Short story—who are you and what is it you do?
I am Sharon, a writer, educator and anti-racism activist, informed by my experiences as a global citizen.
And the long story?
I'm near the end of a transition. I've been a professional writer for over three decades, and in that time have worked as a journalist, editor, freelance online business writer, and journalism lecturer.
My current focus is anti-racism writing and education, which I'm passionate about. I’m the author of Exploring Shadeism, a book about the colourism phenomenon in Barbados and the Caribbean. I launched an anti-racism newsletter in May 2020 and recently published a second book, I’m Tired of Racism, a collection of my articles about racism. I hold MA degrees in media and cultural studies, and in teaching and learning in higher education, and I’m Co-Founder of Mission Equality.
Why—and how—do you do what you do? And how did you get into it?
I write about anti-racism because I feel I must. From the time I wrote my first anti-racism article, I've felt a sense of purpose unlike anything I've ever experienced before. I feel that using this wonderful gift of writing to effect change in this arena could well turn out to be the most important work I've ever done.
What is the most difficult, challenging or unpleasant aspect of what you do?
Of course, it's not always easy. As a black person—and a black woman—there's often an element of “I can't believe we're still having to talk about this,” particularly in relation to black people dying at the hands of the police or stories of microaggressions. If I dislike anything, it’s that four-hundred-plus years later progress on fighting systemic anti-black racism is painfully slow. Yes, there's been progress on paper, but a lot of things that happen wouldn't happen if the progress were embedded, which it isn't. Sometimes new incidents weigh down the spirit and make it hard to write. But, equally, sometimes an event is so egregious that I have to put fingers to keyboard and get something out there.
What is the most surprising and/or rewarding aspect of your work? What do you love about it?
For me, the most surprising and rewarding aspect of writing about these issues is how responsive people have been. Black people say they feel seen and some white people begin to understand. Like many writers, I write because that's how I express myself best, and I had no expectation that anyone outside my friends and family would find my writing valuable. I love it when someone emails or comments to say they've had an aha! moment, or that they related to what I shared in some way.
How are the anti-racism allies and groups progressing? Did you imagine that your writing would lead to such a global opportunity to affect people’s mindsets? Is this a growth industry?
I honestly had no idea that this opportunity to run anti-racism groups and workshops would arise, but I'm so glad it did. I think anti-racism and diversity are in the global spotlight, and rightly so. I'm aware of several groups working actively, including a group of white professionals determined to use their privilege for good. I think anything we can do to shift the narrative and achieve greater equity is a good thing. The workshops were educational for the participants, forcing them to view past incidents via a new lens in many cases. The ongoing work of interrogating where people sit in relation to racism has also been enlightening and rewarding, and I’m delighted to be facilitating those conversations at Mission Equality.
In a previous role, I taught a six-week anti-racism course to young people aged about 10, looking at issues like stereotypes, bias, untold histories, privilege, and so on. They got a lot from it, and I believe it’s vital to inspire young people to show leadership in this area.
Can you go into detail of what happens at an anti-racism allies group meeting; how participants have behaved in/been affected by or responded to the experience?
The group is a safe space for participants to ask questions and get help on how to be active anti-racists. Since I'm a writer, there's a storytelling element, where facilitators and guests share our experiences and our feelings, and participants also have the chance to share their experiences and get guidance. The meetings are emotional and empowering at the same time.
It has to be said that those who sign up for those groups are already on the path—open to fighting racism—and that's good.
Talk a bit about your anti-racism newsletter on Substack. What drove you to create it? And tell us a bit about the pros and cons of being on the Medium platform before that.
The anti-racism newsletter came about because I was tired of gatekeeping from social media sites. I'd been happily publishing on Medium, and sharing on Facebook and LinkedIn. Then I noticed one day that 1) I was no longer getting a lot of visibility for my posts—maybe five people out of a possible five hundred would see them, and 2) Facebook had removed some of my content. On LinkedIn, I noticed that once Black Lives Matter and George Floyd were no longer flavour of the month, visibility declined there, too.
That led me to Substack, which is one of the best decisions I ever made. It was easy to set up, and also let people support the newsletter financially. I am grateful to all those paying subscribers who make it possible for me to devote more time to writing anti-racism articles.
Later on, Medium made some design and algorithm changes which resulted in reduced visibility for my articles. So while I give Medium props for being a great place to connect with writers and easy to use, I don't think it’s as writer-friendly as it was, so for the most part I'll publish my articles on my own newsletter or websites first, then either reprint or do a roundup on Medium. I think that's good practice for creators, anyway, to own their own online spaces. And it’s doubly important for black creators, because the algorithms will suppress you, given half a chance.
So moving to Substack worked well. As always, I tell stories about real experiences for the most part, with the occasional rant or poem thrown in. I think people respond well to them because they are true. And I always try to end with a resource or a suggestion for further action. My goal is for people to DO something with the information. And also to share the information so people will have an inkling of what it's like inside black skin.
It happened a while ago now, but talk about the newsletter dealing with the Clifford Corbin issue here in Barbados. What was the response to your tackling of that?
That was one of my most popular newsletter editions, which was a surprise, given that the bulk of my readership is in the US. It was shared widely and got lots of comments everywhere. One of the things I try to bring home in my newsletter is the global nature of anti-black racism. Having experienced it in Trinidad, Barbados, France, the UK, and the US, I think I'm in a good position to draw those threads together.
Please see https://www.antiracismnewsletter.com/p/clifford-corbin-barbados-racism for more on the topic.
Do you hope/foresee that the ant nest uncovered by the Corbin video will lead to opportunities to conduct similar workshops here in Barbados? Are you familiar with the work of Annalee Davis to stage conversations on race here?
That I don’t know. We have a lot of work to do in Barbados, and it starts with being willing to accept that there’s a problem. I would love to see Barbados grapple with its past and nip anti-black racism in the bud once and for all, but, honestly, I don't know if we’re there yet. Social media has a lot of cons, but one of the pros is getting things like the Corbin video out there and starting the discussion. I expect that will continue to happen, so who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be leading a workshop here.
The initiative by Annalee Davis looks like a good way to have necessary conversations.
How do you balance your anti-racism outreach with the professional, B2B (business) writing and coaching? How have your family members and friends (of all races) reacted to your newer work? And, who is Sharon Hurley Hall now?
I've found a whole new layer to my writing voice, and it feels great! So great, in fact, that I've been making subtle—and not so subtle—moves to make this kind of work a bigger part of my paid writing. Last year, I said just that on LinkedIn, and by year end I had my first paid anti-racism writing commission, an article for a UK diversity charity. Then I added anti-racism writing to my LinkedIn profile and social media bios. A corporate firm asked me to work with them on diversity and equity content, and I've been doing Black History Month content for a couple of organizations I'd worked with on B2B content. So big tings a gwan, as my sister says!
Family and friends—including my white friends—have been overwhelmingly supportive, but that's how we roll, innit? There are a few who have been silent, but I can't tell if that means they disagree or they simply haven’t seen my work. Out on the Interwebs, there are a few trolls, of course, but I mostly ignore them.
So now I say: I am an anti-racism writer and educator, fighting anti-black racism one article at a time.
Additionally…you are a black Caribbean woman married to a white Englishman and together you have a biracial daughter. You have also lived and worked outside Barbados. Can you share some insight into how your personal spheres shape or are shaped by what you do professionally, and vice versa? How was 2020 and the season of #BLM for you as a family? What are the convos around the kitchen table?!
That’s a big question, and I don't even know if I can break it down. I think I'm the same as all writers, in that my experiences inform my writing. So there are ways in which it is useful being able to compare what it’s like to navigate the world as a black woman and what it’s like to move as half of a multiracial couple. My daughter is passionate about issues of equity, and so we have a lot of discussions about racism in particular, but also other isms. I learn through her eyes what it’s like to be biracial in the 21st century.
My husband is one of my biggest supporters, always has been. When we found out there was a #BLM march in Barbados, we decided to go as a family. When I raise issues in my newsletter or when my daughter talks about her experiences in the US or when there’s something in the news, some rich discussions ensue.
A year or so ago, KPMG UK Chair Bill Michael was censored and forced to step down/aside after causing a furor among employees with his comments that “unconscious bias is crap.” In a Guardian story, one employee said that while training often isn’t effective, unconscious bias is a very real thing in the workplace. I know you have written about this also. What are your thoughts on the KPMG situation, and what’s the greatest takeaway you feel anti-racism and unconscious-bias training have to offer, especially to skeptics?
Can I say that saying “unconscious bias is crap”—is crap! It exists. It’s why when I was wearing a beanie and a big winter coat, the woman ahead of me in the bus queue in England grabbed her bag. It’s why certain competent and qualified black professionals don’t progress in their careers because they don’t “fit.” There are countless examples.
Does the training work? Depends who you ask. It can help raise awareness, but it’s not one and done, as often happens when people are trying to tick diversity training boxes. You have to keep working to fight those biases every day. One of my workshop participants said exactly that. The point of the initial training is to raise awareness—to make the unconscious conscious, so that people don’t act on those biases. This can happen to those open-minded enough to accept that their white perspective isn’t the only valid one. But then you have to keep working on yourself, or it won’t stick, and you will fall back into old habits.
In one sentence, what is the difference between being non-racist and being anti-racist?
Being non-racist is passive, being anti-racist is active.
In 2019 (seems long ago!) you launched a book called Shadeism. What has been the response to the book? Have you been able to use it in seminars, and are there any plans to publish further on the topic?
Yeah, it does seem long ago, because 2020 was a long-ass year. The book had a great response, and many people commented that the issue of colourism is still a factor today. I haven’t had the chance to use it much in workshop settings, but I am planning to do a new survey and release an update.
How guilty are black people of unconscious bias toward each other, in terms of shadeism or on any other grounds? What scope is there for anti-racism/unconscious-bias training here in Barbados—from schools to the workplace?
I think we need unconscious-bias training in Barbados, and in many parts of the Caribbean, because internalized racism and even self-hatred are real things. I remember in my own childhood that, for some people, if you were dark-skinned, you couldn’t be pretty, and that’s still around. I talked to some young people at my book launch, and I’ve picked my daughter's brains, and that malignant colonial legacy hasn’t gone anywhere.
And what has been the response to the new book?
I'm Tired of Racism: True Stories of Existing While Black has come out towards the end of 2022. It has been doing well on Amazon. The book includes short essays detailing some of the experiences of racism I and others have had in different countries, along with calls to action for would-be allies. It was important to me to highlight the point that racism is a structure and system that operates globally, especially in relation to anti-blackness. Reviews have been hugely positive. For me, the important thing is getting the word out, so we can get rid of racism altogether. It may not happen in my lifetime, but I'm committed to doing my part.
What do you do for fun?
I read. Nothing better than sitting down with a good book. I read sci-fi, (non-cozy) mysteries and thrillers, occasional chick lit, biographies, and I'm catching up on some anti-racism books. I loved How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Barbadian author Cherie Jones.
Talk briefly about your other lives, including that as a reiki master. Is there any overlap? Has your understanding in one field aided your understanding of, or approach to, another?
It’s been seventeen years since I learned reiki, and being a reiki practitioner is so much a part of me that it’s hard to see it as a separate thing. One of the great things about reiki is that it keeps you calm and centered, which has been useful in these “unprecedented” times. And being in that mental space has made it easier to focus on what feels right, like doing the newsletter.
I also started a podcast called The Introvert Sisters with my sister, Lisa Hurley, who is also an anti-racism writer. The title is a giveaway, as we're both introverts. The pandemic gave us the chance to start it, and we’re more than sixty episodes in. The interesting thing is, because we're both Black women, it quickly morphed from the initial concept of being about introversion into being about pretty much everything (we introverts being deep thinkers!), with a large blackity-black/black-black component. We talked about George Floyd, we talked about Breonna Taylor, we talked about Elijah McClain and much more.
What is your idea, your vision, of revolution? What is revolutionary to you in 2023, in Barbados and beyond?
Revolution is ending systemic racism. Revolution is dismantling white supremacy. Revolution is doing both, in Barbados and around the world.
Build us a time capsule! What 10 objects, thoughts, ideas, events, people—anything—would you time-capsule for safekeeping post-Covid, climate crisis, racism, etc…?
1. My family, and my friends who are like family, because without them, nothing else would be worth it.
2. The poetry of Maya Angelou, especially “And Still I Rise” and “Phenomenal Woman.”
3. Denzel Washington, who has always done great work and is still doing it.
4. Viola Davis, for the same reason.
5. The knowledge that black and brown people are people of the global majority and should never forget it (Rosemary Campbell-Stephens, OBE).
6. NIFCA (Barbados’ National Independence Festival of Creative Arts), because we need the arts to inspire us.
7. A Kindle, because I have enough books on there to keep me reading for a while.
8. Music, but it’s hard to choose. For a while, I had “I Am Woman” and “Respect” on my mental soundtrack.
9. “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed” (Martin Luther King, Jr).
10. "If you live in this system of white supremacy, you are either fighting the system or you are complicit. There is no neutrality to be had towards systems of injustice" (Ijeoma Uluo).
