We know how to be racist. We know how to pretend to be not racist. Now let’s know how to be antiracist.– Ibram X. Kendi

AFTER WORKING THROUGH THIS MODULE, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO:

• Define the term “ally” and describe the characteristics of allyship.
• Describe alternatives to the term “ally” and summarize the dialogue around these terms.
• Distinguish between non-racist and anti-racist, and describe ways to engage in anti-racist work.

In previous modules, we have explored how racism has developed over several centuries and is now woven into every major system that structures daily life in the United States. Similarly, whiteness and white norms underlie major systems in our nation (see Module 10). Historically, it has been people of color who have pushed back most strongly against racism, racial injustice, and white privilege. However, for radical systemic change to occur, white people – who still hold the majority of institutional power within those systems – must join with people of color to demand change. In this module, we will explore two related concepts – allyship and anti-racism – that can help white people effectively and respectfully work for racial justice. We will also explore how recent discussion has advocated for moving beyond the “ally” language toward “accomplices” and “co-conspirators.”

ALLIES

Explore the resources below to answer these questions.

READ

What is allyship? Is ally a noun or a verb – or both? Read “Why ‘Ally’ is a Verb, Not a Noun” by Invictus Animus. Note – this post was written mainly about allyship to the LGBTQ+ community, but the ideas still apply to allyship in the racial justice arena.

Words matter. Lisa Hussey describes how research of racial issues and allyship in LIS is impacted by how white people can turn good intentions into preformative allyship in Don’t Call Yourself an Ally: Researching Racial Issues in LIS.

What does allyship look like in practice? Paul Kivel, author of Uprooting Racism: How White People Can Work for Social Justice, has published a set of guidelines for being a strong white ally. Read these guidelines and ask yourself how they might be translated into daily practice.

REFLECT

Racial justice activist and organizer Kayla Reed summarized her understanding of the term “Ally” in a 2016 tweet:

After reading the articles linked above and reflecting on Kayla Reed’s tweet, come up with your own short list of key characteristics or behaviors for allies.

REVIEW

In Module 10 (But Wait! section), we introduced the concept of being a “sidekick” instead of the “hero” when it comes to racial justice work. Professor Shawn Humphrey at the University of Mary Washington developed the sidekick concept and the accompanying manifesto¹ as part of the IMAGINE U Curriculum² project in the context of economic justice work. As Dr. Humphrey describes it, being a sidekick is similar to being an ally. Review the Racial Equity Sidekick Pledge. This pledge was adapted by Project READY staff from Dr. Humphrey’s original work.

Optional: If you would like to share concrete examples of how these commitments may play out for you in your own work, or ways in which you’ve seen others enact these commitments, visit the Project READY Module 14: Allies & Antiracism page and locate the Padlet under the Review heading.

FROM ALLIES TO ACCOMPLICES AND CO-CONSPIRATORS

Recently, some racial justice advocates have argued that what marginalized communities need is not allies so much as “accomplices” or “co-conspirators.” The argument in favor of this shift in language is based on the idea that “ally” can imply passively standing alongside someone or simply being generally supportive of their cause, where terms like accomplice and co-conspirator indicate a more active role in disrupting systems of inequality. In an article³ for Learning for Justice, Dr. Colleen Clemens summarizes the difference between ally and accomplice as follows:

“An ally will mostly engage in activism by standing with an individual or group in a marginalized community. An accomplice will focus more on dismantling the structures that oppress that individual or group—and such work will be directed by the stakeholders in the marginalized group. Simply, ally work focuses on individuals, and accomplice work focuses on the structures of decision-making agency.” (para. 4)

Explore the resources below, which offer additional perspectives on this terminology issue:

• Ally or co-conspirator: The third in a five part series, this video is a talk featuring Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, exploring some of the shortcomings of “allyship” and suggesting alternatives.
• Making The Transition from Ally to Co-conspirator: In this Medium article written “for white people, from a white person,” MJ Knittel discusses why and how white people who care about social justice should aim to be co-conspirators instead of allies.
• Feminista Jones doesn’t think you’re an ally: In this story from CBC Radio, activist and social worker Feminista Jones speaks frankly about why she doesn’t like the term “ally.” You can listen (15 minutes) to the story or read the transcript (~ 3 mins).
• If you have extra time, read the transcript for From Unaware to Accomplice: The Ally Continuum. In this episode of The Will to Change podcast series, Jennifer Brown presents an “ally continuum” that moves from unaware to accomplice and describes each step along the way. 

Many of the people advocating for a shift in language away from allyship note that the problem with “ally” is not so much in the original definition of the word, but rather in how its meaning has been diluted and misused by people who want to label themselves supportive of marginalized people without actually putting in the work to disrupt inequity. In other words, just like the term “racism,” the critical difference is in how these terms are defined and applied in our work. Reflect on this debate and ask yourself, which term do you prefer – ally, accomplice, co-conspirator, or some other term – and why?

ANTI-RACISM

Earlier in this curriculum, we explored the history of race and racism (Module 2) and how racism operates systemically (Module 5) to constrain the choices and opportunities of people of color in the United States. We’ve also discussed the idea that because racism operates systemically, no direct action is needed on the part of individual people to maintain it – a phenomenon that sociologist Eduardo Bonilla Silva calls “racism without racists⁴.”

To visualize this, imagine racism as a moving walkway (like those found in airports). The endpoint of this walkway is racial inequity and injustice. Some people consciously desire this endpoint and expend energy moving in the same direction as the walkway: they are actively racist.

via GIPHY

Most people are non-racist: they do not consciously desire racial injustice and do not seek to rush toward it. However, because our systems operate in ways that maintain racial inequality, non-racist people are still being carried along the same path as actively racist people, which will continue to lead to inequity and injustice.

via GIPHY

Anti-racist people see where the walkway is headed and actively work against the systems that lead to injustice. Being anti-racist is not passive, but instead requires constant effort. Because anti-racism works against the prevailing “current,” progress can seem slow or even nonexistent at times.

via GIPHY

WATCH

In the video below, author Marlon James describes the differences between non-racism and anti-racism in frank terms. (The transcript for this video can be located here.)

REFLECT

Based in part on Marlon James’s video, racial equity trainer Rina Campbell created a diagram, also pictured below, which shows how various forms of non-racism, from the individual to the systemic level, can be transformed into anti-racism:

Identify a non-racist belief or behavior that you currently hold or practice. Following Campbell’s example, how might you transform those non-racist beliefs/behaviors into anti-racist behaviors, action, and advocacy?

ENGAGING WITH OTHERS

One of the key characteristics of an anti-racist ally is a willingness to confront racist ideas and behaviors. However, for many people, this is also the most difficult aspect of anti-racist work. You may find this particularly challenging if you consider yourself to be non-confrontational. If a friend, coworker, student, or family member says or does something racist, it can be difficult to know how to respond constructively. It can also be challenging to know how to respond to more pervasive forms of racism that you may notice, for example, disparate suspension rates for your Latinx students compared to your white students.

Dr. David Campt and his colleagues at the White Ally Toolkit⁵ project have developed a framework that allies can use to engage in productive conversation with people they call “racism skeptics.” Their framework involves four steps: Reflect, Ask, Connect, and Expand (RACE).

• REFLECT
  • Prepare to truly listen
  • Reflect on your own experiences related to the issue at hand
• ASK
  •  Probe the person about their beliefs and the experiences that drive them
• CONNECT
  • Share your own experiences
• EXPAND
  • Raise questions that open possibilities for a broader view
  • Encourage the person to consider a broader view and more conversation
  • Highlight data, facts, or illustrations that support a broader view (perhaps in a subsequent conversation)

IMAGES OF PRACTICE

Elementary school librarian Josh Jenkins lead professional development for their building-level colleagues. Josh’s school is located in a rural area, and the faculty is predominantly white and conservative. Josh embraced his role as an anti-racist ally and was able to effectively communicate with his colleagues about race and racism. Below, he explains how he approached this task:

BUT WAIT!

In this section, we address common questions and concerns related to the material presented in each module. You may have these questions yourself, or someone you’re sharing this information with might raise them. We recommend that for each question below, you spend a few minutes thinking about your own response before clicking “Show more” to see our response.