What Might Be: Navigating Paradox in Creating Microspaces of Justice

What if the institutions we rely on—our workplaces, schools, and legal systems—aren't built for full participation? And what if real change starts not from the top, but in small, intentional spaces we create ourselves? In this episode Heidi Brooks and legal scholar and change-maker Susan Sturm explore the paradoxes of institutional transformation, and how facing uncertainty–rather than seeking to eliminate it–can create new possibilities for participation, collaboration and justice.

Drawing from her new book, What Might Be: How Universities and Other Institutions Can Change, Susan shares how we can confront the tensions within our systems—between power and powerlessness, justice and exclusion, certainty and humility—without rushing to resolve them. Through personal stories and deep insights, she introduces the concept of micro spaces of justice—small but intentional environments where people model the institutional change they wish to see. These spaces, she argues, offer a path forward amid today's polarization and institutional inertia.

This episode invites listeners to rethink their role in shaping institutions, reimagining power, and embracing paradox as a source of transformation. Listen now and join the conversation on what might be possible.

Learning Through Experience is produced through the Yale School of Management. What resonates with you about this conversation? We'd love to hear from you—reach out to LTEpodcast@yale.edu. And subscribe to the monthly LinkedIn newsletter for additional insights and reflections about episode topics and questions to ponder.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Resources 📘 Susan Sturm's book: What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions(Princeton University Press, 2025). Explore Susan's vision for full participation and the paradoxes at the heart of institutional change.

🎭 Theater of Change at Columbia Law School

Based on a methodology developed by Susan Sturm, Theater of Change is a collaboration between the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and Columbia Law School, bringing together law students, artists, and directly impacted individuals to co-create justice through performance and policy.

📝 Essay: "Paradoxical Possibility: Embracing Anti-Racism Contradictions"

A compelling companion essay to What Might Be, Susan Sturm offers further insight into navigating paradox in the pursuit of justice.

Show Notes & Key Moments 2:15 – Holding Contradictions: Beauty, Tragedy and Institutional Change

A photograph of 9/11 memorial candles sparks a key theme: learning to sit with paradox. "I find myself in spaces of contradiction all the time. The challenge is learning how to be in both places at once."