Allyship
Naina Makkad
WASHINGTON, D.C.—There’s a common misconception that in order to be an ally one must actively post on social media and engage in large amounts of political and social dialogue. It’s hard to describe what being an ally is because it really depends on the person. For me, allyship comes in the form of education - understanding that systems were created for few to succeed, despite pockets of success within the communities it was meant to fail. For my school, allyship comes in the form of students attempting to thrust each other out of that bubble and have hard conversations with those who have clearly benefited from systems designed for them. For my friends, allyship comes in the form of social media pages and educating themselves and others on inclusivity. I consider allyship a work in progress; unqualified, I can’t tell you what to do in order to be an ally, but I can give you some advice - a couple of things I picked up from learning to become a better ally.
#1: Unlearn before you change. DC is a stimulating place - uptight, fast-paced, we are always looking ahead. But, shaking off the past and moving on only works in moment to moment things - sports games, poor email grammar, stumbling words in your office meeting. Systemic issues require some look into the past in order to fix the future. The first step of allyship is always to unlearn your unconscious and conscious biases. At my school, we have created student-led groups in order to fix cultural issues that perpetuate racist behaviors and biases. My specific group targets the problem of community service. Our community service days often spend hours in majority BIPOC (1) neighborhoods without questioning why those neighborhoods potentially “need” our help; this is a prime candidate for two things: continued oppression and the white savior complex. Students, from these experiences, unconsciously learn that poorer neighborhoods consist of BIPOC and that their community service is “helping” these neighborhoods survive. This isn’t an easy fix, but you can start one person at a time, by using your knowledge to unlearn biases. Unlearning means pushing away stereotypes to find where social and government systems have been hurting normal, everyday people just like you and me. For my students in the community service groups, it’s educating them about how different communities have been affected by continued legal oppression and how our service may not even be helping the situation. For myself, it’s watching TV shows with the mind of an ally - recognizing token characters and when shows are playing off stereotypes. Let me tell you, it’s okay to watch an episode of your favorite TV show, but having a conscious mind while you are watching will only make sure that your mind isn't unconsciously absorbing that information.
#2: Don’t be performative - it’s not helping. Recently, Mayor Muriel Bowser of DC renamed the square outside the White House, the Black Lives Matter plaza, painting Black Lives Matter across the street like many other cities. That action represented a person who is an ally to a marginalized community and against police brutality. However, her actions in City Council meetings later that week proved differently. She slowed down police reform bills and defended police from using body-cams, reporting serious uses of force, and officers’ names. According to a Washington Post article, Mayor Bowser was not on the side of communities before the killing of George Floyd either. She had introduced a new budget proposal that increased police funding and reduced funding for community programs - the opposite proposition of the Black Lives Matter movement. This, my friends, is called performative allyship. (2) Your actions are more important than your active Instagram reposts and hashtags. Voting, signing petitions, donating to campaigns, boycotting companies, supporting local business - these are ways in which you as an individual can actively help communities. Learn from Mayor Bowser’s mistakes; don’t let your posing with the BLM square be the farthest you take your journey in allyship.
#3: Take Breaks. The point of allyship is not to carry the world’s weight on your shoulders; so, it’s okay to focus on all the positives. Your only priority when becoming an ally is to keep bursting your bubble every once in a while. At my institution in Maryland, we have been thrust out of our bubble in the past months both through social media and curriculum. In school, all seniors were assigned to read Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisis Coates and This Book is Anti-Racist by Tiffany Jewell (which are both awesome reads by the way!). For someone who has been kept in a bubble for a long time, it’s hard to adjust to living almost a dual life. To you I say, relax and make it a part of your day to be an active ally. Put aside time to do research and time to lie in bed with no thoughts floating through your head. Take care of yourself so you can take care of others too!
The last thing I’ll leave you with is this: it’s impossible to know and care about everything. It’s hard not to get overwhelmed with the number of things that are happening in this world. Sooner or later, you will find that most issues connect with each other, but science proves that only one variable can be changed at a time to ensure results. Basically, I’m saying that there are 7.6 billion people on this Earth, so let other people take some of the load; choose things that you are passionate about, and stick to them. Allyship is a different journey for everyone, so take your own road; use what you are already passionate about to guide you, and take a break once in a while.
(1) - Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
(2) - When someone from a non marginalized group professes support and solidarity for a marginalized group in a way that doesn’t help or even harms the marginalized group. (forge.medium.com)