Allyship
What is allyship?
An ally is someone who champions underrepresented groups, while not being a member of that group themselves.1 In the context of advancing race equity, allyship is when white people use their position of privilege to support people from the Global Majority.
When we talk about white people as having a 'position of privilege', we mean the advantages and lack of race-based discrimination that whiteness affords people in our society at a structural level. This by no means erases the experiences or struggles that white people can face due to other protected characteristics or circumstances, such as their class, sexual orientation, ability or gender. 'White privilege' instead refers to the fact that race has not been a contributing factor in any issues they may have faced and, in many situations, even represents an advantage.
Why is it important?
Allies are crucial for the creation of an anti-racist and equitable environment. Many kind and socially responsible people who believe in advancing race equity will still shy away from action. This is usually because they assume someone else will do what needs to be done or because they don't feel qualified to get involved. Psychologists call this 'diffusion of responsibility.'2 But everyone has a part to play.
The American Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s would never have been successful without people from all races being involved. Change only happens if people from all walks of life are invested in advancing race equity. But being an ally doesn't necessarily need to mean being involved in activism. You can practice allyship simply by looking out for people from the Global Majority as a colleague or friend, and by paying attention to their needs and experiences.
How do I practice allyship?
It's useful to think of the term 'ally' as a verb, rather than a noun: allyship is a constant and continuous journey of learning and action.
Here are some dos and don'ts for effective allyship:
Do
Simple things you can do every day
- Listen to the lived experiences of your colleagues from the Global Majority to gain an understanding of the issues and struggles they face. Make sure you listen with empathy and your full attention
- Be curious and educate yourself on current issues surrounding racism
- Speak up when people say or do discriminatory or racist things, regardless of whether a person from the Global Majority is present when the comments are made, and regardless of the seniority of the person who made the comment. This might feel daunting, but it's important to play an active role in ensuring the workplace is fair and safe for all
- Get to know people who have different backgrounds to you
- Hold yourself accountable. We all have unconscious biases and can make mistakes. But we must take responsibility for how our words and actions affect others and learn from the experience to avoid it happening again
Things you can do if you want to be more involved
- Create the space for all voices to be heard. People from the Global Majority often struggle to speak up or get overlooked because of entrenched biases
- Get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. Discomfort is normal when discussing issues where you are in the position of privilege. You're bound to get something wrong at some point
Don't
- Don't put the onus on the person from the Global Majority to 'teach' you. Instead, do some research and try to find out as much as you can on your own. We should all take accountability for educating ourselves on key issues of race equity. It's usually fine to ask questions, but ask the person if they are comfortable before quizzing them about race
- Don't act like you have all the answers. It can be offensive to people who have experienced racism when someone who has not acts like they have the most knowledge on the topic
- Don't compare your struggles to the struggles of others. Even if you haven't experienced racism, you may have experienced another kind of discrimination. Speaking about those experiences is valid, but it can be upsetting and offensive if you compare your experiences to those of others, particularly in the context of race. Many people who have experienced racism have also experienced people 'deflecting' the topic away from race
If you would like to learn more about allyship, we recommend exploring the following resources:
Being an Ally toolkit, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (2023)
Seeing things as they are: An ethnicity ally's guide to getting it right, Investing in Ethnicity (2021)
How to be a Race Ally: A toolkit, HM Prison & Probation Service (2023)
Simple Guide to Allyship, NHS Leadership Academy, Phillip Masuwa & Monica Sharma
Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces, Karen Catlin (2019)
The Good Ally, Nova Reid (2022)
