There has been a lot of discussion surround "white allies" and "white allyship". Most of the mainstream discussions about the topic do not really take into account what people of color need in an ally. This is one woman of color 's take on what White people need to do if they want to be an effective, anti-racist ally.
Step 1: Acknowledge that Being White Gives You A Distinct & Tangible Advantage!
Before a White person can even consider joining the fight for the liberation of Black people or any other racial or ethnic minority, that individual must acknowledge that because our society is rooted in White Supremacy and the belief that people of color are inferior, being White is a distinct and tangible advantage.
When racial and ethnic minorities …show more content…
Society has spread the misconception that we are living in a post racial society and that whenever accusations of racism arise in 2016 it is simply Black folks pulling "the race card". This is not true and do not let anyone tell you differently. Racism impacts every opportunity, or lack there of, presented to people of color and every decision people of color make. Obviously I am not picking cotton on a plantation is Alabama or Georgia as my ancestors did, but I have been subjected to racism countless times throughout my life. For example, I was forced to finish my senior year from home due to the hostile environment school became due to the retaliation I experienced at the hands of my former high school 's administration for speaking out about acts of racism, such as administrator 's calling Black students "colored" and confederate flags being allowed on campus, occurring within the school. Just because Africans are no longer being sold on an auction block or forced to work in plantations across the country, does not mean racism is over. Slavery evolves as time goes on, just like technology, medicine and everything else. The Equal Justice Initiative in collaboration with artist Molly Crabapple a video titled "Slavery to Mass Incarceration", visually expressing the progression of racism from slavery to the era of mass incarceration. One of the best things …show more content…
You are going to make racist comments, go about addressing racism in the wrong ways, accidentally speak over people of color instead of amplifying their voices, be made uncomfortable in discussions about Whiteness and so on. Do not think that because you have done any of the above steps or that because you have made it a priority to listen to people of color and are extremely careful about what you say and do that you will never make a mistake or fall back into racist behaviors. Being an ally does not mean that your implicit bias will disappear or that you will no longer feel racist impulses. We are trained to believe certain things about people of color to justify acts of racial hatred and violence and the fact that the United States is built on mass genocide, slavery and exploitation. We are trained to ignore the oppression of people of color in the U.S. and to be angry and respond violently whenever race is brought up. The major difference between just being a White person living in a society rooted in White supremacy and being a White ally living in a society rooted in White supremacy, is that now, you know better, you will change and you will help others see the error in their ways and help them to change as
Step 1: Acknowledge that Being White Gives You A Distinct & Tangible Advantage!
Before a White person can even consider joining the fight for the liberation of Black people or any other racial or ethnic minority, that individual must acknowledge that because our society is rooted in White Supremacy and the belief that people of color are inferior, being White is a distinct and tangible advantage.
When racial and ethnic minorities …show more content…
Society has spread the misconception that we are living in a post racial society and that whenever accusations of racism arise in 2016 it is simply Black folks pulling "the race card". This is not true and do not let anyone tell you differently. Racism impacts every opportunity, or lack there of, presented to people of color and every decision people of color make. Obviously I am not picking cotton on a plantation is Alabama or Georgia as my ancestors did, but I have been subjected to racism countless times throughout my life. For example, I was forced to finish my senior year from home due to the hostile environment school became due to the retaliation I experienced at the hands of my former high school 's administration for speaking out about acts of racism, such as administrator 's calling Black students "colored" and confederate flags being allowed on campus, occurring within the school. Just because Africans are no longer being sold on an auction block or forced to work in plantations across the country, does not mean racism is over. Slavery evolves as time goes on, just like technology, medicine and everything else. The Equal Justice Initiative in collaboration with artist Molly Crabapple a video titled "Slavery to Mass Incarceration", visually expressing the progression of racism from slavery to the era of mass incarceration. One of the best things …show more content…
You are going to make racist comments, go about addressing racism in the wrong ways, accidentally speak over people of color instead of amplifying their voices, be made uncomfortable in discussions about Whiteness and so on. Do not think that because you have done any of the above steps or that because you have made it a priority to listen to people of color and are extremely careful about what you say and do that you will never make a mistake or fall back into racist behaviors. Being an ally does not mean that your implicit bias will disappear or that you will no longer feel racist impulses. We are trained to believe certain things about people of color to justify acts of racial hatred and violence and the fact that the United States is built on mass genocide, slavery and exploitation. We are trained to ignore the oppression of people of color in the U.S. and to be angry and respond violently whenever race is brought up. The major difference between just being a White person living in a society rooted in White supremacy and being a White ally living in a society rooted in White supremacy, is that now, you know better, you will change and you will help others see the error in their ways and help them to change as