Our Commitments and Accountabilities

 

Holding ourselves accountable for our work as allies is enormously important.  Is it perhaps too easy, as white people working in higher education, to ignore injustices and go about our days. And, too often, we witness colleagues and peers who claim to be allies and care about social justice use that moniker nominally but not actually take action.  As such, we strive to walk the walk and to make our commitments transparent so that we maintain them and can redirect if we fall behind.

Our accountability measures include:

 

1. Practicing vigilance

 

Zeus Leondardo (2004), in his writing about white supremacy, tells us that even though structures of domination might come before us, we “daily recreate [them] on both the individual and institutional level” (p. 139).  We thus must be ever aware of how we participate in upholding them and how they are replicated.  As such, Barbara Applebaum, a Critical Whiteness Studies scholar, advocates for the practice of “critical vigilance,” (2016) which she explains as a constant attention to ourselves and a sort of ‘check’ for our own implications in the systems which we critique.  She reminds us that we must focus on our “own goodness, not … negative beliefs about ‘others’” (p. 17).  Those of us who are aspiring allies cannot get so caught up in pointing fingers at others who we feel are oppressive that we forget to turn the gaze inward to examine our own practices.  We must also remain vigilant about “the consequences of . . .ethical and political practice on both the self and the world,” (p. 17) committed to examining the outcomes of what we do and for whom those outcomes exist (or do not).  This requires constant reflection and holding ourselves accountable to the commitments and actions we seek to take.

 

Part of remaining vigilant is recognizing when we are complicit in structures of domination. As Leonardo (2004) writes, systems create habits of being that are normalized to the point at which we may not at first see how we are perpetuating them.  Not offering a meeting in a place that is accessible for all is an example.  Inevitably, we are always caught in structures where our actions marginalize others. By remaining vigilant, we can recognize these structures, and their impact on marginalized communities, and do our best to resist them and change them.  

 

2. Taking action

 

Reflection is not enough, and therefore we must check that we are taking the actions toward reaching the equity we seek.  While again, it is easy to say we support marginalized groups, are we doing anything to dismantle the systems that oppress them?  What, specific actions, are we taking?

 

a. Speaking up

One action to which we must hold ourselves accountable is speaking up.  This comes in many forms, such as when someone says something problematic.  We often hear students talk about how difficult it is to speak up against their “racist grandparents” when they go home for the holidays, or how a roommate’s homophobic jokes make them uncomfortable.  When in these situations, we must disrupt harmful language, even if it is difficult and even if it hurts a relationship.  If we do not, how are we being allies? 

 

b. Listening to others

On the flip side of speaking up, listening (truly) is an action to which we must also commit.  Too often folks speak of “empowering” marginalized individuals or of “giving voice to.”  We find this framing problematic because those same individuals have power and a voice, they have just been historically ignored or silenced.  Therefore, we commit to finding and listening to these voices in the spaces in which we engage daily. 

 

c. Supporting organizations

Numerous organizations exist that address systems of injustice.  We have to put our time and our money where our words are.  To this end, we regularly involve ourselves in community organizations in ways in which we are needed (see Blog on Tips for Being an Ally). We offer workshops and training for local, Inland Northwest organizations free of charge. If your organization is interested, please reach out to Matthew at [email protected].

 

d. Educating continuously

Equity work is never done, and we are never fully knowledgeable about all related areas.  We must therefore continue to educate ourselves through social media, articles, videos, and publications that are intended to educate us about topics related to race, sexuality, gender, disability, and other categories of marginalization.  We must also stay abreast of policies and legislation that affect these areas and which may necessitate intervention.  Subscribing to blogs, email lists, and monitoring book releases, etc. are ways of staying on top of the ever advancing landscape of equity.  Engaging with the works of scholars from these areas is vastly important.

 

3. Practicing humility and accepting feedback

Part of being an ally is practicing humility and opening yourself up to critique, especially to the groups you hope to support.  Our privileges may lead us to be arrogant or defensive, especially if we are told we made a mistake.  Part of holding ourselves accountable is asking if we are doing enough to show support and, if we receive feedback that we may not want to hear, accepting that and re-directing our efforts.

 

4. Building relationships with and across groups

If we truly want to live in a world in which equity prevails, we have to build relationships across boundaries.  This is not the token friend at work, but rather authentic, deep relationships in which care is reciprocal.  Relationships denote dialogue and personal connection.  If cultivated appropriately, these relationships can help us experience worldviews different from our own and can hold us accountable to recognizing how our socializations influence the ways we see issues and society. 

 

At the same time, it is important to also build relationships within groups to others who are aspiring allies from a similar standpoint.  These folks can remind us of our responsibilities and ensure we are abiding by our commitments. 

 

5. Highlighting and amplifying voices of marginalized individuals

As mentioned above in educating ourselves, it is crucial to engage with scholarship and discourse from marginalized individuals so as to gain a deeper sense of their perspectives and experiences.  In our work as scholars and teachers, we strive to cite work by BIPOC and other identities to showcase the decades long history of equity work that comes before us but also the ways in which our thinking is currently informed.  Whenever we write, publish, or present, we ensure that we are drawing from (not capitalizing on) the work of those who came before us. 

 

A Note on “Allies”

Finally, a word on “allies.”  This term has become widely popular on social media and within social groups.  As with many trends, it has since incurred rightful critique.  The word “allies,” some feel, is not enough—it doesn’t go far enough by saying I’m here with you and see your oppression, but some have felt more action oriented words would note I’m doing something about your oppression.  Additional terms that have been proffered, therefore, are co-conspirator (Love, 2019), accomplice, or advocate. 

 

After much discussion, we decided to use the word ally because it is largely recognized by the folks with whom we seek to work:  individuals who are committed to social justice and genuinely want to learn, make change, and provide support where needed.  We are committed to fostering diverse communities where understanding, acceptance, and authentic engagement reign, be those workplaces, homes, schools, or public spaces.  Furthermore, allies do not seek to take the stage for themselves, but rather to toil alongside or to hold up the platform.  Lila Watson, an Aboriginal rights activist in Queensland, Australia, said, “If you have come to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” Echoing her sentiment,  we believe that achieving equity is a collective goal and we must work together to achieve our goals.  

References

Applebaum, B.  (2016).  Critical whiteness studies.  Oxford Research Encyclopedia.  DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.5

Leonardo, Z.  (2004).  The color of supremacy:  Beyond the discourse of ‘white privilege.’ Educational Philosophy and Theory, 36(2), 138-152.

Love, B.  (2019).  We want to do more than survive:  Abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom.  Beacon.