What if social justice work could be energizing instead of draining? How can activists create movements that prioritize both justice and joy?
In her book Pleasure Activism, adrienne maree brown presents a fresh approach to social justice work by centering joy and satisfaction. Her framework shows how individuals, communities, and organizations can transform their activism into a sustainable, fulfilling practice that nourishes everyone involved.
Read on to discover practical ways to infuse more pleasure into your social justice work while making a lasting impact.
Social Justice Work Reimagined
Pleasure activism is a framework that reimagines social justice work through the lens of what brings us joy and satisfaction. We’ll explore how to implement pleasure activism at multiple levels—from personal practice to organizational change—creating movements that sustain both social justice work and the people doing it.
Start With You
Begin your journey of pleasure activism by focusing on your personal experience of joy and satisfaction. brown encourages building a mindful connection with what truly brings you joy and satisfaction. To develop this awareness, start with simple practices: meditate regularly, keep a journal documenting moments of pleasure, and intentionally place objects that spark happiness in your living and working spaces. Also, connect with your body’s experience of pleasure through physical practices such as walking meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, mindful stretching, and body scanning exercises.
(Shortform note: Research suggests that being more present and attuned to your feelings and desires can increase your capacity for pleasure. For example, studies have shown that people who pay close attention to sensory experiences, such as the taste of food or the feeling of lying down in their bed after a long day, report more pleasure than those who are distracted. When people accept and remain open to their moment-to-moment experiences, they tend to notice and appreciate more positive aspects of their environment and internal sensations.)
Build Joyful Communities
brown says that, when you share joy with others, those feelings grow even stronger. Building networks of supportive friends and neighbors creates spaces where everyone can be themselves. By having open conversations about both joy and pain, and celebrating each other’s moments of happiness, you weave resilient relationships that enrich your entire community.
(Shortform note: Research supports brown’s idea that talking about our joy with others intensifies our positive feelings. Research also shows that people enjoy activities more when doing them together rather than alone. This happens in two ways: First, we naturally mirror each other’s emotions, and second, sharing creates a sense of belonging that improves our well-being. Looking at the bigger picture, the broaden-and-build theory explains how this works over time: Shared good experiences strengthen our relationships, which leads to more opportunities for joy with others.)
Change Organizational Culture
Social justice organizations can become more effective by making well-being central to their work. When organizations create space for joy and connection, they strengthen both their impact and their sustainability. This is because people who feel connected and energized do better work. As such, brown recommends that organizers weave activities that bring people together—such as dance breaks, collaborative art projects, and team-building exercises—into staff meetings and organizing sessions. These practices aren’t just add-ons; they’re essential tools that build the relationships and resilience needed for long-term social change.
(Shortform note: Relationship-building is not a one-size-fits-all approach, particularly for neurodivergent people who may experience social interactions and group dynamics differently. Some people might find traditional team-building activities overwhelming or ineffective for fostering genuine connection. Organizations committed to inclusive well-being must create multiple pathways for building relationships and community, recognizing that connection can take many forms—from quiet partnership on shared projects to structured one-on-one conversations. This flexibility allows each person to engage in ways that align with their needs and preferences while still contributing to the collective strength of the movement.)
The physical environment people are working in plays a crucial role in this cultural shift, argues brown. Movement spaces—from community centers to campaign offices—can be redesigned to encourage joy through thoughtful elements such as comfortable seating areas, accessible art supplies, music stations, and open spaces for movement and gathering.
(Shortform note: Interior architect Ilse Crawford agrees that the design of a space has the power to shape our feelings, behaviors, and values. In her work, she tries to create environments that prioritize human well-being by focusing on functionality and emotional resonance. For example, she makes careful choices about lighting, materials, and layout that make spaces feel welcoming and comfortable. When social justice organizations put similar thought into how their spaces are designed, they can cultivate an atmosphere where people can thrive.)
brown also stresses that activist organizations need concrete policies and resources to actively combat burnout in social justice work communities. These might include mandatory rest periods after major actions, regular retreat days, and dedicated budget lines for collective care. This care could take various forms, such as accessing movement therapists, maintaining art supply stations, or establishing celebration funds for community victories.
| The Challenge of Combatting Burnout in Underresourced Organizations The WHO defines burnout as a combination of emotional exhaustion, mental distance from work, and reduced professional efficacy. In organizations with insufficient staff and funding, burnout creates a vicious cycle: Staff shortages increase individual workloads, leading to burnout, which in turn reduces productivity and increases turnover rates, further depleting the workforce and budget. However, organizations can combat burnout without major budget increases. For example, job crafting, where employees restructure their daily tasks and relationships to match their strengths and interests, can improve employee satisfaction and minimize burnout. Managers can also proactively protect employee time—for example, by designating four to six hours weekly of uninterrupted work time, creating weekly task prioritization checklists, and having clear boundaries for after-hours communication. |
brown adds that when evaluating organizational impact, leaders should expand their metrics beyond traditional measures of success. Key metrics might include:
- Do our members feel energized after participating in actions?
- How strong are the relationships between team members?
- Is our work sustainable for the long-term?
By prioritizing these human-centered metrics alongside other goals, organizations can build movements that are both effective and sustainable.
(Shortform note: Measuring organizational success more holistically requires funders to adapt their expectations. Organizations typically track quantifiable metrics such as financial performance and growth in numbers served, as funders seek clear outcomes to justify their investments. While these metrics matter, incorporating human-centered indicators such as team energy and relationship strength reveals a fuller picture of organizational health and lasting impact. By embracing both quantitative and qualitative measures, funders and organizations can better evaluate the long-term sustainability of an organization.)
Make Justice Feel Good
The ultimate goal of pleasure activism, as brown teaches, is to make justice and liberation feel good. She argues that through intentional practice—from individual action to community organizing to society-wide movements—you can create movements and communities that sustain both the work and the workers, transforming not just what you do but how you do it. By embracing pleasure as a measure of success, you open new possibilities for both personal and social transformation. She reminds us that the path to justice can and should be filled with joy, making movements more sustainable, effective, and truly liberating for everyone.
(Shortform note: Rebecca Solnit, author of Hope in the Dark, argues that hope is just as important as pleasure for activists. She emphasizes that transformative movements succeed when they focus on finding and creating alternatives rather than simply fighting against what exists. Organizing around positive visions—for example, by building community gardens instead of just opposing development, or by creating mutual aid networks instead of only protesting inequality—enables activists to generate tangible examples of the world they want to see. Like pleasure, hope emerges from this constructive work, sustaining movements by showing that change is possible through what people create together.)
Exercise: Find Pleasure in Activism
Reflect on your current engagement with social justice and activism and how you can incorporate pleasure into these activities.
- Think about your involvement in social justice work. What forms does your activism currently take? This might look like organized activism (protests, campaigns, advocacy), community work (mutual aid, volunteering, support), or personal actions (donation, education, conversations, or daily choices).
- Consider a challenging aspect of your activism. What specifically feels draining? When do you notice yourself losing energy?
- Now, think of a time you felt energized while doing activism. What made that moment different?
- Create your pleasure activism intention: What is one specific way you’ll bring more joy into your social justice work this week?
