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Hello {{ first name | friends}},
I love having the chance to have a deep discussion with my sister and The Introvert Sisters podcast co-founder, Lisa. This topic was very much related to what I talk about in this newsletter, so I’m sharing a few excerpts here. We had so much to say that we did another episode on the topic, so look out for that soon. In this episode, we discuss microaggressions, exclusion, inequity and survival strategies.
On Pay Inequity and Exclusion
"When I was working in the UK, a couple of things happened in pretty close succession. The first was when I got a promotion at work that came with a certain pay rise and they made an excuse not to offer me the full amount. My white colleagues who got the promotion got the full amount, but somehow I was only getting half of it. They had some spuriously plausible reason for it. That was one of the first things.
The second thing was when I started looking for a job because, you know, why stay where you are not valued, right? A colleague and I applied for the same job...we compared CVs and so on and she said, 'Honestly, I don't even know why I'm applying because you are definitely the more qualified.' I went in, I saw the double take and at that point, it was already all over. But I still did a great interview. We compared notes on the train back...she said, 'Man, I really made a mess of that interview.' But do you know who got the job offer? Well, it wasn't me.
It's so wearing—all the little signs that you can’t be yourself, that you’re not valued. Why are you telling me that I am valued less? Why are you showing me that I am valued less? Why are you doing that in big and small ways every day?"
On Redefining Professionalism
"We probably need to redefine professionalism. The things deemed most professional are all bound up with white supremacy culture. What matters is: can you do the job that you were hired for? Do you have good ideas? Can you contribute—in whatever way is authentic to you, not in forced ways. The things often concentrated on—like hair, head wraps, performing femininity, wearing heels and makeup—don't affect your ability to do the job. Are you forcing people to put on a performance in the name of professionalism? If so, your notion of professionalism needs to change. In a workplace, what matters is your ability to do the job, contribute, but not at the expense of your health or dignity. Not staying late, coming in early, not working yourself to the bone. Not being on a plantation. Professionalism should mean treating people with respect and doing the job; not doing harm to your colleagues."
On Prioritizing Self-Care
"It has to be intentional. You do have to create [space to exhale] because the world out there doesn't want you to create it—especially if you're a Black woman. So it's up to you to say, 'I'm blocking out some time in my calendar for me,' or 'I am taking a vacation and I will not have my phone on.'
I started about two years ago—once a quarter I block out a week where I take no meetings. I have a no call day once a week—it's my choice, nobody can book a call with me on that day. Boundaries. Boundaries. Giving yourself time off, considering what is really important—often family, friends, time with yourself if you're an introvert.
This year I put a 30-minute break in my workday for me to be with myself. Just giving myself space and learning not to feel guilty about it… It’s about creating those spaces for yourself and being intentional about it, fighting decades of programming and learning to say no."
On Turning Pain into Purpose and Public Advocacy
"When I look back at the history that led me to where I am now, there are a couple of inflection points.
One of them goes really far back—experiencing different dynamics of racial politics in Barbados after moving from Trinidad, and seeing the legacy of colonialism echoed in societal values.
But more recently, George Floyd's murder made me feel this soul deep weariness, which is the reason we need space to exhale. I wrote 'While Black: Thoughts on the Assumption of Wrongness'—that piece started me on this current trend. Everything we had experienced, everything swallowed, everything we tried to convince ourselves wasn't so bad. I wrote that piece, people responded, and then I realized I had more to say—the floodgates opened.
A few months later, I started the newsletter which has been going for nearly five years and now has more than 600 pieces in it...It’s difficult work. Activism is not easy. Solopreneurship is not easy. But we do this work because we are called to it. There is nothing in the contract that says you have to be running on fumes while you are doing this work. You can have impact without exhaustion. That's my watchword this year—impact without exhaustion."
How do these excerpts land with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts. You can catch the full episode on YouTube.
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Thanks for reading,
Sharon
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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).