Level Up Your Allyship

Allyship means accepting responsibility for our mistakes instead of invalidating those who brought them to our attention.

If you identify as an ally or accomplice and feel like someone from a historically excluded group has harshly criticized you for something you said or did, please take some time to process before responding or acting.

Maybe what feels like harsh criticism to you was, in fact, someone trying to call you in. Remember, it isn’t the job of a marginalized person to educate you. They are probably exhausted after years of similar encounters with other folx who look or identify like you:

🗣️ Exhausted because we are still having the same conversations.
👂 Exhausted because so many still aren't listening.
🎯 Exhausted from being targeted in their daily lives.
☀️ Exhausted from being expected to center the comfort of people from dominant groups, even when these individuals have caused harm.

Those who experience bias, discrimination, and exclusion are the experts on their own lives—not you.
 
We can’t practice allyship when we’re denying the experience of those we claim to be in community with.

Message me to discuss how we can bring these conversations about allyship to your team or organization!

#deib #allyship #mistakes #corrections

[Image description: The words “Allyship Is a Verb” in white on a black background with a multicolor rainbow-like bars radiating from the text. Image credit: Allyship Is a Verb podcast.]