Being an Ally: World Book Day 2023

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Many came swooping in with a freshly ironed superhero cape, it having only just occurred to them that they, too, could do something about racism. Full disclosure: I contributed an essay to this anthology. My review is based off a physical ARC of the US version that I received as a result of my participation. Context can include your current mental state (are you feeling defensive? Upset? Nervous? Calm?), the physical space you're in (private or public area), or the apology’s medium (phone, online, text message, in person). When an ally takes on the role of the Scholar, that ally seeks to learn as much as possible about the challenges and prejudices faced by colleagues from marginalized groups. It’s important to note that Scholars never insert their own opinions, experiences, or ideas, but instead simply listen and learn. They also don’t expect marginalized people to provide links to research proving that bias exists or summaries of best practices. Scholars do their own research to seek out the relevant information.

Hey Kid, Choose Your Battles" by Eric Smith- As a child who was bullied in middle school, I could relate to the message in this essay. I have heard the line choose your battles a lot. Show genuine curiosity and compassion about the lives and work of your team members and colleagues. Build relationships with them so you can better collaborate together and advocate for each other. When they are speaking, listen and be fully present. And when they are sharing their ideas or experiences, make sure you show compassion and empathy. Another essay stood out to me, Dismantling Judgment by Lizzie Huxley-Jones told her invisible illness and many of the same experiences that I have had and felt like I had found a friend.

6. The Upstander

A Bus, a Poster, and a Mirror" by Brendan Kiely- An interesting take on bullying from someone who used to be a bully. This is What it Feels Like" by A.J. Sass- What a wonderful essay from this author and how they came to accept their sexuality and themselves.

the second essay touches on the author discovering pansexuality and i just. i’m emo. i’ve seen this story so many times, but seeing it in a book is so!!! This is great collection of essays for anyone who wants to be a better ally or thinking about becomng one. Investigate and read publications, podcasts, or social media by and about underrepresented groups within your industry. Stop the pattern: be careful where you step in the future. When it comes to oppression, we want to actually change the “footwear” to get rid of privilege and oppression (sneakers for all!), but metaphors can only stretch so far!In May 2015, Andrew Grill was a Global Managing Partner at IBM and a speaker at the Online Influence Conference. He was on a panel along with five other men when a female member of the audience posed the obvious question to the all-male lineup: “Where are the women?” Test Prep Insight's College Guide and Resources For LGBTQ Students: This guide covers all aspects of college life for LGBTQ students, including common challenges, tips for integrating into campus life, and perhaps most importantly, guidance from experts on navigating college relationships. Talk about the expertise you see in others, especially during performance calibrations and promotion discussions.

People perform better when they can be themselves. We want you to help us make Imperial a place where everyone can bring their best selves to work, and a place where all our students feel safe and included. Round and Round We Go by Kayla Whaley - Whaley grew up participating in Muscular Dystrophy Association telethons as one of "Jerry's Kids." She discusses the complexity of being used for getting watchers to donate money while also benefiting from the experience, not just for the work done by the MDA but also for the social aspect of seeing friends at the annual telethon. She concludes that, "it's only when we come together with our personhood intact on both sides that true allyship is possible."Still I think guides, texts, and collections like this are really great to have because no matter where you are in your understanding of privilege and being an ally it is great that awareness is there; and that you are trying to work on being a more informed and active member in fighting against white supremacy, while also learning how to do that without talking over people of color and the other voices you are trying to stand with. So overall I think this is a nice place to start but those who are wanting a more nuanced and layered text may want to look somewhere else. Allies is a group of essays that provide insight on how to be... well you guessed it, an ally. An ally for marginalized groups who face oppression, intentionally or not. There are 16 essays that were created by 17 people, the vast majority being YA authors. There was also an author who is a doctor, some are bloggers, and then there was an artist (one of my favorite entries), but yeah, all have ties to YA material. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is learning how to create closure within rather than expecting other people to give it to us.

Your desire to give an apology right now doesn’t mean that the receiver is ready for it. Some people need space to process, and you should respect that. When they’re willing to reconnect, if at all, they may let you know (or they may not).

4. The Advocate

You may have noticed it’s easier to handle being corrected about something you didn’t know if you’re grateful for and even open to the opportunity to learn rather than embarrassed to have been wrong. Being able to let go of your ego is an incredibly important skill to develop.