💛 “10 Steps to Being an Ally to Marginalized Groups”
Being an ally shouldn’t be a badge someone wears, like liberal street cred. It’s fundamentally a way of seeing the world in which you understand that every person is deserving of the same human rights and a chance to succeed in life.
—@Sherry_Kappel
@clayrivers@Sherry_Kappel@BigAngBlack@blackmastodon@BlackMastodon
Many allies understand this. But the reality is, aside from blocking raciest *ssholes in social media, in our daily lives we have few opportunities to stand up and and make our voices as allies heard (voting aside of course). It's not your job to educate anyone or seek alliances, but sometimes such messages are disheartening, making some like fakes. I don't need a cookie, but equally I don't want to be accused of being fake.
Hi there. Thanks for commenting. Here’s the thing. There is so much more to being an ally than reacting to to racist comments online. That’s ONE thing. There’s educating oneself about the struggles of Black people. There’s educating others. We focus on America as that’s where we live, but anti-Black racism can be found everywhere. Just because you don’t “see” racism occurring that doesn’t mean that it isn’t happening.
@clayrivers@Sherry_Kappel@BigAngBlack@blackmastodon@BlackMastodon
"...but anti-Black racism can be found everywhere" Yes definitely. I grew up in the Deep South and moved to NL the first chance I had. Was surprised that racism have different "flavors." In NL we are only beginning to come to terms with our colonial past lately. Thank you for this and your other comments; they are helpful and on point (for me).
Ah, yes. The Deep South. I’m glad you were able to receive them in the spirit intended. Racism is just one of those topics that seems to grow in scope the more it’s examined. But it really comes down to being prepared to do the right the thing when the time comes; be it internally, interpersonally, or systemically. The key is to not give up. Too much is at stake. 🙂
Opportunities for allyship extend far beyond the ballot box as well. For the record, I do not consider it “my job” to educate people about the ins and outs of racism. I do however consider it my calling. If you find calls-to-action, stories of how racism has ruined the lives of BIPOC disheartening, try living with those effects. If the truth of racism and hate are too disheartening to move you to action, you are most ...
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