In previous GearUps, we've explored the ways in which we can unwittingly participate in behavior that alienates or perpetuates inequality and injustice in our workplaces and communities. What opportunities, if any, do you have to effectively challenge these issues when you encounter them? How can we use our relationships and daily interactions to effectively challenge cultural and systemic discrimination?
"Allyship" is when a person of a non-marginalized group (OR "a person of privilege") seeks to operate in solidarity with and support a marginalized group of people. Today, we will discuss some essays on the topic of allyship.
- 10 Things Every ‘Ally’ Needs to Remember
- White Anti-Racism: Living the Legacy
- Emma Watson: Gender Equality is Your Issue Too
After looking at the readings above, consider these questions:
The scenarios listed below have all been reported to have happened here at Turing. What would you do in this situation? Based on the readings, how would an ally respond? Can you see yourself taking on the role of an ally in this situation?
-
You're pairing with two other teammates when another person from your cohort walks over and jokingly says hi to one of your teammates, "Hey, what's up my n****r?!?" Your friend responds by giving him a high-five. What, if anything, do you do? If you were a person who felt especially targeted by that word, how would you hope your classmates would respond in that situation? If you were the person who used that word and didn't think it was a big deal, how could someone approach you in a way that might make you think differently in the future?
-
You know there are several people in your cohort who don't drink, but come Thursday, most of your friends want to go to a bar down the street. It's someone's birthday today, so your cohort's "social coordinator" invites everyone out, but you know there are several people who won't be comfortable being at a bar. What, if anything, do you do? If you were a person who felt especially excluded, how would you hope your classmates would respond in that situation? If you were the "social coordinator," how could someone approach you about the issue? Is this an issue worth discussing?
-
One of your friends is talking about the events they attend as part of a member of a group at Turing that is only for people of a certain identity. A person passing by, who does not hold that identity, says that it is unfair that such exclusive groups exist, and they would like to be able to take part in those group's events. What, if anything, do you do? What would an ally to that group do? How do you feel about the existence of groups tailored to people of a certain identity?
Within your group, consider these questions:
- Review the scenarios described above. How did each of you respond? What are the implications of different responses?
- What's one time you acted as an ally? What's one time someone acted as an ally for you?
- Allyship, a social-responsibility buzzword, risks polarizing a community that includes people who are militantly politically correct and those who think being a good person is a matter of common sense. How would you describe your attitude toward these topics? What can you learn from people with a different perspective?
- In a previous GearUp, we discussed the concept of "microaggressions." Do you think that a small act of allyship is the opposite of a microaggression? Does action at this level really make a difference?
- Proponents of the allyship lense of social responsibility would argue that focusing on this scale is a viable way of changing large-scale systemic issues. Do you agree? What is your theory of change?
Before we break for lunch, write your main takeaway on a post-it and put it on the whiteboard at the front of the main workspace.