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How to Be an Ally
How to Be an Ally
Being an effective ally requires significant self-reflection and a strong sense of self-identity. Anyone can become an ally, but the journey might look different depending on one’s identity, experience and familiarity with issues of power and privilege.
What an Ally does
What an Ally does
Being an ally means using your own privilege to lift up voices that don’t experience the same kind of privileges.
Here are some things you can do to be a good ally to the people around you.
- Amplify
- Lend your voice
- Listen
- Inform yourself
- Mentor
- Be an upstander
- Show up where it counts
- Welcome discomfort
- Learn from your mistakes
- Stay engaged
Things Allies Say
Things Allies Say
- "I see you"
- "I hear you and I will continue to listen to you"
- "I value you and your experience"
- "I will never fully understand, but I will try"
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
RECOMMENDED BOOKS
BECOMING KAREEM: GROWING UP ON AND OFF THE COURT
BY KAREEM ABDUL-JABBARAbdul-Jabbar continues to be a leader in the fight for justice and equality, and this memoir is about his youth, his career, and how experiences with racism and prejudice helped him become the person he is today. Especially good for readers who love sports, as well as those who are familiar with his name (it’s been in the news again lately, so chances are even if young readers don’t know his basketball career, they know he’s important).
BY SHARON DRAPER
Isabella is mixed race, with a Black father and a white mother. She’s used to being called all kinds of names for this—she’s exotic, unusual, and easily targeted for questions about what her true identity is. With her parents divorce, she’s now forced to confront and understands both of her identities and what it really means for her to be who she is.
Isabella is mixed race, with a Black father and a white mother. She’s used to being called all kinds of names for this—she’s exotic, unusual, and easily targeted for questions about what her true identity is. With her parents divorce, she’s now forced to confront and understands both of her identities and what it really means for her to be who she is.
BY TIFFANY JEWELL AND AURELIA DURAND
In this guide Jewell not only breaks down what it means to be anti-racist and what racism looks like and sounds like, but also offers 20 lessons on how young people can take action and ensure a more just future. Durand illustrates the book and makes it extremely approachable, even for more timid middle grade readers. An outstanding primer for helping build language and understanding around what anti-racist work really is.
In this guide Jewell not only breaks down what it means to be anti-racist and what racism looks like and sounds like, but also offers 20 lessons on how young people can take action and ensure a more just future. Durand illustrates the book and makes it extremely approachable, even for more timid middle grade readers. An outstanding primer for helping build language and understanding around what anti-racist work really is.
BY JEWELL PARKER RHODES
12-year-old Jerome was shot and killed by a police officer who mistook his toy gun for a real weapon. Now, as a ghost, he sees what happens to his family and community in the wake of his murder. He also meets in his afterlife Emmett Till, who guides him through a history of racism, police brutality, and ultimately, comfort.
12-year-old Jerome was shot and killed by a police officer who mistook his toy gun for a real weapon. Now, as a ghost, he sees what happens to his family and community in the wake of his murder. He also meets in his afterlife Emmett Till, who guides him through a history of racism, police brutality, and ultimately, comfort.
OPENLY STRAIGHT BY BILL KONIGSBERG
Rafe is a normal teenager from Boulder, Colorado. He plays soccer. He's won skiing prizes. He likes to write.And, oh yeah, he's gay. He's been out since 8th grade, and he isn't teased, and he goes to other high schools and talks about tolerance and stuff. And while that's important, all Rafe really wants is to just be a regular guy. Not that GAY guy. To have it be a part of who he is, but not the headline, every single time.So when he transfers to an all-boys' boarding school in New England, he decides to keep his sexuality a secret -- not so much going back in the closet as starting over with a clean slate. But then he sees a classmate breaking down. He meets a teacher who challenges him to write his story. And most of all, he falls in love with Ben... who doesn't even know that love is possible.
SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA BY BECKY ALBERTALLI
Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he's pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he's never met.
IF I WAS YOUR GIRL BY MEREDITH RUSSO
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret, and she’s determined not to get too close to anyone. But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can’t help but start to let him into her life. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself, including her past. But Amanda’s terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it.
QUEER, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE BY SARAH PRAGER
World history has been made by countless lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals—and you’ve never heard of many of them.Queer author and activist Sarah Prager delves deep into the lives of 23 people who fought, created, and loved on their own terms. From high-profile figures like Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt to the trailblazing gender-ambiguous Queen of Sweden and a bisexual blues singer who didn’t make it into your history books, these astonishing true stories uncover a rich queer heritage that encompasses every culture, in every era.
KICKED OUT BY SASSAFRAS LOWREY
In the U.S., 40% of homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer(LGBTQ). Kicked Out brings together the voices of current and former homeless LGBTQ youth and tells the forgotten stories of some of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. Diverse contributors share stories of survival and abuse with poignant accounts of the sanctuary of community and the power of creating chosen families.
BY ALAN GRATZ
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge.
JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge.
Why Reading Books About Others Is Important
When we read a book, fiction, fantasy, non-fiction or graphic novel, we find ourselves reading the story through the main character's perspective. Reading about another person's experience helps place you in the character's shoes.Why Reading Books About Others Is Important
The books listed on this page are just a few of the many books that will help you better understand another person's perspective and grow your allyship.
Identity Mapping
Identity Mapping
Step 1
Step 1
To start, create your own identity map. List your identity group memberships, which may include gender, ethnicity, race, familial roles, professional roles and religious affiliations. Keep in mind that these identity group memberships are complex and should not be considered in a strictly binary fashion (e.g., black or white, male or female, gay or straight). Thinking of identity as either/or is limiting and can be harmful to individuals whose identities fall between or outside of these binaries.
Step 2
Step 2
Consider each identity group you are a part of and ask yourself these questions:
Have I experienced privilege because of this group membership? Have I been disadvantaged because of this group membership? Note: For some group memberships, you can experience both privilege and disadvantage.
Which of these memberships are visible, and which are invisible?
Which of these memberships are most fundamental to who I am?
Step 3
Step 3
Consider your own identity as well as your peers’ identities. Ask yourself:
Are my peers privileged or disadvantaged because of their group memberships? Or both?
Am I acknowledging both the visible and invisible group memberships of my peers?
Am I valuing the social groups my peers value or just the ones that are important to me?
Source: Teaching Tolerance
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