Must We Continue to Bleed in Order to Lead?
Leadership in social justice movements often comes from those most impacted by the systems of oppression we seek to dismantle. Yet, too often, those very individuals are asked to carry the burden of leadership without the care and support they need to thrive. This reality has led to a profound question: How can we ask people to lead without asking them to bleed again?
This question speaks to the heart of the problem: The systems that oppress us also demand our labor, our emotional energy, and our resilience — without offering the protection and support we deserve. Marginalized people, already carrying deep wounds from these systems, are repeatedly asked to lead and to be the ones to change the world. But without the right support, leadership becomes another burden, another form of extraction that takes their pain for someone else’s progress.
For those who have lived through the trauma of addiction, incarceration, poverty, or violence, leadership does not come without cost. Often, we are asked to serve as the spokespersons for our communities, to share our most painful and personal experiences in the name of progress. But re-traumatizing people in the name of movement-building not only undermines the healing process — it perpetuates the very systems of harm that we’re fighting against.
It’s essential that we understand leadership without support is not leadership at all. It’s exploitation. The voices of those most impacted by injustice should be lifted, but they should not be the ones left carrying the entire load without community care. Instead of demanding strength from those who have already been broken, we must ask: What does it look like to truly protect and support the leaders who come from our most marginalized communities?
The foundation of empowering marginalized leaders lies in choice, not pressure; safety, not exposure; and support, not demands. Real empowerment is about creating spaces where individuals can lead without being coerced into taking on roles that re-traumatize them. It’s about offering the time, resources, and emotional care needed for them to thrive, not just survive.
To support marginalized leadership means not just asking people to share their stories, but giving them the tools to process and heal from the trauma those stories carry. It’s about creating environments that are not only inclusive but also transformative. The work is not about extraction — it’s about collaboration and sustainable, shared growth.
We must be vigilant in ensuring that our leaders — the ones who have the most to lose in a broken system — are protected and nourished by the community they are called to lead. We can do this by recognizing that their humanity is not a resource to be consumed but a wellspring of wisdom that we should nurture and respect.
This responsibility extends beyond just the individual. It is the collective’s job to ensure that leaders have the support they need to succeed. Communities must come together to create environments where those leading the charge can rest, heal, and grow. Leadership can’t be just about pushing people to the front; it must be about ensuring that those in leadership positions are given the time and resources to recover from the emotional labor they carry.
Moreover, we need to recognize that leadership is not a single moment, but a process. It’s ongoing, evolving, and complex. For marginalized leaders, this process is complicated by the intersection of various forms of oppression — racial, economic, gender-based, and more. A movement that truly seeks justice must acknowledge the full humanity of its leaders, offering them a chance to lead on their terms and in a way that doesn’t require them to sacrifice their well-being.
To lead without retraumatizing or harming those most impacted by systemic oppression, we must commit to reshaping the way we view leadership. Leadership is not about perfection or carrying the weight of the world alone. It’s about collaboration, care, and an unwavering commitment to justice that centers those who have been silenced and oppressed.
Real empowerment means trusting marginalized people to lead on their own terms, with the care and respect they deserve. It requires us to listen, to hold space for their healing, and to ensure that they are not left alone to carry the weight of an entire movement. This isn’t just about social justice work — it’s about humanity.
As we fight for a world that is more just, we must prioritize the healing and empowerment of those most harmed by the systems we aim to change. We need to create communities where leadership is not a burden, but a shared responsibility. If we are to dismantle the systems that oppress us, we must first build up the leaders who have been most affected by those very systems, ensuring that their voices are not only heard but supported.
It is time to protect those who lead, to uplift them with care, and to center their healing in our movement. Because true leadership cannot exist without true protection. Let us take the time to build a future where no one is asked to bleed even more for the cause — only to heal, grow, and lead in solidarity.
