HCG Book Reflections*: What It Takes to Heal by Prentis Hemphill

It is not often that I come across a book that is at once beautifully written (though prose, it reads poetically at times), prescient in its understanding of what we need right now, and as evenly honest in analysis as it is bold in vision. Admittedly, I have been a fan of Prentis Hemphill (they/them) for some time and this book is a gorgeous amalgam of their work. I did not realize how thirsty I was for this piece, but I consumed it like water in the desert. The clarity and confidence in its telling render this book a lamp, lighting a way in exactly the moment we need it most. Rather than offering a tome of praise I will simply highlight a handful of the many powerful points and encourage you to explore on your own the remaining lessons this book has to offer.

Joy and depth/Truth and hope

The last decade has been difficult for visionaries, who are sometimes written off as too simplistic by those seeking social justice or dismissed out of hand by those beholden to the status quo. In What it takes Prentis sidesteps those reactions by deftly balancing joy, lightness and imagination with depth, gravitas and a groundedness borne out of years in the struggle. I appreciate the recurrence of this ebb and flow throughout the book because it speaks such truth – we can never let go of the vision we hold for a better tomorrow, for that is how we remember what we are working toward. But, too long in that space can lead to naiveté and superficial solutions. It takes a rooted vision to hold uncynical, pragmatic hope and Prentis has this in abundance.

I spent sometime recently with a colleague who is deeply committed to justice and liberation but cannot escape the easy temptation of cynicism and the outright dismissal of “the other side”. Admittedly, at times I have fallen into this fast but tenuous grasp at power by making the other “wrong” or an “enemy”. It takes an incredibly wise mind and equanimous heart to stay open to those who deeply disagree with you, and yet the divisions and derision we are currently facing call for nothing less. Thankfully, the principles of healing justice found in these pages are a vital tool in that effort. Bravely, Prentis also notes that we sometimes have painful confrontations inside of movement with folks who purport to have our same goals but whose actions belie that. Here again, healing justice work creates space to unflinchingly call people in, no matter how hard it is to do, while not casting them out of our circle. Both types of conversations require truth and hope. Far from toxic positivity, the hope in this book is hard won and has a wisdom about it that is impossible to debate or ignore.

Transitional characters

I also appreciated what Prentis refers to as transitional (in a podcast episode after the book was written but before it was released, Prentis referred to these as “transformational”)characters in our lives. I have had many such people, both known to me or people whose work I have followed from a distance. It is refreshing to hear Prentis recount the presence and impact of those individuals in their own life and in movement as a whole. It underscores who and what we can be for each other and the power of relationality in the quest for transformation. Weirdly, dominant ideologies can sometimes infiltrate organizing for change in ways that encourage individualism over collectivism by having us fawn over and elevate certain leaders rather than step into the light as a group of shared creators and doers. That is not this – rather than an unwelcome lifting up of single figureheads Prentis highlights the ways we influence each other and why, therefore, we can never discount the importance of having organizational spaces that take the time to develop connections and support structures of love, care and transformation.

Through-line from personal healing to social change

One of the least favorite elements of being a person working for social justice is the truism that we have to change ourselves in order to bring about the change we want to see in the world. I have read many authors advocate for personal change with a range of approaches, but none have done so with the love and tenderness that Prentis does in this book. The invitation to lean in, the identification that they too have had challenges with this process, and the broad highway they pave for the reader is testament to the grace they embody in their life. I found myself smiling a number of times saying “yes, okay, you are right, and I will lean into ___ aspect of my personal work”. Only someone who is both a skilled practitioner in healing work and has undertaken this deep work themselves could offer so clear and humble of an invitation.

As mentioned in the book, occasionally those on the front lines of social justice organizing dismiss healing work as soft, selfish, irrelevant or a diversion of much needed resources. Others may acknowledge that it is valuable but insist that it is “personal”work and does not have a place in change movements. In response, this book contends that “act now, heal later” has not worked, and is not only a less-than-effective organizing tactic, but also a false dichotomy that has the order of things reversed - working toward our individual healing changes how we participate in the collective work and offers new contours to our vision that were unavailable before. In order to do things differently, those doing them need to be different and thus healing justice work is central to all deep social, political and collective organizing.

Theoretical depth

The theoretical depth of this book is substantive. Prentis’ healing invocation is always connected to the conceptual alchemy found in black feminism, somatic theory, queer theory, gender justice theory, and racial justice activism and organizing (to name a few). Because I am a bit of a nerd there are a number of references I will follow up on, but the book’s intellectual heft never feels overly academic or clunky. The citations and suggested further readings are all right on time and consistently support the personal reflections and innovative thinkingPrentis is offering.

Developmental sequence for real change

It is tempting, as Prentis mentions at one point, to offer up “to do” lists or conversely wax philosophical when talking about healing and social justice issues, but this book expertly threads the needle between these poles by offering a strong developmental sequence and body of work to do supported by a depth of thought about the bigger questions (and answers) of life and liberation. Many of HCG’s clients are organizational leaders and might be tempted to dismiss the applicability of this piece to their day to day, but they do so at their organization’s peril because this sequence has the power to anchor them regardless of the size of the storm and guide them to effective social justice work. As such, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is committed to changing the world for the better, to making organizations more just and inclusive, and to being the change we all want to see each and every day.

*I call these“book reflections” because to “review” something implies that I am qualified enough in my own work and life process to viably critique, whereas a reflection affords me the opportunity to share what I see as some of its strengths while leaving plenty of room for other thoughts and reactions. I encourage you to read the book yourself and make your own determinations.

‍