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With marginalized groups being subject to racism and inequality all across the globe, it is very important to stand alongside these oppressed communities and help advocate for the victims of these injustices. Speaking up is crucial to evoking universal change and ensuring equality for all, which is why allyship is a necessary element to bringing forth positive change. In this article, you will learn 5 principal ways to be a REAL ally. However, before we get into that, you should know what an ally is in the first place! An ally is someone who is not a part of an underrepresented group but continues to advocate for that group in order to create change within the world. If you want to be an ally or are looking to be a better one, it is important to remember these 5 things:
1. Educate Yourself
To be an ally, it is extremely important to enhance your knowledge on what is going on in the world. It is essential to understand the structural power imbalance and educate yourself on how you play a role in it. You also need to educate yourself on what the Black community is fighting for and why. With that being said, research is something that has to be done individually. You cannot depend on your Black peers to do the work for you. They are not obligated to educate you, and it is unrealistic to assume that they have all the answers in the first place. Racism is an extremely sensitive topic, and opening up about it is sharing one’s trauma. Knowing that, it is insensitive to expect that all of your Black friends will be willing to share their trauma as a means to educate you. It is your job to do the research.
2. Actively Listen and Amplify
Actively listening and amplifying Black voices is necessary when it comes to supporting the Black community. Actively listening to Black voices can look like engaging in opinionated discussions on the issues that are happening to their community or listening to their experiences with racism and other things that negatively impact the Black community. When listening, avoid overshadowing Black voices and take this opportunity to actively listen and learn. Black voices are constantly being silenced, which is why as an ally you can use the privilege that you have to amplify Black voices. Amplifying Black voices is about empowering Black voices. Amplifying Black voices can look like sharing a poem a Black person wrote, recommending a book you read that a Black person wrote and sharing Black individuals’ experiences in ways that can bring attention to their struggles. There are so many things you can do to amplify Black voices, but you have to take action.
3. Speak Up!
As an ally, take action by speaking up within your circle. Start meaningful conversations amongst your non-black peers, and call out those around you who have made racist or harmful remarks against the Black community. Despite how uncomfortable it may be when addressing these circumstances, it is important to put your own comfort aside to do the right thing. You need to get comfortable with getting uncomfortable in order to create change. By staying silent when these situations occur, you are allowing and subconsciously accepting racist behaviour. Being silent is being neutral to racism, which only helps the oppressor and makes you just as responsible for perpetuating racism.
“The silence of good people is more dangerous than the brutality of bad people”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
4. Spread Awareness
Spreading awareness and inspiring those around you to take action is a crucial part of bringing change. Taking action comes in various forms. Whether it be through sharing articles of information to the people around you, creating clubs that amplify black voices and bring attention to black issues, creating or sharing petitions pertaining to black people, donating or sharing donations to black victim’s families, or using your social media platform to spread awareness through links. There are many different ways you can take action, however, it is important not to fall into the trap of performative activism, also known as slacktivism. Performative activism is “activism done to increase one's social capital rather than because of one's devotion to a cause”, and it does not equate to genuine allyship.
5. Embrace Criticism
As an ally, you need to remember that you are not exempt from any criticism that is given to you. At common times, we see people overly confident in their allyship, so when a Black person expresses their concern pertaining to something they might have done, they react in defensiveness rather than reflecting and apologizing. You are allowed to make mistakes, however, the problem arises when you cannot admit what you’ve done, or try to justify your actions in defensiveness and white fragility. Welcoming and accepting criticism will only make you learn and grow as an ally and an overall person. Do not act on defensiveness or white fragility/guilt. It is counterproductive; you are hurting the community that you are trying to help.
These 5 points are very important when it comes to being an active ally. Remember, unity ignites change, and positive change is what we need to ensure a world safe for everyone!
If you need a place to start your research, here are some good places to start:
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