Here's your latest newsletter in a monthly series on the practical skills behind culturally inclusive engagement.
Welcome to the October edition of Skill of the Month.
It's Black History Month in the UK and the theme is honouring our communities. So this month I'm looking at how we research Black and Global Majority stories, and do it in a way that honours the people the stories belong to. “Honourable” can also be switched out for “equitable” in this instance.
Let's talk about honouring our communities
Hidden stories are usually hidden for a reason. At some point, someone decided they didn't matter, weren't worth recording, or were easier to forget instead of putting in the work to find them.
When organisations go looking for those stories now, there's a real risk of repeating the harm. People are asked to share memories, photos and painful experiences. The stories are taken away, written up, exhibited, published or used in research. The community rarely sees them again, and someone else gets the credit, the funding and the career boost.
That's extraction — and it can damage relationships with communities. Even when it happens with the best of intentions.
Honouring a community works differently. The story stays connected to the people it belongs to. They decide what should be shared and shape how it's told; they're remunerated and fully credited; and they benefit from what happens next.
Extractive vs honourable (or equitable)?
I’m sure you understand the key difference, but in case it’s helpful — or in case you need to share information internally — below are comparisons between the two approaches.
Most organisations sit somewhere in between. The aim is to keep moving towards the right-hand column.
| Topic | Extractive | Honourable or equitable |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing the story theme | The organisation decides, often to fill a gap in its work or funding bid. | The community decides what's worth telling. Find funding to allow for this openness. |
| Sharing the story | Staff or outside experts interpret people's stories. | People tell their own stories, in their chosen way. |
| Remuneration and credit | A thank you, a voucher, name in the small print. | Compensated in a genuinely helpful way for time and expertise, and credited clearly by name with people's consent. |
| Consent and ownership | A one-off consent form, and the organisation keeps everything. | Agreed use, ongoing consent, the right to withdraw, and copies returned. |
| Difficult truths | Racism and trauma is smoothed over, or trauma used for impact. | Space to name hard truths, alongside joy and everyday life. |
| Afterwards | The project ends and contact stops. | Stories go back to the community, and relationships are kept warm. Or end the project respectfully. Manage expectations at the outset. |
What honouring looks like in practice
Here are a few ways to get started.
Go to people before you start.
Ask the community what they want remembered before you settle on a theme. Treat memory as evidence. Oral histories, family photos, letters and recipes are as valid as the official file, and often more honest.
Agree the terms first.
Before anyone shares a story, ask people to tell you how it will be used, credited and stored, and how people can withdraw their consent. Put it in writing, in plain language. Budget to compensate people for their time and expertise. (August's issue on power sharing has more on this.)
Hold space for the whole story.
Expect discrimination to come up, and don't steer people away from those stories. Equally, don't reduce people to their trauma either. Leave room for joy and more positive aspects too.
Collaborate on sharing the story.
Make sure community members are involved in the curation of how their story will appear. Collaborate on a launch in the community first, not only in your building. Offer formats people can actually use: audio with transcripts, print, walking tours, in-person events.
Let it change what you do.
The real test of honouring a community is whether anything changes afterwards. Ask what the experience tells you about how you should work now, then embed it into ongoing practice. Explain to your colleagues and manager before you begin that this is a key part of the work.
Any questions about equitable research or storytelling? Get in touch.
Warmly,
Elma
P.S. Don't forget to sign up to my FREE LIVE webinar this Friday! Sign up here.