HOW DO I ALLY?
How can I be an ally?
How do I ally?
There are many components of allyship. One of the most important things is that we follow the many Black leaders of the movement because they know what change is needed. We make change in ourselves and in our communities accordingly, and we speak up against racism. We take action and invest in Black communities. We educate ourselves about the history of our country and learn about the facts to inform ourselves about the pervasiveness of racism in our society today which exists in policy and daily interactions. It's 2020 and we have police who profusely use the n-word and speak about inciting violence against Black people (Time). “As Angela Davis said, "In a racist society, it's not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” We must call out racism or it won't go anywhere.
We are "regular people" activists.
You don't have to be a full-time activist to help make change. We can make change through various actions such as petitions, contacting officials, protesting, donating, and much more! Educating ourselves is a very important step. Another major step is having uncomfortable yet essential conversations with friends and family to phase out biases and assumptions. One of our most important responsibilities is to vote! Vote in local elections too!
Our efforts have been working! Click here to see some of the movement's progress powered by the people so far at the bottom of this page.
Follow Black Leaders!
It's so important to follow and listen to the Black people and organizations leading the movement. We amplify and center Black voices and don't speak over them. We are here to make the changes required in order to eliminate racism. We are humans and we will make mistakes, but what matters is that we learn and that we keep up the momentum. Ending racism won't be a sprint. It's a marathon that will take persistence.
ALLYSHIP
We're here to support Black people. In order to do so, whether you are committed to allyship or are just starting out on the anti-racism journey, here are some important concepts to be cognizant of:
ALLY IS A VERB
"Ally" is also a verb. Allyship is not merely verbalizing support but rather actively participating and calling out racism and discrimination. To ally is to take on the struggles of Black people, to do the work, to use our privilege as non-Black people in constructive manner, and much more. We have to be committed. With that said, we are not the heroes or saviors; we are here to end the issues that we have chosen to stop perpetuating.
RACISM
Racism takes many forms. Racism can be overt like abuse, slurs, using the N-word, etc. However, racism also takes the form of microaggressions, passivity, jokes, and discrimination. Although we may claim to be not racist, racism might remain in our subconscious. Racism and discrimination have been woven into virtually every aspect of life. Systemic Racism Video by act.tv. Racism diagram by @theconsciouskid. All Black people have different experiences, but here is Billy Hightower's article about his.
PRIVILEGE
We must acknowledge our privilege. Having privilege does not mean that we have not faced hardships or poverty. It means our race is not one of the things that makes our life harder. Privilege is woven into policy and practice. As non-Black people, we can use our privilege to help Black people. We can make the conscious choice to eliminate privilege through our actions.
Video by Peter D
LIFELONG ALLYSHIP
We are here to support Black folx for good. We might make mistakes along the way, but we will learn and grow from them. We can't just support when it's trendy. We must continue to listen to Black people and understand what they are asking from us. They can't reform a system that was built against them alone. It takes all of us helping to create change. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. Racism and inequality won't disappear overnight.
THE LANES OF ALLYSHIP
We don't shame other allies for not going to a protest, and we don't hold other allies to impossible standards. Some people will protest, some people will contact officials, some people will donate. There are many ways to be an ally. We're in it for the long haul, so know that there are many avenues of allyship, and we welcome new allies with a warm embrace. Do your best and encourage others to take action, but be respectful of others' and your own needs for self-care.
INTERSECTIONALITY
Just as all lives can't matter until Black lives matter, all Black lives matter. Feminism and LGBTQ+ rights are also central to the movement. Black people already must deal with the weight of systemic racism, and other identities add additional layers of discrimination and injustice. Black queer activists are a major reason why the movement exists today.
Hearing the Queer Roots of Black Lives Matter - David B. Green, Jr. on Medium
MENTAL ILLNESS AND DISABILITIES
A study in 2015 recorded all police killings in a year and found that approximately a quarter of those killed by police had signs of a mental illness (Washington Post). Another study found that 25% to 40% of those killed by police have a disability (Vox). We can't talk about police brutality without talking about mental illness and disabilities. People with mental illnesses and disabilities very much matter and are disproportionately affected by police violence.
GUILT
You're probably going to feel guilty as you learn more about racism. Even if we weren't here for slavery or Jim Crow laws, we are here now and we are currently allowing racism-enabling and racism-driven laws. Inaction is complicity. Guilt doesn't feel good, but it's the first step in acknowledging the problem and creating change. We can choose to stop enabling racism by fighting systems of oppression and supporting Black communities.
CHECKING OURSELVES
We're going to make mistakes. What's important is that we don't get defensive, we reflect, and then we grow. If you catch yourself being discriminatory, that's a learning moment. If a Black person corrects you or tells you something you said was hurtful, believe them, and grow from there. If your friends and family say something insensitive or incorrect, that's an important moment to say something about it.
WHITE FRAGILITY
This is about getting defensive in relation to racism, discrimination, etc. When we argue that we aren't part of the problem, we are silencing Black people. You're likely going to feel guilt about your privilege or about racism in any of its forms, but that's on us. We talk to Black people about our discomfort and guilt. It doesn't come close to comparing with what they have and continue to face.
PERFORMATIVE ACTIVISM
We aren't activists simply to show our friends that we're not racist. This isn't a trend. When you share on social media, make sure that what you are sharing is helpful information, a resource, or something else important to the movement. We are profound activists. We don't become defensive. Instead, we choose to learn from feedback. We change our course once we have learned something new. See this post by @leneasims
NON-OPTICAL ALLYSHIP
For Black people, vicious murders such as that of George Floyd are not new. Black people have to deal with the trauma of seeing violence against Black people too often. While you may want to share a video for others to see, it is triggering for Black people. Don't watch videos of Black people being murdered! Just believe Black people. It can be traumatizing for you too. See this post by @mireillecharper
SUPPORT BLACK PEOPLE
Black people are leading us in eradicating racism and systems of oppression. We see what they ask of us, and we take action and make changes to our daily lives accordingly. This section discusses some major things you should know when looking to support Black people.
Here is a guide to what to say to your Black friend(s) to present yourself as an ally: post by @glographics
Here is how to use your privilege to stop racism: post by @vibesofablackgirl
PROTESTS
The protests are working! New legislation is being written. Minneapolis dismantled its police department and is creating a community-led public safety program! Protests are a statement of objection, in this case to racism and systems and institutions that preserve racism. Whether a protest is peaceful or violent, it is a protest, not a riot. (External parties looting is a separate issue.) A peaceful protest is not better than a violent protest. Denouncing looting and violence is valuing property over someone's life. Most businesses have insurance. We don't get to have a say about how Black people "should" protest. Black people have tried protesting peacefully. When MLK led the peaceful march from Selma to Montgomery, when Colin Kaepernick kneeled, or with many other peaceful protests, we said that's not the right way to protest. Peaceful protest clearly hasn't worked because Black people are still being treated unjustly.
Author Kimberly Jones explains protesting, rioting, and looting - @theshaderoom
ANGER AND PAIN
Black people have a right to be angry about oppression stretching across four centuries. It's not our position to say how they feel or how they should feel. They are the ones experiencing the racism and the pain and frustration of watching Black people killed time and time again. If you have been shocked by the videos we have seen recently, try to imagine that kind of grief and trauma through your whole life. None of us will ever know what they feel - that's part of our privilege. But now its time to share that burden by supporting our fellow citizens.
REPARATIONS
Donating to Black organizations, businesses, and schools is not charity. It's not a handout. It's giving back to Black people what was stolen from them over the course of 400 years. Black people were the slaves of white people and considered to be property. Slaves performed work without pay and built the wealth of our country. White people profited off of it. Years of unjust policy also robbed Black people of wealth. We owe them. Reparations are the first step of giving back to the Black community what they deserve. It's building equality through investment in black communities. By investing in Black communities, we are also investing in our country. This investment will eventually boost our economy and reduce crime.
MICROAGGRESSIONS
What is a microaggression?
Watch this video to get started: video from Texas Casa
Here is an article that goes into more detail: article from Vox
Microaggressions, while they may seem harmless to us or just a joke, black people are affected by microaggressions to the point that it can cause trauma. This is a form of daily racism. You may very well be a good person, but good people are not immune to saying microaggressions. We must catch ourselves and catch each other in order to eliminate this type of pervasive racism.
Here are some examples of microaggressions and how they affect Black people: post 1 - @steph_shep post 2 - @mengwe
GASLIGHTING
What is gaslighting? Black people experience non-Black people telling or implying to them that their struggles do not exist or are not as bad as they say. As an ally, you may encounter people who will deny what you've learned or how you feel. These are examples of gaslighting. It's a form of manipulation to make someone doubt themselves, their feelings, their knowledge, their beliefs, etc. We have to believe Black people about their experience of being Black in America. Arguing that non-Black people are also impoverished and struggle a great deal is a form of gaslighting and an example of denying that racism adds an additional layer of systemic disadvantage to their lives.
Here are signs of gaslighting: article from Psychology Today
Here are examples of racial gaslighting: post by @ogorchukwuu
NON-BLACK, NON-INDIGENOUS AMERICAN POC
Even though we as POC have experienced things like racism, microaggressions, gaslighting, etc, that doesn't mean we don't hold internalized racism against Black people or that we aren't perpetuating it. Colorism is still an issue in many Asian, South Asian, and Latinx communities, and that contributes to discrimination against Black people. Many of us owe our citizenship to immigration acts that resulted from the protests and activism of Black people. Specifically for for people with Asian heritage, there exists the Model Minority myth. It started in 1943 with the Magnuson Act which permitted Chinese people to immigrate to America. Asian immigrants and Asian Americans are too often assumed to be the "good" and hardworking minorities. This concept is toxic for Black people. We are all human beings, and one minority group is not inherently better, smarter, or more hardworking than another. Here is a post by @cngooo about it.
Here is an article from NPR about the Model Minority myth.
PROGRESS
This is a movement and not a moment, however change is happening. Our actions and choices DO make an impact!
"Positive Change That's Come Out of the Protests" - @emmakumer
Minneapolis is replacing the police with community-led public safety - @aclu_nationwide
"Reps. Pressley, Amash Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to End Qualified Immunity" - house.gov
A Thread of Positive Change, All Thanks to You - @shityoushouldcareabout
MORE KEY TERMS
ASSIMILATION
"The process of adapting or adjusting to the culture of a group or nation, or the state of being so adapted" (Dictionary.com). Black people are often either pressured or outright told to in some way or another to "tone down their Blackness." Many Black people may opt to dilute their personality, their culture, their language, etc in order to fit in with the status quo. Dominique Johnson has written an article on this topic (Thought Catalog).
BLACK (WITH A CAPITAL B)
Many are advocating for and changing to capitalizing the B in Black in reference to Black people. The Associated Press made this shift and wrote "the change conveys 'an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa,' John Daniszewski, AP’s vice president of standards, said in a blog post Friday. 'The lowercase black is a color, not a person'” (Associated Press).
CODE-SWITCHING
"The use of one dialect, register, accent, or language variety over another depending on social or cultural context, to project a specific identity" (Dictionary.com). This term was introduced in 1954 and can describe how Black people switch between Standard American English and African American Vernacular English depending on the audience, often to avoid language-based discrimination (AT McWilliams, The Guardian). See more on the Black Culture page.