read the rest of the series:

1. "I Think of You as White"

2. Why Isn’t Your Name “More Ethnic”?

3. "Why Don't You Want to Work for a Black Publication?"

4. "I Wouldn't Have Rented to You If I'd Known You Were Black"

5. "You're Much Quieter Than I Thought You Would Be"

6. "Do You Live in Huts/Trees?"

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

See what’s new in the Academy for Changemakers

sharonhurleyhall.gumroad.com/l/changemakers-academy

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

I gave a talk a while back on racism in higher education, sharing some telling stats as well as suggesting a starting point for dealing with it. Today's article includes a brief section setting the scene, for all subscribers, as well as a bonus section for newsletter supporters, which suggests some approaches to dealing with the issue. Some of those will also be useful for anyone looking to create educational resources. Read on…

A Hard Truth for Academic Institutions

I'd like to focus on a hard truth that many academic institutions want to ignore.

There is no such thing as a neutral space. Let me repeat that. There is no such thing as a neutral space.

Walking through the halls of academia might lead you to believe that it's a space where there's true meritocracy, where only the quality of your ideas matters. But the truth is very different, both in foundation and in execution. The curriculum we're told to master is often based on Western ideals about civilisation. If you truly study history, you'll know that many of the places in the Global South that were colonised and oppressed had flourishing civilisations of their own before the arrival of the Europeans. The curriculum is often based on which banks of knowledge are considered worth studying, and there's a preponderance of European and American men in almost every curriculum.

Once you get into the hallowed halls, presuming you actually achieve that, your day-to-day can still be filled with experiences of racism. From security questioning your right to be in a space, to people underestimating your knowledge base, making presumptions about your culture, and calling on you to represent a history that's often traumatic, or an experience that's not your own, because you've been lumped in with other people from the same country or culture.

The Data Tells the Story

The data tells the story here. Current research from Universities UK reveals that 24% of students from what they call "ethnic minorities", but I call minoritised, to reflect the fact that this is a process that is imposed rather than some unchangeable aspect of identity, have experienced some form of racial harassment in higher education. This figure rises to 45% for Black students specifically. And the most common form? Racist name-calling. Insults. So-called jokes experienced by more than half of those who face racial harassment.

There is also the awarding gap. And isn't it a supreme irony that the countries that were so free to colonise and invade now have strictures on the accessibility and presence of those they colonised? Only 4% of UK-domiciled postgraduate research students identify as Black, and that means there's a continuing lack of a Black academic staff pipeline.

All of this compounds the Black tax: the exhaustion that Black and global majority students feel and face because of existing in that identity in majority white spaces.

So that gives us an idea of the scale of the issue, of how embedded it is. But now let's talk about the unlearning piece — about how we change within our institutions, how we make change, how we become active anti-racists.

Supporter Bonus Below: Five Ways to Make Change

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

It's another bumper crop of articles and resources this month, covering everything activism, white supremacy, extraction, culture, the job marketing, and even parenting. Ready to dive in?

1. If You Decide To Stay by Ijeoma Uluo

One of my anti-racism advocate friends shared this with me (thank you!) and I was so grateful, because it accurately reflects the internal journey that so many activists travel.

2. Imposter Syndrome vs. Imposed Syndrome?: Black Women & Toxic Jobs - Natasha Williams and Dr. Kimani Norrington-Sands

"This isn’t imposter syndrome. This is imposed syndrome." - Those words by Natasha Williams, who does the Cost of Black Excellence research, stopped me in my tracks and sent me to this video. Full disclosure: I haven't watched the whole thing yet, but had a quick look at the transcript and there are insights worth paying attention to:

3. This time around, the colonisers have AI by The Continent

A sobering view of the current situation:

4. Black Women Are Losing Jobs At Three Times The Rate Of Other Women by Andrea Bossi

This isn't news, but another look at the prospects for Black women in the US labour market - it's not good:

Reading is the first step; sustaining the work is the next. This reading list is - and will remain - free for all 5700+ subscribers. If you are in a position to pay it forward so that others can continue to access this education, upgrade your subscription here. Help me keep this independent library growing.

5. The Empire is the Vampire by Digital Domme

If you haven't yet seen Sinners, see it, then come back and read this article:

6. The Gatekeepers Part VI: Stop Asking Us to Work for Free by Alice Munyua

This author exposes the thoughtlessness, extractiveness, exploitation and selective amnesia that characterises how conference and event organisers racialised as white treat their Black and Global Majority participants. It is not a pretty picture:

7. The easiest thing to lose by Keith P. Jones

Here, Keith P. Jones breaks down how the US got to its current reality and what will be needed to move forward:

8. K-pop Blacksploitation Hunters: A Black Father’s Crash Course in Race, Joy, and Stolen Music by Khafre Jay

This is an inspiring and heart-wrenching tale of what Black parents have to do to fight the societal programming that's waiting to make our kids feel less than.

(In my opinion, there's just as much work to do for parents of kids racialised as white to avoid thinking their skin colour is more important than their humanity. If you haven't read it yet, check out There Is Only Us by Naomi Raquel Enright for more on this.)

9. Colonial Ignorance and the Geography of Racism: Understanding Europe's Institutional Amnesia and the United States' Overt Racial Architecture by Christian Ortiz

This is a long read, and totally worth it. It exposes the lies that underpin the architecture of racism in Europe, as compared to the US:

10. 'White Culture' is a Tool of White Supremacy by Arturo Dominguez

This article, written from the perspective of a white-passing Latino who is also a committed anti-racist, is informative and hard-hitting. This quote is just one example of the many insights Arturo offers:

Every headline satisfies an opinion. Except ours.

Remember when the news was about what happened, not how to feel about it? 1440's Daily Digest is bringing that back. Every morning, they sift through 100+ sources to deliver a concise, unbiased briefing — no pundits, no paywalls, no politics. Just the facts, all in five minutes. For free.

Read the newsletter trusted by 4.5 million fact-seekers.

Of Note - Things Worth Highlighting

• What a viral speech in Ireland reveals about colonial history and Caribbean English by Nadine White (featuring a proud mum moment)

• Burnout, Trauma and the Cost of Being “Strong”: A Personal Reflection and a Call for Change by Marcia Ore

• Who Holds the Chains, Who Holds the Wounds: Venezuela, Empire, and the Lies That Bind by Christian Ortiz

• Unjust and inhuman’: how royal family ignored a Black abolitionist’s plea to end the slave trade by Brooke Newman

• Relooted game

• What we know about Alice Parker, a ​‘hidden figure’ in modern heating by Audrey Henderson

• Tesco apologises as Black magazine publisher ‘racially profiled’ and offered bananas by Nadine White

As always, feel free to share, either by commenting below or replying to the email, what stood out to you from this month's reading list, and what's the next intentionally anti-racist action you'll take as a result.

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.

*Note: all articles linked here were free to read when I put together this edition. However, some may be paywalled by the time it is published, because capitalism. There’s not much I can do about that, but I hope the included quotes give you a flavour of the content.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

The "Fact" of Whiteness - SARN Minis #84 Transcript

Hi, I'm Sharon Hurley Hall. Welcome to the Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter podcast, SARN Minis.

In Black Skin, White Masks, Frantz Fanon talked about "The Fact of Blackness" - the idea that blackness is a construct created by colonisers in opposition to whiteness. I wrote about this in Exploring Shadeism, my book about colourism. But to Fanon's point, whiteness is also a construct and not a "fact".

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

This month's reboot is another from the podcast archives. As usual, I've added a couple of updates and new links. Check it out:

Today I want to talk about the idea of exceptionalism.

When I was living in France, my roommate at the time, who was a white girl from the Midwest, said, "You're not like the other Black people I know back home."

It took me quite a while to unpack what she meant. I was young, and had not had very much experience at the time of this particular type of microaggression. But I later came to understand that what she meant was that I spoke articulately in multiple languages, I was well educated, well read, and had more than a passing knowledge of global current affairs.

She'd been trained by the stereotypes she'd seen and bought into back in the US to expect the opposite of Black people. And as a result, she didn't know quite where to place me. That really bothered her and, in fact, led to her saying, on another occasion, "I think of you as white."

I'm not even going to unpack what was behind that. But suffice it to say that it took me quite a long time to come to terms with it in my own head. [2026 update: It's taken me decades to unpack it, and I wrote about this incident in more detail recently.]

But one of the flip sides of buying into those stereotypes is the idea that Black people who succeed are both exceptional, and proof that anyone can do it. So the idea with that second one is: why are we still complaining about systemic racism?

But both of those ideas are harmful. Exceptionalism suggests that Black excellence is not and can never be the norm. It's a harmful stereotype that hurts our community and leads to untold microaggressions in the workplace. Like being surprised when your Black colleague has a superlative professional qualification, or a master's degree. And this is something that has happened to people that I know. [2026 update: seriously, surprise at Black excellence or achievement, no matter how positively it appears to be framed, is another of those paper cuts of racism.]

The idea that anyone can succeed, and that "race" is not a barrier, ignores the real obstacles that people have to deal with and surmount in white majority spaces. And in many cases, they have to do this without having anything to fall back on, like family money, for example. [2026 update: remember "race" is a harmful fiction and racialisation is something that affects all of us.]

So, I want to leave you with the idea that Black excellence itself is not exceptional. What is exceptional is the success in overcoming barriers. And it's something that we have to do, because otherwise, how would we manage to achieve the things that we achieve? What's exceptional is the resilience that we shouldn't still have to need. [2026 update: what's exceptional is the unparalleled amount of grace Black folx give to purveyors of the exceptionalism nonsense - I wonder if we should?]

And so I'd like to ask you to consider the thought that when you are praising Black people for being exceptional, and for their success, also think about what they had to do in order to achieve it. And think about how you can help to dismantle barriers in the spaces where you operate, so that this kind of success won't be seen as exceptional anymore. [2026 update: don't just notice; take action, or how will anything change?]

Thanks for reading my perspective,

Sharon

Smart starts here.

You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.

Join for free today!

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

On the Pods

sharonhurleyhall.gumroad.com/l/changemakers-academy

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

Can racism be unintentional and still harmful?

The answer, of course, is yes.

Let's put it in terms anyone can understand. When a toddler is barrelling along after having recently found their feet and bumps into another toddler, who falls and gets hurt, that's an example of unintentional harm. As parents and caregivers, we immediately tell the first toddler to say sorry, kiss it better, shake hands or whatever form of repair seems most appropriate. And that's for something that may be no more than a graze.

So imagine an instance of racism, then

• the careless words that wound

• the unawareness that makes someone feel othered

• the bias that pushes certain identities aside in the workplace or social settings

Some examples I've shared before:

• the person who mistook my silence for stupidity (not a word I often use, but that's clearly what he thought)

• the person who wanted me to have a more ethnic name

• the person (actually multiple people on different continents) who refused to serve me

• the people who asked where I was from and questioned my right to be in certain spaces

• the people who made assumptions about my background

The slights showed up in multiple ways, from dismissive actions to hurtful words. And here's the thing: just because you're unaware, it doesn't mean harm hasn't been done. And saying "I didn't mean it" puts the onus on the harmed person to coddle your feelings rather than, as it should be, the onus on you to repair the harm.

So how do you do that?

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

Some time last year, the usual complaint about algorithmic suppression was doing the rounds. Black founders and entrepreneurs were frustrated and tired. Then there was a beacon of hope, as Arlene and Louis Byrd announced they were creating something different, a supportive business networking platform without the algo issues. I soon jumped in as a founding member and have been happily using the platform since it went live. So it was a no-brainer to bring this to your attention. Please meet Arlene and Louis Byrd, the founders of Hiyer…

Arlene and Louis, tell me briefly about your background prior to founding Hiyer

I (Arlene) have 12 years experience in government public service with a focus of tax law for the Internal Revenue Service. After the 1st Trump administration I realized that my values no longer served myself or the people I care about and hope to serve. After severe burnout with the help of my husband and co-founder of Zanago. We decided to go into business together and create real change for those who are underserved and underrepresented people with social issues. Through technology we are creating impact that can help change how business is done.

Give me the elevator pitch for hiyer

Hiyer empowers independent professionals in a world where their expertise is valued over engagement. So that they can build their business with confidence and clarity.

And in more detail?

Hiyer was created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We created a safe space for people to be human and to not feel alone in their entrepreneurial journey. Central to Hiyer is community, a community dedicated to the independent professional. Adjacent to the community are a suite of tools in the platform including a BRM (business relationship management system), Sage, Hiyer's augmented intelligence Business Advisor, and various feeds dedicated led by members, dedicated to various aspects of business. There are additional tools and experiences symbolic of the entrepreneurial journey.

What inequity were you trying to address, and why is this important?

Our goal is to address the vulnerabilities that come with entrepreneurship. Life is hard and its even harder when you think no one understands your choice to not be conventional in thinking or in practice. Entrepreneurs are problem solvers and they are the dare devils of business. As glamorous it is to be the next Steve Jobs the hard truth is that for for those entrepreneurs that are Black and Brown or identify as a women will have a harder climb to the top. Hiyer is important because it has the potential to change how people view business and those who are willing to make the sacrifice needed.

How’s it going? What has the response been?

Overall it is going well. The majority of the founding member community have been excited, inspiring, patient, understanding, and willing to try something different.

The challenge we face now are that of many startup businesses...how do we scale the venture to the next level? How do we get to our first 1000 and ensure the business meets revenue goals and can be fully sustainable? How do we grow our team to support operations? How do we make sure Hiyer is consistent in providing the value we promised to it's members and that the members stay engaged? These are the questions we ask daily.

What’s next for Hiyer?

What’s next is to continue to scale the business. We have some new initiatives we want to test once we get to certain milestones ... but were not ready to disclose that yet :)

In relation to racism, what is your vision for the future?

Racism is undeniable. As Black founders it shows up in many aspects. Along with the racism, white supremacist ideology is prevalent from many people, including those not white who harbor some of the same sentiment. That is a challenge to navigate when too often we are discounted, not given the same grace as some of our white counterparts, or the hoops we must jump through to prove our value and worth. So our vision for the future is that our venture is viewed through the lens of good business, a product, and strong utility of tech ... not just as a Black tech company.

To be clear...don't try to erase our Blackness, but recognize that we are business owners who are Black ... not just a Black business. We want truly equitable treatment in all aspects.

I love that goal! Please check out the Hiyer website or connect with Louis and Arlene on LinkedIn.

Thanks for reading,

Sharon

P.S. I have really enjoyed my Hiyer experience, the tools Arlene and Louis have created, and the general vibe. If this sounds like what you’re looking for, and you don’t mind being part of the building process, come check it out.

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Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

When I'm Not in the Room: The Real Test of White Allyship- SARN Minis #83 Transcript

Hi, I'm Sharon Hurley Hall. Welcome to the Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter podcast, SARN Minis.

There's allyship and then there's allyship. In fact, allyship is a contested term because so many people don't know how to do it right. If you've got to the point where you are being an upstander, supporting Black and Global Majority creators and leaders, and being vocal about racism when you see something happening in front of you, that's a good first step.

Hello {{ first name | friends}},

By now, most of you have heard about the racial slur (the N-word) said by John Davidson MBE, a Scottish campaigner for Tourette Syndrome, at the BAFTAs when Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan were on stage. The utterance of the slur is an example of coprolalia, the involuntary utterance of inappropriate and obscene words and phrases.

I made several attempts to write this piece, starting immediately after the incident I'm talking about was reported. It took a while because every time I started to write I got so enraged about the way it has been handled by all those who had the choice to do better and failed to take it. 

No Absolution

It would be wrong of me to attack John Davidson for something he had no control over. But that still doesn't absolve him of responsibility to acknowledge the impact of that word on the men whose moment was ruined, nor is he absolved from  making an unreserved apology for that impact after the harm had occurred.

And it definitely doesn't absolve the BAFTA organisers and host or the BBC of responsibility for how they handled it in the moment and after the event, which might best be described as an epic fail on multiple fronts.

What's most telling about the whole incident is whose feelings were prioritised immediately after the slur was uttered. Because it wasn't the Black men who'd felt the impact. You can see the moment Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo freeze before carrying on and doing what they were there to do. 

The host, Alan Cumming, apologised to the audience - the audience! 

I still have trouble fathoming how that was the decision he made. 

Because, whether intended or not, the harm done to both men by the racial abuse was and is real. The N-word wasn't and isn't innocuous, especially when uttered by someone racialised as white. (I personally would have it erased from existence, but that's another story.)

When you do harm, you apologise, even if the harm wasn't intended. That's what we teach our children. Why should we do any less as adults? And the impact of this tic was very, very harmful.

The Belated "Nopology"

But nobody apologised to Delroy Lindo and Michael B Jordan in that moment. And according to Delroy Lindo, nobody from the BAFTAs organising team even spoke to him about it on the day it happened. 

The BBC later offered an inadequate and lukewarm "nopology" (a word coined by my sister Lisa Hurley) to anyone who might have been offended (sorry, Beeb, pretty much every Black person I've asked about it was offended and hurt - no "might" about it.)

Anyone Black in the audience, anyone Black watching, and anyone Black reading or hearing about it later will also have experienced harm, because so many of us - and multiple generations of our ancestors - have been attacked by that word.

The harm is compounded because of the way the “incident” was handled, if you could call it that; it reinforces the lack of safety and care many Black people experience in white majority spaces. And the level of accountability expected from white people - none.

At the time of writing, it was almost a day later when Davidson issued a kind of apology, albeit one that recognised no harm and accepted no responsibility, so why did he even bother? Yes, the tic was involuntary (and very embarrassing for him) but harm was done to the two men on stage so a proper apology is the only way to move forward, and well within his capacity.

What the Choice Reveals

Returning to the BBC's epic fail,  the decision to leave the N-word in the broadcast (even though there was enough of a delay for cutting it to be possible) is telling. Somehow there was time to edit out Akinola Davies Jr saying "Free Palestine" but not to remove the N-word?  

That was a choice - and the choice made says the BBC did not prioritise the wellbeing of the two presenters, nor that of the wider Black community. That choice significantly compounded the racial harm done and failed people in the disability  community too.

The harm didn't stop there, of course. Because here's what also annoys me: the people (mostly racialised as white) who are trying to silence and shame people (many racialised as Black) who have called out the hypocrisy of the Beeb and the BAFTAs.

Refuting the Ableism Accusation

Those mostly white commenters keep accusing Black people acknowledging the harm of being ableist, but disability activists confirm: recognising harm does not negate the fact he didn’t have control over his tics. It merely (rightfully) focuses on the receivers of the slur, and not the one who said it involuntarily.

This is white supremacist thinking in action and it is nonsense. Naming racial harm caused by a person with a disability  is not ableist or unreasonable; assuming he can’t understand the difference is. It's giving white centring and white tears. And it's NOT giving acknowledgement and repair  from those who caused harm, which, to be clear, is still due in this case.

Please, white folks, stop telling Black people how to feel about hearing the N-word in that context. If you are upset about our upset, you still have more learning and growing to do.

Now, there is no need for ableism in the naming. Two things are true: one, Tourettes is a disability. Two, in this instance it resulted in racial harm. At what should have been their proudest moment, those men heard the most hurtful slur, and many people expect them to smile and take it. That is patently wrong.

Questions Remain

So I have questions about why so many people are ready and willing to excuse anti-Blackness. And about why Black people are often last in line for forgiveness but expected to be first in line to do the forgiving.

This is a case of selective or conditional empathy. We can hold space for disability and still state clearly that that inclusion does not mean that Black people should have to hear, accept or give grace for racial slurs. I mean, is it really that hard?

Thanks for reading my perspective.

Sharon

P.S. By the time this is published the organisations and people involved will no doubt have apologised properly, but that doesn't mitigate the original error because the delay itself is harmful.

More commentary on this:

• Cambria Nwosu

• Asanda Ngoasheng

• Paul Ladipo

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

On the Pods

sharonhurleyhall.gumroad.com/l/changemakers-academy

Sharon Hurley Hall is an anti-racism educator, author of I’m Tired of Racism, and founder of the SHHARE anti-racism community and of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, which provides tools and lived experiences to fuel systemic change. A seasoned professional writer and journalist, she leverages over 30 years of experience to mentor introverted leaders, and is co-founder and co-host of the Introvert Sisters Podcast. Her recent work focuses on helping Black and Global Majority women achieve high-impact visibility and professional influence without the exhaustion of performing extroversion.

© Sharon Hurley Hall, 2026. All Rights Reserved. This newsletter is published on beehiiv (affiliate link).