Missing in Action: Where are all the White Allies?

Dana Strauss

In the wake of a resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the unjust killing of many Black Americans at the hands of police, there has been greater awareness of the concept of racial justice allyship. But what does it really mean for someone to act as a “white ally,” and what is their role in the social justice movements centered around anti-Black racism? Unfortunately, when trying to answer this question, there seems to be a disconnect between how people see themselves versus how they practice allyship in the real world. For example, white people frequently call themselves “allies,” but, when real-life opportunities arise to act on these convictions and dismantle systems of oppression, white people rarely show up. Is it really enough for someone to simply call themselves an ally? And what makes a person a meaningful ally?... continue reading.