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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
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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).