Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter (SARN) exists because I know what it costs to stay silent. I’ve lived with racism in the UK where I was born, the Caribbean where I grew up, France, and the US. I’ve written about it since 2020 and haven’t stopped. I bring three decades as a journalist, six years of running anti-racism allyship groups, and the perspective of someone who has experienced what she writes about. I’m bringing everything I am to this work.
My first foray into tackling racial justice issues was my research into colorism in the late 1990s, later published as Exploring Shadeism. In the subsequent decades I wrote occasional pieces about racism. When George Floyd was murdered in May 2020, I realised how exhausted I was by all the racism I’d faced personally, and that others who looked like me had faced, and I wrote a short essay called I’m Tired of Racism, which later became the title of my book.
I haven’t stopped writing since.
I launched SARN in August 2020, with the stated aim of fighting racism one article at a time, and now publish twice a week, including two podcast episodes each month. It is a must-read if you are a committed anti-racist or would-be ally looking to get insights, resources and tools to help you do the work and progress on your journey. DEI professionals and ERG leaders also find the articles useful as conversation and discussion starters. Learn more in our latest reader survey and check out the What 49 Voices Tell Us About Anti-Racism and DEI Today report.
Apart from commenting on current issues relating to racism, and sharing personal or known experiences, SARN also serves as a platform for others, through the interviews with Black founders and activists, and my reading lists: personal curations of useful information for growth and learning. Learn more about the newsletter here.
Why Upgrade?
Though 60% of the newsletter content is available for free, there’s also a paid tier because I believe that work that takes time and emotional energy should be compensated, and steeping myself in incidents of racism in order to educate, motivate, inspire action, and provide a platform for others definitely counts as emotional labour. When you subscribe, you give me the gift of time to make this newsletter even better. It means I can put in the hours to research and curate the right resources, to reach out to activists for interviews, to polish my articles, and to keep finding ways to level up.
In exchange for their support, paid subscribers get :
- Access to the premium podcast with my short takes on anti-racism issues (2x per month)
- Even more anti-racism content (2x a week)
- A monthly behind the scenes letter
- Exclusive and early-access content
- Access to the FULL archive of 700+ posts
Last year, I published more than 118 pieces of content, making the subscription price of $100 a year or $10 a month equivalent to less than $1 per piece of content – that’s not a huge price to pay. You can also lend your support via the SARN Store.
Your Subscription Unlocks More Than Just Articles…
Launched in 2022, the SARN podcast is part of Sharon’s Anti-Racism Newsletter. It includes my short takes on equality, anti-racism and racism. The SARN podcast is offered to premium newsletter subscribers. The most popular recent episodes include:
- There Is No Land That Isn’t Plantation Land – SARN Minis #78
- Why Can’t We End Oppression? – SARN Minis #76
- Black MAGA – Whyyy? – SARN Minis #71
- We Are More Than Our Skin Colour – SARN Minis #67
- If You Can’t See It, Can You Still Be It? – SARN Minis #61
All SARN podcast episodes include full transcripts so you can reference the content again at any time.
Unlock the Podcast – Become a Premium Subscriber Today!
What Supporters Say
I know this work is making a difference. Here’s what some of my paid subscribers have said:
- “Sharon’s is hands down the most informative thing in my inbox. Her straight-talking erudition always challenges and educates.” – Asmara Kazmi, CEO, The Ops Room.
- “Highly recommend! White people wanting to learn more about how the world is for non-white people- it’s the bitesized weekly knowledge shot you’ve been waiting for. Well written, easy to digest.” – Janine Coombes
- “Sharon’s newsletter is one of the few I read every single word of, every single issue. If you’re serious about widening horizons, learning about what the world is like for people who look different, sound different, live different, experience things differently from yourself, and want to make a better world for everyone, this is the place! It’s a teeny investment for a big juicy reward.” – Vicky Quinn Fraser
- “It’s a great newsletter, powerful & insightful, and one of the few must reads in my inbox on a regular basis.” – Joe Cardillo