Hello {{ first name | friends}},
So, it's 2026, and I'm reflecting on one of the toughest years yet for people engaged in anti-racism activism and DEI work.
Exceeded Expectations - And Not In A Good Way
We knew it was coming because 47 won another term in the US, and Reform got some parliamentary seats in the UK. In other parts of the world, right leaning parties made inroads and won elections. None of these were good signs for lefty, human-centred, anti-oppression types like me (well, like us, because if you're reading this newsletter you're almost certainly part of this group).
What we perhaps didn't foresee at the start was the pace of change. Sure, we had been tracking the changes that made it more likely that freedoms would be eroded. We witnessed it and called it out, and yet the daily, sometimes hourly, depredations left many of us overwhelmed and depressed. The move away from anything DEI and the will from those at the highest levels to scapegoat, blame and undermine the people who most need support showed us some of the worst of humanity. We saw even more of that in the willingness to ignore the genocides in Palestine, Sudan and Congo. (And don't even get me started on what's happening in Venezuela, and elsewhere.)
There was also a lot of fear brought on by the very real sanctions imposed and the uptick in violence against minoritised people in different parts of the world, and queer folx, especially trans folx, in the US. It seemed everywhere you turned people were being harmed. Then there were the catastrophic job losses in the US, mostly affecting Black women, but also others. And the deliberate actions to write Black folx out of the US story - it has felt very heavy.
Reflecting On My Role
The question I asked myself all year is: what is my role in all of this? Once again, I turned to the ancestors who state that the role of the creator and artist is to speak out through their creative works; to shine a light on what's happening. Many are doing that, and it's one reason why I keep this newsletter going - to share stories that might be hidden and platform those who might be ignored. It's why the SHHARE community is so important, to have a brave and supportive space as we grow as anti-racists.
Because that was the other theme of 2025: community. We don't do this alone. Nobody fighting oppression ever did. It took tens and hundreds of people doing what they could to break down the systems that oppressed us in the past. It will take the same energy now. As I keep saying, we have to be the drops wearing away at the edifice of racism and oppression.
In all of this, it is also important to take time for yourself - to heal, to rest, to experience joy. A new addition to our weekly accountability prompt in SHHARE is to say what we're doing to find joy. Because the powers that be want us to be overwhelmed, so overwhelmed that we move into apathy, that we stop noticing, that we stop calling things out. That's one of the things we must resist at all costs.
Getting Ready For 2026
So as we start what may well be another trying year, sowing the seeds of change we may not see, as Erin Corine Johnson puts it, we have to consider how we show up in alignment with both our values and our needs.
My answer: keep doing the work, but also do other work as part of this so that more voices fighting oppression get out there.
I'm going to be one of the drops - are you?
Thanks for reading my perspective.
Sharon
Fact-based news without bias awaits. Make 1440 your choice today.
Overwhelmed by biased news? Cut through the clutter and get straight facts with your daily 1440 digest. From politics to sports, join millions who start their day informed.
Note: poll feedback is private - if you’re happy to share your thoughts in public, then please also leave a comment.
What did you think of today's article?
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).