What is Allyship?
Allyship is:
- a lifelong process of building relationships based on trust, consistency, and accountability with marginalized individuals and/or groups of people.
- not self-defined — work and efforts must be recognized by those you are seeking to ally with.
- an opportunity to grow and learn about ourselves, whilst building confidence in others.
Source: Sheree Atcheson, Forbes Magazine
Resources
Begin with this comprehensive Guide to Allyship and these Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies.
Student Affairs staff might benefit from reading How to Be A Better Ally to Your Black Colleagues and A Call to Action by a fellow student affairs professional.
Faculty and graduate students may find What Black Faculty Need from Our White and Asian Allies and How to Be An Ally to New Minority Scholars helpful.
Finally, for those interested in aligning their allyship with a faith or interfaith perspective, here are resources compiled by the Director of the Office of Interfaith Dialogue, Emiola Oriola.
Interfaith
Racial Justice and Interfaith Cooperation
Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network
Baha’i
Forging a Path to Racial Justice
Buddhist
Radical Dharma
Angel Kyodo Williams
Lama Rod Owens
Ruth King
Christian
Christians and Racial Justice Discussion Guide (Sojourners)
Racial Justice – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Reconciliation Ministry – Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism – Roman Catholic
Racial Justice Resources – Presbyterian Church USA
Resources for Racial Justice – United Methodist Women
The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism (Jemar Tisby)
Disunity in Christ (Christena Cleveland)
The Cross and the Lynching Tree (James Cone)
Reconciliation Blues (Edward Gilbreath)
Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America (Michael Eric Dyson)
Trouble I’ve Seen (Drew G. I. Hart)
I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation (Chanequa Walker-Barnes)
Dear White Christians (Jennifer Harvey)
Divided by Faith (Michael Emerson and Christian Smith)
Islamic
Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative
Anti-Racism Guide for White Muslims
Jewish
Jewish Racial Justice Resources
Racial Justice and Jewish Values
Racial Justice (T’ruah)
Jewish Perspectives on Racial Justice (Repair the World)