What does it mean to center marginalized voices, and how can I ensure I’m doing this in my activism and daily life?

Liberation Lessons: Actionable Advice for Radical Change A Weekly Paid Subscriber Bonus

Dear Liberators,

Centering marginalized voices is one of the most important steps we can take in our liberation work. It’s not just about listening—it’s about ensuring that those who have been historically silenced are leading the conversation and driving the change. But many of us wonder what this truly looks like in practice, and how we can ensure we’re doing it in a meaningful way, both in our activism and in our daily lives.

Before we can effectively center marginalized voices, we need to ask ourselves: Who is marginalized, and what does that mean within systems of whiteness? Whiteness, as a construct, operates as a hierarchy. Those who fall furthest from its constructed ideal—white, cisgender, heterosexual, Christian, able-bodied, and wealthy—are systematically pushed to the margins. Understanding who is marginalized means recognizing how systems of whiteness perpetuate privilege and exclusion, and knowing that oppression goes beyond race to include gender, sexuality, disability, and class, among others.

Centering marginalized voices requires intention, humility, and the willingness to step back so that others can step forward. It challenges us to reconsider whose voices hold power in our movements, our workplaces, and our communities—and what we can do to amplify those who have been pushed to the margins.

In this Liberation Lesson, we’ll dive into what it means to center marginalized voices and how to do so using the LIBERATE framework to guide us toward actionable, lasting change.