Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter

I did a short video to mark the anniversary https://lnkd.in/e_9N4TYv

Can you believe year 5 of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter starts today? On August 24, 2020, the first edition landed in people's inboxes - an essay on why I'd started the newsletter. It was quickly followed by more essays, as I balanced transferring what I'd written in Medium (the prequel to SARN) with creating new pieces. Over the years I kept adding features (which is how I think of the regular pieces given my journalism background). First, the curated reading list, which has proved perennially popular. Then the behind the scenes letter, then the activist and writer interviews. Later I added the founder interviews and the short podcast. And I changed the publishing cadence several times, so now I publish 10 times a month, with 50-60% of the content available to read for free. I always love to hear what readers think, so each piece includes a simple rating poll. But to mark the 4th anniversary (SARNiversary?), I decided to do a reader survey, which has been running for the past week or so. One question invited people to leave testimonials. Here's what one reader said. "Every time SARN drops into my inbox I look forward to making time to read the new views and perspectives and for what I can learn from the rich content Sharon shares. I appreciate that its emphasises knowledge, reflection and growth across a moving playing field. Sharon strikes a careful balance that encourages people - like me - to do that necessary work, without judgement. I believe it has made me more thoughtful and more aware." I love this testimonial because: 1) I feel like my work is being seen, and who doesn't love that? 2) I feel I'm helping people to do THEIR work, which is part of my personal mission. Have you checked out the newsletter yet? To celebrate the 4th anniversary, there's a special offer. See the comment thread for details.

Four years ago today, I was putting the finishing touches behind the scenes on what would soon become Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter (SARN). The first issue was published on August 24th, 2020. SARN grew out of my inability to keep quiet about racism any longer, and my commitment to creating a space to showcase Black and Global Majority writers, activists, and eventually founders. I knew I wanted it to be a space for learning (hence the monthly reading lists), and soon realised I also wanted it to prompt action, which is why later articles often include invitations to reflect or act. I love the relationships I've built through the newsletter, and the platform that allows me to showcase so many others. I publish around 120 pieces of content each year. To date, there are more than 500 pieces in the newsletter, including 49 reading lists, 53 podcast episodes, 89 interviews, and 235 essays. It's also a great foundation and resource for the anti-racism community I'm building, but more on that another time. To celebrate the 4th anniversary, there's a special offer. See the comment thread for details. P.S. LinkedIn network, please feel free to share this post with anyone you know could benefit from SARN - thank you!

Four years ago today, I was putting the finishing touches behind the scenes on what would soon become SARN. It grew out of my inability to keep quiet about racism any longer, and my commitment to creating a space to showcase Black and Global Majority writers, activists, and eventually founders. I knew I wanted it to be a space for learning (hence the monthly reading lists), and soon realised I also wanted it to prompt action, which is why later articles often include invitations to reflect or act. I love the relationships I've built through the newsletter, and the platform that allows me to showcase so many others. I publish around 120 pieces of content each year. To date, there are more than 500 pieces in the newsletter, including 49 reading lists, 53 podcast episodes, 89 interviews, and 235 essays. It's also a great foundation and resource for the anti-racism community I'm building, but more on that another time. To celebrate the 4th anniversary, there's a special offer. See the comment thread for details.

I was talking to a friend the other day (they're a great example of commitment to anti-racism), and the conversation went something like this: Q: So, tell me about the new anti-racism community? A: This brings everything together. It's a space where we can learn. Live sessions, SARN articles, and chapters from my book will be a starting point, but there'll also be other resources, and I'll do my best to include global perspectives. It's a space where people can ask questions. And it's a space where those further on their journey can consolidate their learning and inspire those who are just getting started with peer mentoring. And most of all, it's a space for action, through building the right habits and a transparent reparations approach. My approach is more guide on the side than sage on the stage, and I'm hoping to navigate the balance between leading what I must and being community-led for everything else. Q: What's the membership fee? A: It's looking like around $50 a month but I'm exploring a sliding scale if the platform allows it, and also allowing people to sponsor places. It's not free, because people value where they invest, but I also don't want to put it out of reach for people who could genuinely use such a space. Q: What else is new, Sharon? A: So many things. I'm also running the Newsletter Launchpad to help people who want to unf*ck the world get their message out there and make an impact. I offer the Launchpad as a 4-week course, a 1:1 half-day event, and an ongoing year-long support package. Plus there's the Borrow Sharon's Brain thought partnership offer for a short 1:1 on an issue you're trying to resolve, and an upcoming self-publishing event (I'm still working out the details). Q: Is there one place where I can learn about everything? A: Yes, the business website I hardly ever tell anyone about has links to pretty much everything. Check it out at sharonhh. com I really enjoyed that conversation. Have you got additional questions for me? Drop them in the comments or send me a DM! ---------------- Have we met? I'm Sharon, founder of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter and of a new anti-racism community (launching October 2024), and creator of the Launch & Profit Newsletter Launchpad course, where I help people create the foundation for making an impact via their personal platform. If you'd like to learn more, feel free to send a DM.

THE Robin Divine is featured in Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter today. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/euu7jbuK

Yesterday, I talked about the positive qualities I'd love to see in someone planning to join my forthcoming anti-racism community. In case you missed it, my vision is for a learning and action space where people can be supported to be active anti-racists while minimising any harm done. But when you're creating a community, it's just as important to know who's not yet ready to participate. Based on previous experiences, I initially came up with four things: 1. People who don't know or believe that racism and racist systems exist. Acknowledging that they DO exist and affect our lives is kinda foundational. 2. People who can't cope with being uncomfortable if they learn something that challenges what they thought they knew. 3. People who are looking for allyship “cookies” - what I think of as the "black square" approach 4. People who think that learning is enough, and who aren't willing to take action to make change. (Action for change will be a key part of this community). Trolling, hate speech, whataboutery and refusal to reckon with white supremacy are no-nos too. If you were saying "hell no!" to all of the above, then maybe YOU should check out the community. I'll drop the link in the comments. ----------- Hi, I'm Sharon, founder of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter and creator of the Launch & Profit Newsletter Launchpad course, where I help people create the foundation for their personal platform. I'm also starting an anti-racism community. DM me if you want to learn more.

My vision for the new anti-racism community is that it will be a learning and action space where people can be supported to be active anti-racists while minimising any harm done. Why do I say "minimise"? Because we all make mistakes - they're part of learning. The important thing is what happens when we do. If people are open, curious, are aware they don't know everything, and are willing to acknowledge and repair any harm done that's a pretty good start. I believe the community will work well for those who: - Care about creating an equal world and want to improve their knowledge and take consistent action to end racism - Are aspiring or existing anti-racists wanting the foundation to show up authentically while reducing the potential for harm. - Want to be anti-racist but are not quite sure how - Are ready to unlearn what they have taken for granted and learn better to do better – for everyone - Know that there are systemically racist and inequitable systems and want to understand more about them. Of course, there are also some qualities that I DON'T want to see - what do you think those might be? Please share your thoughts in the comments (and check back tomorrow to see if you were right). Want to learn more about my vision for the community we could create together? Feel free to DM me. ----------- Hi, I'm Sharon, founder of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter and creator of the Launch & Profit Newsletter Launchpad course, where I help people create the foundation for their personal platform. I'm also starting an anti-racism community. DM me if you want to learn more.

I'm so enjoying digging into the stats, and I've also had some fantastic testimonials and content suggestions.

Even for someone like me who's prepared to pivot, this week has been wild. But I've finally worked out the next thing I can offer to the world: an anti-racism membership community. If you've been following me, you might have seen me mention it this week. And you'll definitely hear me talk about it a lot in the next coming days and weeks. A bit of serendipity led me to change my initial plan, and other bit led me to the platform I'll likely use to manage it - more on that closer to launch. And yesterday I put the finishing touches on the application form (because it's important to curate the space a little to reduce the risk of harm), and on the community description page. I'm pretty excited about it and have already received the first application. I'm looking forward to hosting a collaborative space for learning and growth. Want to see the initial plan? Check out this page: https://lnkd.in/eyzFJqrC ----------- Hi, I'm Sharon, founder of Sharon's Anti-Racism Newsletter and creator of the Launch & Profit Newsletter Launchpad course, where I help people create the foundation for their personal platform. I'm also starting an anti-racism community. DM me if you want to learn more.