Becoming An Ally

Summary

The article "Becoming An Ally — Part 3" discusses the importance of taking action to support racial justice and equality, emphasizing personal responsibility and the various ways one can contribute to the cause.

Abstract

In the third installment of a series on allyship, the author emphasizes the transition from learning about racial injustice to actively engaging in supportive actions. The article suggests that while learning is a continuous and crucial process, it is essential to translate knowledge into meaningful actions. The author, a white man, shares his journey of becoming more sensitive to racial issues and outlines specific steps individuals can take, such as supporting Black voices, leaders, and associations through donations and amplification of their messages. The article provides a list of Black writers on Medium to follow, encourages participation in community initiatives, and suggests simple daily actions like adding social justice links to email signatures. It acknowledges the potential for mistakes but stresses the importance of trying and improving over time. The author also reflects on the challenges of influencing others to become allies and advocates for internal change and external action.

Opinions

The author believes that learning about racial issues is just the beginning and that one must move beyond knowledge to take action.
He emphasizes the personal nature of the allyship journey, recognizing that actions will vary for each individual.
The author advocates for supporting Black voices and leaders, listing several associations and writers that deserve attention and support.
He suggests that even simple actions, such as sharing messages or participating in local community events, can contribute to the cause.
The author introduces "The Ally Nudge" as a resource for those looking to learn how to become an ally through text messages.
He expresses a belief in influence over confrontation, aiming to guide others towards reconsidering their preconceptions.
The author encourages the use of email signatures as a platform for promoting social justice causes.
He acknowledges the potential for making mistakes along the journey of allyship but maintains that the effort to improve is crucial.
The author is committed to persistence in allyship efforts, despite the challenges and recognizes that this is a lifelong learning and action process.

ACT

Learning is a good place to start, but it is never-ending and, at some point, one has to do something. As a white man who has become more sensitive to the issue and wants to do something about it, what can I do? The answer will vary for each, as this is a very personal journey. It is all too easy to make regretful mistakes or meaningless actions but we have to try and we can improve over time.

At this stage, I find that the best thing I can do is support Black voices, leaders, and associations.

Here are some associations that would welcome your donation and support:

Here are some writers you can follow on Medium (the description comes from their respective profile, when available, with occasionl minor edits for concision), in alphabetical order:

Adrienne Samuels Gibbs: At Medium: Deputy Editor

Ayodeji Awosika

Barack Obama: Dad, husband, President, citizen.

Bonsu Thompson: Writer, producer, Brooklynite and 2019 Sundance Screenwriters Lab fellow

Carvell Wallace: Pro-black, pro-queer everything | he/him |The Sixth Man| i’m cut in half pretty bad

Charlene Carruthers: Author, strategist and cultural worker

Deborah L. Plummer, PhD: psychologist, author, and speaker on topics central to equity, inclusion, and how to turn us and them into we.

Keith Nelson Jr.: Writer by fate, journalist by passion.

Matthew Prince: Writer that’s trying to understand the world. Write about psychology, social justice and everything else.

Michael Hunter MD: I have degrees from Harvard, Yale, and Penn. I am a radiation oncologist in the Seattle area.

Michelle Elizabeth: MFA|Essayist| Author

Rebecca Stevens A.: I write about racism, but there are so many other things I would like to write about instead. Help me dismantle racism so that I can get to that.

Rejoice Denhere: Editor of Vital World Online

Ron Dawson: Content marketer. Satirical author. Opinions my own & (mostly) correct.

Samantha Divine: Writer and war survivor from Liberia, West Africa. Engages readers intellectually and emotionally.

Shanel Pouatcha: GenZ Student interested in all things redefining humanity — Science|Tech|Startups|Pop Culture|Society

Sharon Hurley Hall: Pro writer (B2B/B2C). Antiracism writer. Co-host: Introvert Sisters podcast. Global citizen. She/her.

Steve QJ: mainly write about meditation, content creation and personal development.

Tressie McMillan Cottom: Sociologist. Writer. Professor. MacArthur Fellow.

William Spivey: Writer, poet, wannabe philosopher.

These are just a few of an ever-growing list of Black voices I have noticed along the way. The point is: there is no excuse for not hearing these voices. Listen, read, share messages around you, leverage the variety of perspectives to sharpen your understanding, provide your support appropriately.

Beyond these simple actions, we can keep our mind alert to identify new opportunities and ideas.

For example, I came across The Ally Nudge by Dr. Akilah Cadet, which is a simple and efficient way to learn how to become an ally through text messages in one month. Give it a try, share it around (and if you’re hesitant to try it because of its $5 fee, reach out to me, I’ll be happy to purchase a few)

Look around for opportunities in your community. For example, I found that my kids’ school district organized a virtual town hall with the local Black Parents Association. This was an opportunity to hear directly from Black parents about the challenges they face in our community and what we can do to address them.

Also, once you’re convinced that you want to become an ally, there’s the question of how to influence those around you who prefer to remain silent (if not defensive or worse). I do not believe in breaking up with or “canceling” those we do not agree with (unless it becomes toxic beyond repair). But I also do not believe I can change anybody’s mind. Real change comes from within. That’s why I prefer to talk about influence, finding ways to shift focus, to provide some guidance towards things that might help others to identify and reconsider preconceptions.

For instance, many people add a favorite quote to their email signature. How about using this space to promote social justice, something like:

This goes out automatically to your email recipients, who may ignore it, but maybe not. It’s another simple way to highlight and spread the message across. If you have other ideas you like to share, please reach out to me or respond to this article with your suggestion.

I hope this article shows there are many ways, some of them very easy, to do something new, something different, to take you a little bit outside of your routine activities and contribute, in your own way, to social justice.

With persistence, maybe you and I can indeed become an ally. I am not an expert and I only recently started on this journey. This is not always easy or straightforward, and in the last article of this series, I will describe some of the main challenges I have faced so far.