Let’s Get to Know Each Other: Building Community Together

You know a lot about me—now it’s your turn! Let’s deepen our connection.

Why I Want to Know My Audience

Getting to know you (singing Getting To Know You from the King and I) is just as important as sharing my own journey.

As many of you know, I’ve shared so much of my story, my work, and my vision with you in this space. But as we dive deeper into the work of decolonization, healing, and liberation, I want to make sure this space isn’t just about me. It’s about us—together.

In a world where parasocial relationships often form one-sided bonds, I want to break that mold. Parasocial dynamics—where one person shares and the other consumes—can reinforce isolation, even when we feel connected. I want to create something that goes beyond this. My goal is to build a space where community is reciprocal, where we learn from and support each other, and where your stories and experiences are as central as mine.

By getting to know more about you—what lights you up, what challenges you’re facing, what your dreams are—I can better shape this community to serve all of us. This isn’t just about engagement metrics or numbers; it’s about building lasting relationships that span beyond the digital space and connect people with resources, networks, and, most importantly, each other.

Breaking the Pillars of Supremacy Culture

This desire to know more about you and create reciprocal relationships is part of breaking down supremacy culture. There are three specific pillars that I believe we are disrupting by building this kind of community:

1. Power Hoarding
   Supremacy culture thrives when power is concentrated in the hands of a few. In many online spaces, the creator holds the power, dictating the flow of conversation, the topics, and the engagement. But I want to flip this dynamic. This community isn’t about me hoarding the power to share knowledge—it’s about co-creating a space where we can all contribute, learn, and grow together. By asking you to share more about yourselves, I’m intentionally redistributing the power and fostering a space where everyone’s voice matters.

2. Individualism
   One of the core pillars of supremacy culture is the focus on individual achievement and independence. It tells us that we should be self-sufficient, disconnected, and concerned only with our own success. But true liberation happens in community, where we recognize our interdependence and collective strength. By getting to know each of you, I’m not just collecting information—I’m building bridges. My hope is that this space can become a web of support, where we rely on each other and grow together, rather than alone.

3. Worship of the Written Word
   Supremacy culture often elevates written communication as the most valid form of knowledge, sidelining lived experiences, oral traditions, and relational ways of knowing. While this platform is written, the truth is, your lived experiences matter just as much, if not more, than any article I can write. By learning more about what’s happening in your lives, your communities, and your activism, I can shape my content to be more aligned with where you are. It’s not just about the words on the page—it’s about the lives we’re living beyond the text.

Creating a Community That Lasts

I believe in creating a space that’s not just a one-way street. As I share more of myself with you, I’m eager to learn more about you. It’s through knowing each other—our struggles, our victories, our dreams—that we build a community that isn’t just fleeting, but one that lasts. One that sustains us in this work of liberation, healing, and decolonization.

So, I look forward to hearing from you and building deeper, more meaningful connections. Because that’s what community is about: showing up for each other, learning together, and creating change that lasts.

In solidarity and liberation,
Desireé B Stephens

Here is a Jot Form for Getting to know you if you’d like to go more in-depth or find more ease in that: https://form.jotform.com/242676774256166

Thank you for sharing more about yourself! Every role, passion, and focus brings something unique to this community. I’m excited to continue building a space that reflects all of who we are, together.