I'm Back! And We're Outta Here.

Some updates and a change of venue.

It’s been an eventful couple of months, to say the very least, both personally and collectively. We descend further into fascism across the planet, and I see more dear friends and colleagues experiencing increased fear and uncertainty as their rights continue to be reduced if not erased completely. After taking some much needed space and rest, I’ve a phrase that keeps repeating in my head…

‘Get to work’.

The work of depathologisation, of unlearning colonial conditioning, of divestment from systems of harm, continues to be needed. And I believe more and more people are going to turn to this work for solace, for hope and for a sense of purpose in this increasingly hellish hellscape. If we are to pave the way for a just and habitable world for future generations, there isn’t really any other option. As some Brits look to the USA and shake their heads, I know better. We planted those seeds, and have been complicit every step of the way. We have a shabby, genocidal government that lurches further right each day. The reality of what is happening for Black, brown, queer, trans and Disabled people on Turtle Island, not to mention civil servants and anyone viewed as a threat to installing a dictatorship, is a preview of what is to come for the UK if we don’t act to change course.

I’ve been watching an influx of new writers join Substack in the wake of the TikTok ban, and the exodus from Meta’s platforms following the announcement that they will be abandoning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I imagine some of these new writers aren’t aware of this platform’s condoning of and funding of Nazis, or maybe are aware, but don’t know where else to go to be heard, or to find each other. It is a problem I empathise with.

I know that many platforms have consistent records when it comes to suppressing content of deliberately disadvantaged creators, particularly Black creators, and some platforms are increasingly becoming breeding grounds for hate speech and worse. With many big players embracing the abandonment of DEI efforts, after months and months of proactively suppressing information on multiple genocides, it can feel like there aren’t any ethical mediums on which to share our stories or seek education and community. And there certainly aren’t many. I’ve never had a Twitter account (and no, I won’t call it by any other name), so thankfully I’ve never had to contend with whether to stick around on there as it descends into unchecked fascism. I still use Instagram and LinkedIn, as currently these are the places where I reach my clients and those who want to follow my work, as well as staying connected to my social justice and decolonisation communities. I know that many have chosen to stay on Substack to fight back against the White Supremacists and self-proclaimed Nazis who are profiting, with the founders’ support, through the platform. I understand the desire to ensure that voices of Pro-Blackness, Pro-Queerness, Anti-Ableism and Decolonisation remain, to be nourished by the community we’ve built here, and to combat hateful and dangerous rhetoric. I respect the choice to stay for those reasons, and wish my colleagues luck here. I have chosen to leave, a decision that was made some time ago, and now is the right time to do so.

I am in the process of moving my publication to beehiiv. I’m hoping to return to my fortnightly cadence of newsletter release, with my first article on beehiiv coming out on Thursday 6th March. I’ll share all the information subscribers need both here and there before I stop publishing on Substack, to ensure a clear and easy transition. My understanding is that it shouldn’t affect subscribers (paid or otherwise) at all, you’ll simply receive email newsletters from beehiiv instead of substack.

I’ve lots more I want to share with you, and I’m looking forward to writing regularly again as we continue to reimagine the world together.

Wishing you as much joy, peace and purpose as you can find amidst the chaos.

— AJ