Week 4-Being An Ally
What does it mean to be an ally to Black communities? It’s educating yourself on historical and systemic oppression faced by Black communities, as well as the needs of these communities. It’s being curious- listening more than speaking. Walking with not leading or saving. Be ready to be proven wrong and challenged. Take a stand against prejudices that seek to identify Black communities as things to be pitied upon, suspicious of and promotes “those people ” mentality. Ask yourself, “Am I ready to confront my biases, have difficult and uncomfortable conversations that may change my perspective on the systems of power in which I live in? Am I able to be an ally and not a saviour?”
Being an ally is hard work and mistakes will happen- as long as you keep learning and make efforts, change will happen. Every action counts no matter how big or how small. Make every month Black history month by becoming an ally.
Click on the links below to learn more on how you can support Black communities in Ottawa and beyond.
Source: https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/06/03/how-be-ally-black-community-and-communities-color
Want to support Black people? Stop talking, start listening – National | Globalnews.ca
Quiz: What are 2 ways (not identified in the article) a person can be an ally to Black communities? Email Answers Here