• Confront your own prejudices (preconceived opinions not based on fact) and biases (unfair favour/disfavour impacting the interactions with them), even if it is uncomfortable to do; this is the first step in seeing things from the perspective of others. 

• Be willing to have your ideas about the history of the intersectionality(ies) that is challenged – these are social constructs and are constantly evolving. 

• Determine if you must “Unlearn” or check on your Implicit Bias.

• A lot of the prejudice is biased in outdated ideals and ignorance about a specific group of people.

Watch this video from CBC 8th Fire four-part Documentary. Wab Kinew, narrator and current Manitoba MLA, will bring you through 500 years of Indigenous History in Canada.

8th Fire - Part 1

Duration: 11 minutes

• You can not call yourself an ally. Others make that determination about you, one individual at a time.

• To qualify, you must demonstrate trustworthiness. 

• Since we are defining our important terms, know that trust is confidence, in the face of risk, that another person will do the right thing.

• Understandably, people who have historically faced injustice may have a higher threshold for extending trust. 

• Those who have experienced harassment, discrimination or incivility have every right to be cautious and skeptical. 

Those who have harmed them (or still do) may be people they dared to trust. What makes you the person who will do the right thing? 

• The word “ally” is being thrown around a lot these days . . . mostly in labels that people apply to themselves, tied to a hashtag or an inspirational quote. It does not mean nothing, but it also does not hold the power it should. We are calling ourselves allies without going beyond words of solidarity.

• Don’t be mistaken: Solidarity is better than silence, but on its own, it isn’t action that affects change. It won’t help win the war against systemic racism (forms of racism that is deeply embedded into the system). To get there, we must truly align with this cause. We must believe this fight is ours and we must act with a commitment equivalent to that belief in order to be authentic and trusted.

1. What does being trustworthy mean to you?

2. What actions make us trustworthy?

3. What does being authentic mean to you?

• Be authentic so do not rush your Allyship learning

• Just as society will not change overnight, neither will you. 

Here are some important do’s and don’ts to consider as you learn, grow, and step into the role of an ally.

THE DO's:

• Do be open to listening 

• Do be aware of your implicit biases

• Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating 

• Do the outer work and figure out how to change the oppressive systems 

• Do use your privilege to amplify (digitally and in-person) historically suppressed voices

• Do the work every day to learn how to be a better ally

THE DON’Ts:

• Do not expect to be taught or shown. Take it upon yourself to use the tools around you to learn and answer your questions 

• Do not compare how your struggle is “just as bad as” a marginalized person 

• Do not behave as though you know best 

• Do not take credit for the labour of those who are marginalized and did the work before you stepped into the picture 

• Do not assume that every member of a marginalized community feels oppressed