Justice Walks February 2025

Author

Abby Anderson
February 19, 2026

most of my abolitionist work happens at home, in my community, in my relationships. I often find that the folks who have read the most abolitionist texts are the ones most well versed in abolitionist practice. Many people practice community based strategies for staying safe without the state, and they don’t necessarily call it abolition.” a tweet from @bubblybutfierce

I love words and language.

And, words can cause barriers and confusion. For example, I spent years assuming I knew what “abolition” meant; I was entirely wrong.

As the post above illustrates, the words we say or are able to define are not as important as the actions we take. What are we doing?

What values do our behaviors at work, in community, at home, with our friends demonstrate?

Ruth Wilson Gilmore, a scholar, professor, author, and co-founder of Critical Resistance*, said, “Abolition is about presence, not absence. It’s about building life-affirming institutions.”

Systems and institutions are collapsing all around us.

It’s terrifying and destabilizing. At the same time, many of these systems and institutions were not designed to ensure the belonging and well-being of everyone - quite the opposite. We need to find ways to fill the gaps created by collapse and, instead of “getting back to normal,” imagine and build those life-affirming institutions Gilmore talks about to replace the ones that have fallen.

We have an opportunity.

There are folks who have been doing this building work over generations. Ideas and thoughts are out there - typically developed by Black, Indigenous, queer, disabled, immigrant, etc. people. The folks current systems never considered or intentionally left behind. I’ve named some of them in past newsletters and there are more named below.**

Systems and institutions scale up from smaller models. We may not all build large institutions, but we can all experiment with life-affirming practices at work, in community, at home, and with our friends. We can build examples that inspire future life-affirming institutions. After all, adrienne maree brown tells us: “small is all.”

I do not have all of the answers around how to do this building. I can offer some foundational ideas I try to practice:

  • stay curious

  • avoid one-size-fits-all thinking, and folks who say they have all of the answers

  • ask folks what they need

  • understand and name my own needs

  • expect conflict and rupture to happen and negotiate pathways to repair

  • communicate with clarity, honesty, and compassion

What practices would you add? I’d love to hear what you’re learning!

*You can learn more about how the organization Gilmore co-founded defines abolition here. And by listening to the podcast linked to Gilmore’s name above.

**(You can find past newsletters here)

Learning Resources/Opportunities

I’m excited about the chance to hear Amber Hamilton speak during this free webinar on March 4. Let me know if you register too and we can compare notes after!

A flier for a “Managing the Moment” event sponsored by Collective upLIFT and as a project of Health Resources in Action. The flier is shades of green with a photo of Amber Hamilton in a circle on the right. Amber is a Black, black woman wearing glasses, a black top, and colorful shawl. The flier announces a virtual workshop on March 4, 2026 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. EST and includes a QR code to Register Today, translation available. The title of the workshop is Leading with Radical Clarity: Leading my shifting from resilience to proactive growth through clear vision setting. Amber Hamilton, Consultant, Coach, and Former Nonprofit CEO will be the speaker. Topics covered will include: Learn how to provide clear direction when uncertainty persists; Discover how to lead collaboratively, while also allowing for progress; Gain a framework for making difficult decisions in order to move your organization forward.

S. Leigh Thompson and I met in a cohort a few years back and immediately hit it off. We were both doing some “good trouble” making in the zoom chat, believe it or not! 😉 

When I heard about the new learning lab Leigh is piloting, I wanted to share the information with you because Leigh builds the kind of life-affirming spaces I talked about above. All of the details and a a note from Leigh are below:

A purple flier for the Values-Driven Leadership lab. The lab starts Mar 4, spots limited. “Clarity your values and put them into practice so you can lead with confidence and conviction.” The lab will run for 5 weeks and include a supportive peer environment and coaching support. “Learn more and apply at sleighthompson.com/values

VALUES-DRIVEN LEADERSHIP LAB

A 4-week learning cohort for mission-driven leaders to translate their values into sustainable daily practices

Hi folks, I'm Leigh! For years, I've been helping organizations and coachees develop clarity about their core values and translate them into sustainable practices. I've seen firsthand how powerful this work can be, and how much leaders struggle to do it alone.

That's why I'm offering the Values-Driven Leadership Lab for the first time to the public.

This Lab responds to what I'm seeing right now: an unprecedented number of leaders feeling torn between their ethics and their workplace pressures. The old ways of "just getting through it" aren't working anymore. Leaders need practical tools to navigate this moment with integrity intact.

This program distills years of values-based leadership development into exactly what you need to create immediate, meaningful change.

Through peer cohort sessions, one-on-one coaching, and thoughtful exercises, this 5-week small-group program provides leaders with a supportive peer environment to define, operationalize, and align their core values with workplace practices, building the clarity, resilience, and strategic confidence needed to create meaningful impact.

What’s Included

  • Two One-on-One Coaching Sessions with Leigh (that’s me!) to dig deep, fast ($600 value)

  • Four Weekly Group Sessions with other values-driven leaders. We’ll meet together for 90-minute sessions weekly on Wednesdays beginning March 4

  • Peer Support Check-Ins between sessions. You’ll connect with peers between sessions for reflections, support and feedback.

  • Practical Tools and Daily Practices to fit real life.

Total Cost: $497

You’ll leave with:

  • Clarity on your deepest values and how they shape your leadership

  • Practical daily practices to stay aligned

  • A peer cohort for ongoing support

  • Confidence to make values-based decisions under pressure

  • A plan for sustaining growth

Together, we’ll clarify what matters most, build tools to assess alignment, and create real practices for leading with integrity under real-world pressures—all in a supportive community of peers.

Interested?

Learn more and sign up now at sleighthompson.com/values.

Taking Care of Our Feet

A navy blue rectangle has nine squares of images illustrating the idea at the top of the square written in white type “Where I’m Finding LIght in Dark Times.” They read, from left to right, clockwise: Those bearing witness and keeping a record” image of a person recording an event with their phone. “People opening up their homes to each other” image of a cozy house; “History reminding us of how far we’ve come” image of a constellation in the sky; “Dreamers using their gifts to create change” image of a desk with a computer and lamp; “Organizers gathering to strategize” image of three folks sitting around a fire; “Caring hearts at candlelight vigils” image of a hand holding a lit candle; “Neighbors watching out for each other” image of a streetlamp lighting signs that say “know your rights” and “red cards” next to a home; “Truth-tellers calling out injustice” image of two people with flashlights, walking. One of the people uses a cane; “Moments of joy that keep us going” image of three children playing among trees strung with lights. The artwork is signed by @ohhappydani

Danielle Coke Balfour is an artist, activist, speaker, and entrepreneur who grounds and inspires me. This recent piece is a good reminder that there are so many ways to be engaged in community-building and affirming efforts. Our role changes all the time, and that’s ok. Our role may not be the same as the next person’s, and that’s ok. Our role might not be one that gets a lot of attention, and that’s ok.

Mr. Rogers called on us to “look for the helpers.”

Algorithms thrive on chaos and fear. They platform and reward destruction.

There are always helpers. They are often informal. They are often quiet. They are often overlooked.

Helping doesn’t have to be large-scale and it doesn’t require us to “give til it hurts.” (Hurting isn’t helping)

Coke-Balfour illustrated some helpers she sees. What helpers and lights to YOU see?

When and how can you be a light and helper for someone else?

You can check out Danielle Coke-Balfour’s work by clicking on her name or the image above. 

Bonus Thing I Loved This Month

Two oyster catchers are drawn on a red background with blue stars. Around them in black letters it reads, “What if we measure success by how safe others feel around us?”

A print from @Fabfeministart

Special shout-out and thank you to my paid subscribers. Your support means so much to me. Have a great month!

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“This has been transformational”

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