note: 12 Takeaways After One Year of The Antidote

Noteworthy patterns and themes on how to be in the movement for the long haul.

After one year of The Antidote, here are 12 takeaways, noteworthy patterns, and emerging themes around how to be in the movement for the long haul. Some might seem obvious on first reading, but upon further reflection, I bet most of us agree that sometimes the most obvious observations can get lost in the sauce of the day-to-day. Diving in:

1. Co-leadership is where it’s at — In Renee Bracey Sherman’s interview, she eloquently captured that: “The system of the lone executive director is an antiquated one. To think that one person is going to have excellent management skills, excellent budgeting skills, excellent visioning skills, excellent admin skills, then also be excellent at fundraising, strategic planning, partnerships, and have excellent oratory skills — that's a lot to ask of one person. I think it's wrong and that's what burns people out.” Making an intentional decision to hire a fellow co-executive director took the pressure off of Renee to hold all things, most notably the act of making decisions alone. Similarly, interviews with Dionna Dorsey, Diandra Marizet, Paola Mendoza, and Ash-Lee Henderson revealed frequent references of building alongside co-leaders.

2. One (typically) has to burn out to figure out how to stay lit — Building a sustainable lifestyle looks different across stages of your activism, but many interviewees referenced a particular moment of burn out that led to a reevaluation of what their activist practice looks like in the day-to-day. Dionna Dorsey shared, “Every version of myself requires some slight pivot to the routine.”

   

3. Accept that balance comes in seasons, not year-round — The long haul is a marathon, not a sprint, but sometimes there simply is no balance. Charlotte Clymer shared that “exhaustion is just part of the job sometimes,” and Ash-Lee Henderson reflected that this current (post-election) moment just isn’t a season for balance. To quote Charlotte, “If you're expecting to do this work long term, you have to realize that there are some things that you have to give up sometimes.” Ash-Lee noted, “That's not always equitable and that's okay.” If the long haul is a marathon, let’s make it a relay.