Being an ally to black people and other marginalised races is hugely important when it comes to challenging society’s racist attitudes. While there is no set way to do this, here are a few things that you can do to support your black peers.
Listen
Listen to people of colour when they share their experiences and be understanding. Don’t challenge their experiences of racism or make them feel as though it ‘wasn’t that bad’ or ‘could have been worse’.
Be actively anti-racist
There is a huge difference between not being racist and being anti-racist. Being anti-racist involves actively challenging racist behaviour or attitudes in all aspects of life, whether that be from the people around you or from politics and the media. Speaking out against racism and discrimination in day-to-day life means that you are actively challenging racism, rather than simply not being racist.
Learn from your mistakes
If you say or do something wrong, listen, apologise for your mistake, and learn from it. Mistakes can happen when talking about race and racism, but it is the way you react to it which is most important.
Amplify black voices
Resources, posts, or information regarding racism, being anti-racist or anything else to do with race, are most accurate when created by people of colour. Share them across social media platforms or with family and friends. Remember that the voices of marginalised races are the most important within conversations about race.
Educate yourself
Don’t be afraid to ask questions about race and racism, it is important to learn and understand as much as you can about it. However, also remember that it is not the role of black people to educate you on all aspects of racism. There are so many brilliant and accessible resources online and across social media that explain concepts like microaggressions or anti-racism.
Edited by Nadia Lincoln