Othering, Belonging, and Targeted Universalism

One of the people who’s really shaped the way I think over the last seven years is john a. powell. He’s a well-known expert on civil rights, racism, poverty, housing, and democracy. He leads the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, where smart people from different fields work together to break down barriers and build a more fair, inclusive world.

So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I found out that he wrote a recommendation for my book. (More on that in a second.)

What first caught my attention in his work was this powerful idea of “othering and belonging.” At its heart, it’s about seeing belonging like a growing circle—one that keeps expanding to include more people, recognizing everyone’s dignity and humanity. Instead of treating life like a competition where only some can win, belonging says, “Let’s make space for everyone’s stories and strengths.” When we do that, we build stronger communities where people can truly thrive together.

But what’s really stuck with me in recent years is another idea from his work: targeted universalism.

That might sound like a mouthful, but here’s the basic idea—it means we set big, shared goals for everyone, but we use different strategies to help different groups reach those goals. Why? Because people are in different situations, and a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t actually work for everyone.

With targeted universalism, we can build programs and policies that lift everyone up—whether they’re part of a group that’s often left out or one that already has power. And the best part? It helps us talk about these efforts in a way that brings people together, instead of dividing them.

To me, this approach feels like a smart and hopeful path forward for how we make progress together.

Oh—and like I said earlier, john wrote a glowing endorsement of my book. Here’s what he had to say:

“Shamichael gives us the tools to view libraries through a communal lens, and to understand the impact they can have on our local economies, public health and way of life,” said powell. “It’s a vision that seeks to transform these historically exclusive spaces into places where everyone belongs.”

john and his team featured me in their latest newsletter and I got to tell the story of how seeing my wheelchair-bound father navigate the relatively inaccessible built environment in a time before the American with Disabilities Act. You can read the full story here: https://belonging.berkeley.edu/impact-story-how-libraries-can-serve-places-belonging