Tired of Racism: Exploring Antiracist Writing with Sharon Hurley Hall

While I always say racism is a solvable problem, I also say you can’t solve it alone. Thankfully, we don’t have to; there are many people working alongside us. I recently had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with activist, author, and DEI professional Sharon Hurley Hall.

Hall is the Head of Anti-Racism at Diverse Leaders Group, which aims to empower others to lead the way to equality. She is the author of Exploring Shadeism, an analysis of colorism in Barbados and the wider Caribbean, and her forthcoming book I’m Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black (coming October 1). She is also the co-host of The Introvert Sisters podcast, and in 2020, she founded Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter, in which she shares global perspectives on anti-racism, racism, and race, including essays, interviews, and personally curated tools and resources for fighting racism—one article at a time.

Here are some highlights from my conversation with Sharon.

Sharon, tell us about your life and when your passion for anti-racist activism started to grow. You've cited George Floyd's murder as a catalyst for you to do more writing on antiracism. How has your writing, activism, and newsletter changed or evolved since then?

When I think about what led me to this point, it sometimes seems like it’s EVERYTHING. I’ve been a writer for decades, I’ve had experiences of racism for decades, and I started thinking more seriously about inequity when I was doing my master’s in media and culture in the 90s. I’d even written a few pieces about racism on and off.

But when George Floyd was murdered, I realized how tired I was of it all and wrote a piece called “I’m Tired of Racism”, republished in the introduction to my newsletter. That catharsis, and the response it got, led me to completely change my focus. I continued to write and started to speak about racism and anti-racism, and I launched my Anti-Racism Newsletter in August 2020. I haven’t stopped writing and speaking since then, and I know that this is what I am meant to be doing in this moment—and, quite possibly, for the rest of my life.

What do you hope readers gain from your newsletter? How does your answer differ for readers of different races?

I hope my readers get insight into what it’s like to live in my skin, and some of the issues that I have to think about as a Black woman. My Black and Global Majority readers often tell me that they feel seen and understood, and I’m delighted to provide a space that does that. My white readers tell me that they learn so they can do better—and that’s important because it takes all of us to fight racism, and the people whose ancestors designed the broken racist system many of us now live in have a responsibility to work on dismantling it.

Having lived between the UK, France, and the Caribbean, and with time spent in the U.S., how has your global experience shaped your approach to anti-racist work?

It’s very important to me to draw parallels—and no doubt, some of that comes from my experience as a teacher. Having lived in many different places, and visited many others, I recognize that there are manifestations of racism that cross country barriers. For example, white supremacy isn’t only an issue in the USA; it’s also an issue in the countries of origin of the colonizers; and in the countries they colonized.

Colorism has been an issue for the Black community (as well as for many other ethnic groups who suffer(ed) under colonization and imperialism) as a consequence of the international slave trade. You published a book called Exploring Shadeism in which you discuss the long-lasting effects of colorism in Barbados and the Caribbean.

What similarities and differences do you notice between colorism in the Caribbean and colorism/racism in the United States? How do we acknowledge this reminder of racism and grow from it?

That relates so well to your last question. I see a lot of similarities between colorism in the U.S. and the Caribbean, because the origin is much the same: the history of enslavement that led to assigning those who were closer to the European norm a better position and more opportunities. The idea that some types of hair and facial features are better than others is persistent. Even when we try to deny it, it’s there in media representations of Black people.

Learning to love ourselves as we are is a journey for many of us, especially those who have grown up in a world that tells us we are not OK. It’s important for us to understand the history and origin of colorism and to free ourselves from it. In the 21st century, it’s time to create and live by our own beauty norms, and agitate for those representations to be normalized rather than have to “ooh” and “aah” at every single one because they are so unusual.

As a writer, you have worked for various organizations developing their content as well as their digital marketing strategy in regard to DEI. Is there a particular organization you believe is setting a strong example with the usage of their marketing/media to promote equity and education?

I don’t know if anyone is getting it all the way right, but I have been impressed by what Ben and Jerry’s has done in the last couple of years to raise social justice issues. And, unlike many who posted black squares and made performative gestures, the company has continued to be consistent. What I am noticing is an uptick in Black-owned organizations redressing inequities in lots of different areas. I’ve featured just a few of them in my newsletter interview series.

Your work focuses on antiracism on the macro/global level. From your observations, who do you believe has been left out of the conversation about how to educate and inform others in order to drive change and progress?

While there are more Black people speaking about these issues than ever before, there are still so many organizations and events that are largely populated by white men. We need to change that and create organizations where Global Majority people have the chance to take the lead and do things differently rather than work within the broken system. It’s something we’re trying to do at Diverse Leaders Group, which I've just joined as Head of Anti-Racism. We're setting the example with how the company is run, and using that to educate others, offer community support, etc.

In relation to antiracism and DEI work, particularly within organizations, what is your vision for the future?

One day, I’d like to be no longer needed. I’d like the world to be equal. I’d like to no longer have to celebrate the “first Black” because there are so many of us doing all the things. I’d like white people within organizations—and beyond them—to understand that creating a space that works for the people who are currently excluded makes it better for everyone.

Is there anything that you would like to add?

I often refer to myself as fighting racism, one article at a time. And I am delighted that so many of us are doing this work in our own ways. That’s what gives me hope.

Me too, Sharon. Thank you.

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• Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn.

• Subscribe to her newsletter.

• Read her books, Exploring Shadeism and I’m Tired of Racism.

• Learn more on her website.